First-time executor: what actually needs to happen.
You have been named executor in a parent's will, or the will of someone else close. You have never done probate before. You want to know what actually needs to happen, in what order, and where the landmines are.
What most first-time executors actually face.
The typical first-time Irish executor is handling a parent's estate. There is usually a family home, bank accounts across two or three institutions, possibly a small pension pot, and two or three beneficiaries. You are also often grieving, working a full-time job, and trying to coordinate with siblings.
You will quickly discover that solicitors quote €2,000 to €5,000 for a "standard" probate and will not start for three to six weeks. You will also discover that the work itself is clerical, procedural, and entirely doable by a careful personal applicant. The barrier is knowing what to do, not ability.
Four things you need to do, in order.
Confirm probate is needed
Not every estate needs a Grant. If everything passed jointly to a surviving spouse, or the estate is under €25,000 per institution, you may not need probate at all. The free probate checker answers this in 30 seconds.
Notify every institution
Banks, credit unions, pension providers, Revenue, utilities. Each wants a certified death certificate copy and a formal notification letter. A typical estate touches 8 to 12 institutions. Each response takes 5 to 20 days.
File SA2 on Revenue myAccount
The Statement of Affairs (Probate) is Revenue's gate to lodging the probate application. You cannot lodge without the Revenue Notice of Acknowledgement. Allow 2-4 weeks from SA2 submission to receiving the Notice.
Lodge with the Probate Office
Your application goes to the Dublin Principal Probate Office (for Dublin, Meath, Kildare, Wicklow) or the relevant District Probate Registry. Dublin currently takes 10-12 weeks. The Grant arrives by post 3 weeks after your appointment.
Four things first-time executors get wrong.
Distributing too early. You cannot distribute assets to beneficiaries until the Grant of Probate issues and Revenue clearance is received. Early distribution exposes you personally to liability for debts you didn't know about.
Missing the CAT filing deadline. Each beneficiary files their own IT38 return, and the deadline is 31 October of the year the valuation date falls in (or following year if Sep-Dec). The executor has no CAT liability personally but must confirm the estate doesn't distribute until CAT is paid.
Assuming the family home passes to the surviving parent automatically. Only if it was held as joint tenants. Many Irish couples hold property as tenants in common, in which case the deceased's half share goes into the estate and needs probate.
Paying bills before the Grant. You have no legal authority to pay anything from the deceased's accounts until you hold the Grant. The one exception is funeral expenses, which most banks will release from the deceased's account with a death certificate and the funeral director's invoice.
For a first-time executor, start with the Readiness Check.
The €79 Readiness Check tells you whether probate is needed, whether DIY is realistic for this specific estate, your estimated CAT position, and which higher-tier pack fits your case. Most first-time executors who start here upgrade to the Preparation Pack within 24 hours.
Preparation Pack
Full application kit. 25 institution letters, SA2 briefing, affidavit, post-Grant guide.
See what's insideComplete Bundle
Only if the estate has inheritance tax in play. typically homes over €400,000.
For CAT estatesThree calculators to start with.
Do I need probate?
Six questions. Answers whether the estate needs a Grant or falls under the small-estates procedure.
Start here →Inheritance tax (CAT) calculator
Estimates the CAT position for every beneficiary using 2026 thresholds.
Calculate CAT →Probate timeline estimator
Realistic timeline from today to receiving the Grant, based on your registry and estate complexity.
See the timeline →