Appendix 1
Personal application for a grant of probate
If you are making a personal application for probate or administration, you may do so in writing to the District Probate Registries. You must go in person to the Probate Office in Dublin.
The Probate Office may refuse to allow a personal applicant to be attended by an adviser. It may also refuse to allow an applicant to personally continue an application if it had been initiated by a solicitor. Where an application is made in connection with a case which has already been before the Courts, that application must be made by a solicitor unless a special direction is received from the Probate Office.
A personal applicant for probate or for administration of the estate must take the following steps:
1. Get the application form for personal applicants from the Probate Office or one of the 14 local Probate Offices.
2. Fill out the form as best you can by entering details of bank, post office, building society accounts, property, assets, stocks, shares, and debts of the deceased.
3. Return the completed form to the Probate Office. You will then get an acknowledgement and be given an appointment for a preliminary interview (more than one appointment may be necessary).
4. Attend the interview in person and bring the following required items:
- Death certificate
- Original will and codicil/s (if any)
- Funeral bills/receipts
- Statements up to the time of death of deposits in banks, post offices, credit unions, building societies, etc.
- Details of other assets (for example, assurance policies, gratuities, superannuation schemes, stocks, shares, cash, prize bonds etc.)
- Details of any liabilities, debts (outstanding mortgages, loans, wages due to staff etc. You may have to put an advertisement in the papers asking creditors to send in their claims within a certain period)
- Details of any debts owing to the deceased's estate (wages, holiday pay, Court case settlements etc.)
- Details about property (estimated value) together with title deeds or land certificates.
5. Sign the documents and swear the executor's oath. This is an oath swearing that you believe that the will in question is the last will of the deceased, that you are the person appointed as executor and that you will administer the will in accordance with the law.
6. Take the completed Revenue Affidavit to the Revenue Commissioners for clearance for Capital Acquisitions Tax purposes.
7. Pay the fee for probate.
8. Get permission from Probate Office to administer the estate.
If the Registrar of the Probate Office is satisfied that the will is valid and there are no caveats (objections) entered then probate is granted.
If there are problems (for example, if the original will cannot be found or there is doubt about signatures) then the Registrar may require sworn statements from witnesses. If there are no problems, probate is granted on the oath of the executor.
The Probate Office or the District Probate Office make a standard form of grant unless there is a contentious aspect to the application. Where a contentious issue arises the matter must be decided by the High Court judge in charge of probate matters although the High Court can direct that the matter be resolved by the Circuit Court in certain circumstances.
It may be useful to obtain certified copies of the Grant of Probate/Grant of Administration from the Probate Office. You may need them for institutions such as banks, the Prize Bond Office, or the Post Office.
Probate Office First Floor
Phoenix House
15-24 Phoenix St. North
Smithfield, Dublin 7
Tel: (01) 872 5555
District Probate Registries
In addition to the Probate Office in Dublin there are fourteen District Probate Registries in Ireland, located in local Circuit Court Offices. Where the deceased lived in Dublin, Meath, Kildare or Wicklow or lived outside Ireland, application for a grant must be made to the Probate Office in Dublin. Where the deceased lived in Ireland in any county other than Dublin, Meath, Kildare or Wicklow the applications may be made either to the Probate Office in Dublin or to the local Probate Registry.
Place and Districts of District Probate Registries
| Office | Address | Telephone | Counties Served |
| Castlebar | The Courthouse Breaffy Road Castlebar |
(094) 902 1522 | Mayo |
| Cavan | The Courthouse Farnham Street Cavan |
(049) 433 1530 | Cavan Longford |
| Clonmel | The Courthouse Clonmel Co. Tipperary |
(052) 29183 | Tipperary |
| Cork | The Courthouse Washington Street Cork |
(021) 427 1223 | Cork |
| Dundalk | The Courthouse Dundalk Co. Louth |
(042) 939 2300 | Louth Monaghan |
| Galway | The Courthouse Galway |
(091) 562 340 | Galway Roscommon |
| Kilkenny | The Courthouse Parliament Street Kilkenny |
(056) 772 2073 | Kilkenny Carlow Laois |
| Letterkenny | The Courthouse Letterkenny Co. Donegal |
(074) 912 8711 | Donegal |
| Limerick | Courthouse Limerick |
(061) 414 655 | Limerick Clare |
| Mullingar | The Courthouse Mullingar Co. Westmeath |
(044) 934 8315 | Westmeath Offaly |
| Sligo | The Courthouse Sligo |
(071) 914 2228 | Sligo Leitrim |
| Tralee | The Courthouse Tralee |
(066) 712 1998 | Kerry |
| Waterford | The Courthouse Catherine Street Waterford |
(051) 874 144 | Waterford |
| Wexford | The Courthouse Wexford |
(053) 912 2329 | Wexford |
Appendix 2: Citizens Information
Citizens Information Board
The Citizens Information Board (formerly Comhairle) is the national agency responsible for supporting the provision of information, advice and advocacy on social services.
The Board publishes a range of information on rights, entitlements and services through publications and through the Citizens Information website, www.citizensinformation.ie. The Board's website is at www.citizensinformationboard.ie and has a list of publications and resources.
There are over 100 Citizens Information Centres around the country, providing free, confidential and impartial information, advice and advocacy to members of the public, on their rights and entitlements. The centres have a wide range of application forms and booklets on civil and social services and entitlements and on state and other services. They also stock Citizens Information Board publications which may be of interest to you, such as Entitlements for People with Disabilities, Entitlements for the Over Sixties and Employment Rights Explained. They have a useful checklist for storing information about where your possessions and legal documents are kept.
Citizens Information Phone Service
The Citizens Information Phone Service is a Citizens Information Board supported initiative. It can be contacted from anywhere in Ireland for the cost of a local call at:
Lo-call: 1890 777 121
Monday to Friday 9.00am - 9.00pm
Email: information@citizensinformation.ie
Citizens Information Services
Dublin
Ballyfermot CIS
Ballyfermot Community Civic Centre, Ballyfermot Road,
Dublin 10.
Tel: (01) 620 7181
Blanchardstown CIS
Westend House, Westend Office Park, Snugborough Road
Extension, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15.
Tel: (01) 822 0449
City Centre (Dublin) CIS
13A Upper O'Connell Street, Dublin 1.
Tel: (01) 809 0633
Clondalkin CIS
Luke Cullen House, Unit 2, Oakfield Industrial Estate, 9th
Lock Road, Clondalkin, Dublin 22.
Tel: (01) 457 9045
Crumlin CIS
146 Sundrive Road, Crumlin, Dublin 12.
Tel: (01) 454 6070
Dublin 246 CIS
Rathmines Community Partnership, 11 Wynnefield Road,
Rathmines, Dublin 6.
Tel: (01) 498 2999
Dublin 8 and Bluebell CIS
90 Meath Street, Dublin 8.
Tel: (01) 473 4671
Dublin City North Bay CIS
2 Sybil Hill Road, Raheny, Dublin 5.
Tel: (01) 805 8574
Dublin North West CIS
Unit 7, Finglas Village, Dublin 11.
Tel: (01) 864 1970
Dun Laoghaire CIS
85-86 Patrick Street, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin.
Tel: (01) 284 4544
Fingal (North County) CIS
Unit 26, Swords Plaza, Fingal, Co. Dublin.
Tel: (01) 840 6877
Northside CIS
Northside Civic Centre, Bunratty Road, Coolock, Dublin
17.
Tel: (01) 867 4301
Tallaght CIS
512 Main Street, Tallaght, Dublin 24.
Tel: (01) 451 5887
Carlow
Co. Carlow CIS
St. Catherine's Community Centre, St. Josephs Road, Carlow
Town.
Tel: (059) 913 8750
Cavan
Co. Cavan CIS
Dublin Road, Cavan Town.
Tel: (049) 433 2641
Clare
Co. Clare CIS
Bindon Lane, Bank Place, Ennis.
Tel: (065) 684 1221
Cork City and County
Cork City Centre and South County CIS
80 South Mall, Cork
Tel: (021) 427 7377
Cork City (North) CIS
Harbour View Road, Portacabin beside Community College,
Knocknaheeny.
Tel: (021) 430 2301
Cork North and East County CIS
61 Lower Patrick Street, Fermoy.
Tel: (025) 32 711
West Cork County CIS
Wolfe Tone Square, Bantry.
Tel: (027) 52 100
Donegal
Co. Donegal CIS
Public Service Centre, Blaney Road, Letterkenny.
Tel: (074) 919 4281
Galway City and County
Galway CIS
Augustine House, St. Augustine Street, Galway City.
Tel: (091) 563 344
Kerry
Co. Kerry CIS
4 Bridge Lane, Tralee.
Tel: (066) 712 3655
Kildare
North Kildare CIS
Derroon House, Dublin Road, Maynooth.
Tel: (01) 628 5477
South Kildare CIS
Room 5, Parish Centre Station Road, Newbridge.
Tel: (045) 431 735
Kilkenny
Kilkenny CIS
4 The Parade, Kilkenny.
Tel: (056) 776 2755
Laois
Co. Laois CIS
27 Main Street, Portlaoise.
Tel: (057) 862 1425
Leitrim
Co. Leitrim CIS
Bridge Street, Drumshanbo.
Tel: (071) 964 0995
Limerick City and County
Limerick CIS
54 Catherine Street, Limerick City.
Tel: (061) 311 444
Longford
Co. Longford CIS
Level One, Longford Shopping Centre, Longford Town.
Tel: (043) 41 069
Louth
Co. Louth CIS
4 Adelphi Court, Long Walk, Dundalk.
Tel: (042) 932 9149
Mayo
Co. Mayo CIS
Cavendish House, Link Road, Castlebar.
Tel: (094) 902 5544
Meath
Co. Meath CIS
1 Brews Hill, Navan.
Tel: (046) 907 4086
Monaghan
Monaghan CIS
23 North Road, Monaghan Town.
Tel: (047) 82 622
Offaly
Co. Offaly CIS
Level One, Bridge Centre, Tullamore.
Tel: (057) 935 2204
Roscommon
Co. Roscommon CIS
18 Castle View, Castle Street, Roscommon Town.
Tel: (090) 662 7922
Sligo
Co. Sligo CIS
8 Lower John Street, Sligo.
Tel: (071) 915 1133
Tipperary
Co. Tipperary CIS
34-35 Croke Street, Thurles.
Tel: (0504) 22 399
Waterford City and County
Waterford CIS
37 Yellow Road, Waterford City.
Tel: (051) 351 133
Westmeath
Co. Westmeath CIS
St Mary's Square, Athlone, Co. Westmeath.
Tel: (090) 647 8851
Wexford
Co. Wexford CIS
28 Henrietta Street, Wexford.
Tel: (053) 914 2012
Wicklow
Co. Wicklow CIS
Unit 3 and 4, The Boulevard, Quinsboro Road, Bray.
Tel: (01) 286 0666
Citizens Information Phone Service
Tel: 1890 777 121 (from Republic of Ireland only)
00 353 21 452 1600 (from outside the Republic of
Ireland)
SMS: 086 978 8300
Email: information@citizensinformation.ie
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