Wills, Succession and Grants of Representation Module — CLC Level 6 Diploma in Probate Law and Practice

What will I be able to do after completing the Wills, Succession and Grants of Representation module?

Short answer
Advise clients on the distribution of an intestate or partially intestate estate, identify and deal with problem wills, draft the affidavit evidence required by the Probate Registry, select and obtain the correct form of grant of representation, and complete the HMRC inheritance tax paperwork. This is the module that equips you to take an estate from first instructions through to the issue of the grant.

Advise clients on intestate succession and distribution

After completing the module, you'll be able to identify whether a death gives rise to a full or partial intestacy, apply the statutory trusts to calculate each beneficiary's entitlement, advise the client on who is entitled to act as administrator, and explain the practical steps involved in obtaining a grant of letters of administration. You'll also be able to identify and advise on potential claims against the estate under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 — including claims by cohabitants, dependants, and those asserting proprietary estoppel. In practice, intestacy work is one of the most common types of probate instruction, because a significant proportion of the population dies without a valid will.

Identify problems with wills and draft corrective affidavits

You'll be able to examine a will presented by a client, identify any defects in its execution, appearance, or content, determine whether the doctrine of incorporation applies to any external documents referenced in the will, and draft the corrective and supporting affidavits the Probate Registry requires before it will grant probate. This is a skill that distinguishes a qualified probate practitioner from someone who can only handle straightforward grants — in practice, a significant number of wills present at least one issue that requires affidavit evidence.

Select the correct form of grant and advise on procedure

You'll understand the full range of grants available — from standard grants of probate and letters of administration through to the special grants that arise when executors have predeceased, renounced, or failed to act, or when additional assets come to light after the original grant. You'll also be able to advise on the procedural mechanisms for protecting the estate (caveats) and compelling action (citations), and explain when a grant in solemn form is required. This knowledge determines whether an estate can be administered efficiently or becomes mired in procedural difficulty.

Complete HMRC inheritance tax accounts

You'll be able to determine whether an estate qualifies as an excepted estate (and therefore benefits from simplified reporting), complete the IHT400 for estates that require a full account, apply the available exemptions and reliefs (including the transferable nil-rate band), and submit corrective accounts when asset values change after the grant. The inheritance tax paperwork is the compliance gateway to obtaining the grant — the Probate Registry will not issue a grant until HMRC has processed the tax position.

What's included in the £745 module price?

Short answer
The full Diploma support package: Knowledge Mapping Assessment, unlimited tutor support, video lectures, downloadable materials, live recorded webinars, eBook Central access, a dedicated Revision & Mock Exam Module, a tutor-marked mock exam with written feedback, your final exam, and a free first resit.

What our students say about Wills, Succession and Grants of Representation

Feedback from Level 6 Wills, Succession & Grants of Representation students, 2025–2026.

How is the Wills, Succession and Grants of Representation module assessed?

Short answer
One 3-hour supervised open-book exam (plus 15 minutes reading time). The exam is booked on demand — no fixed sittings — and scheduled within 14 days of your application, 6 days a week. Three delivery options: online with remote invigilation, at your workplace, or at one of our 15 UK assessment centres. Two attempts are permitted (first sit plus one free resit). 87% of students pass first time (Mar 2025 – Mar 2026).

The exam is open-book: you're permitted to bring one copy of the Course Manual and one relevant Probate textbook into the exam room and refer to them throughout. You may also use a silent, non-programmable calculator — and unlike the Landlord and Tenant exam, you may actually need it: Learning Outcome 4 requires you to calculate inheritance tax liability, apply exemptions and reliefs, and complete the IHT400 figures.

The exam carries 100 marks in total, structured around three case study scenarios. The first case study covers Learning Outcomes 1 and 4 (intestate succession and inheritance tax) and is worth 50 marks. You'll be presented with a client who has lost a family member and needs advice on the administration of the estate — either a full or partial intestacy, involving a problem will or no will at all. You'll advise on who is entitled to apply for a grant, who is entitled to share in the estate, the client's liability to capital gains tax and any inheritance tax exemptions and reliefs, and complete the form of oath for administrators. The case study scenario is pre-seen: you receive it one week before the exam (without the questions), giving you time to familiarise yourself with the facts, identify the applicable law, and prepare your Course Manual.

The second case study covers Learning Outcome 2 (problem wills and affidavits) and is worth 25 marks. You'll be presented with a will that refers to a separate document (testing the doctrine of incorporation) and is in some way defective or damaged (requiring you to identify and draft the appropriate corrective and supporting affidavits).

The third case study covers Learning Outcome 3 (grants of representation) and is worth 25 marks. You'll be presented with a scenario involving non-standard grant applications — an executor who has predeceased, renounced, or failed to act, or a situation requiring a limited or special grant — and asked to advise the client on the correct form of grant and the procedure for obtaining it. This section also tests your knowledge of secret trusts, gifts in contemplation of death, and grants in solemn form.

The pass mark is 50% overall.

Preparation support includes the Revision & Mock Exam Module on the VLE (practice questions on each examined area, a full mock exam with model answers) and the tutor-marked mock. The tutor-marked mock is the key preparation step: you submit it under exam-like conditions, the module leader marks it and provides written feedback, and that feedback tells you whether you're ready to book the exam or whether specific areas need more work.

Booking the exam. When you feel ready, you apply through the Assessment Information section of the module on the VLE and choose your delivery option: online (remote invigilation via webcam), at your workplace (if it's a CLC- or SRA-regulated practice), or at one of our 15 designated UK assessment centres (Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Cardiff, Guildford, Halifax, Hendon, Ipswich, Leeds, Leicester, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, Sheffield, Watford). Access Law arranges the exam within 14 days. Six days a week of availability means the date is rarely the constraint — your own readiness usually is.

Online exam requirements. If you choose to sit online, you'll need a webcam, a microphone, and a stable broadband connection (recommended 5 Mbps download / 2 Mbps upload minimum).

How long does the Wills, Succession and Grants of Representation module take to complete?

Short answer
It depends on what you already know — and whether you've dealt with probate applications, intestate estates, or inheritance tax before. The module carries 68 guided learning hours and 140 hours total qualification time — the same weighting as the Administration of Estates module (14 credits). A typical student studying alongside full-time work takes 3–5 months. An experienced probate practitioner or estate administrator who completes the Knowledge Mapping Assessment can finish in as little as 6–8 weeks.

If you're new to probate practice

Most students studying Wills, Succession and Grants of Representation for the first time complete the module in 3–5 months alongside full-time work. The module covers four distinct areas — succession law, problem wills, grants of representation, and inheritance tax — which means the volume of material is substantial but each area is relatively self-contained. You'll work through the video lectures and course manual, practise with the Revision & Mock Exam Module, submit your tutor-marked mock, and then book the exam when your tutor confirms you're ready.

There are no fixed terms, no cohort start dates, and no scheduled sessions you need to attend at a set time. You study at your own pace and book the exam when you're prepared.

If you already work in probate

If you work in a probate department and already deal with grant applications, intestate estates, and inheritance tax accounts, you're familiar with much of what the module covers. The KMA identifies that existing competence and focuses your study on the areas where formal knowledge is needed: the precise statutory provisions (you may apply them daily without knowing the section numbers), the less common grant types (de bonis non, cessate, solemn form), the doctrine of incorporation (which arises less frequently in practice), and the exam technique required to structure advisory answers under timed conditions.

For experienced practitioners, the effective study time can shrink to 6–8 weeks — focused primarily on exam technique and the Revision & Mock Exam Module rather than learning the underlying law from scratch.

Can I upgrade to the full Diploma after passing Wills, Succession and Grants of Representation?

Short answer
Yes — but only if Wills, Succession and Grants of Representation is the first standalone module you've purchased with us. The upgrade path is available once, within 30 days of being notified you've passed your first module. If you've already completed other standalone modules before this one, you've chosen the modular route and the upgrade option is no longer available.

In practice, Wills, Succession and Grants of Representation is the most common first standalone purchase at Level 6 Probate, because it's typically the first module students study. If you buy it standalone and pass, the 30-day upgrade window gives you time to decide whether to commit to the full Diploma.

The upgrade mechanics: within 30 days of passing, you can transfer onto the Level 6 Probate Diploma. You pay the difference between what you've already paid (£745) and the Diploma price (£1,920) — so £1,175 extra.

Not sure which route is right for you? If you're fairly confident you'll want the full Diploma, enrolling on it from the start saves £315 and gives you 2 years of VLE access (versus 12 months per standalone module). If you're genuinely unsure — perhaps you want to test the VLE and tutor support, or you're waiting for an exemption decision on one of the other modules — starting with Wills, Succession and Grants of Representation and keeping the upgrade window open is the lower-risk option.

Who is the Wills, Succession and Grants of Representation module for?

Short answer
Anyone completing the Level 6 Diploma in Probate Law and Practice — whether as the next step after Level 4, as a fast-track route for law graduates, or as the final academic requirement before applying for a CLC licence. It's also available as a standalone module for experienced practitioners who want formal recognition of their probate expertise, or for candidates with exemptions from the other two Level 6 modules who only need Wills, Succession and Grants (and possibly Accounts) to complete their Diploma.

Level 4 Diploma graduates progressing to Level 6

This is the most common scenario. You've completed (or been exempted from) the Level 4 Diploma in Probate Law and Practice, and the Level 6 Diploma is your next step toward becoming a Licensed Probate Practitioner. Wills, Succession and Grants of Representation is typically the first Level 6 module students study — the subject matter builds directly on what you learned at Level 4 about wills and succession, but takes it to the level of detail required for independent practice. The exam format is similar to what you encountered at Level 4 (supervised, timed, scenario-based), but the open-book provision and the 3-hour duration give you more room to work through the case studies.

Law graduates and LPC holders entering the CLC route

If you hold a qualifying law degree (LLB, BA in Law, or GDL), you'll typically have been exempted from the entire Level 4 Diploma and can enrol directly on Level 6. You may have studied succession law at degree level, but the module goes substantially beyond what a standard undergraduate equity and trusts or property law course covers — particularly on the procedural aspects (grants, affidavits, the Probate Registry requirements) and on the tax compliance element (IHT400, excepted estates, corrective accounts). If you also hold a relevant LPC elective, you may be eligible for exemption from this module — see the exemptions section below.

Professional Experience Exemption candidates

If you've entered Level 6 via the CLC's Professional Experience Exemption (for fee-earners with 4+ years of continuous probate practice and no prior legal qualifications), you'll need to complete all three Level 6 modules. Wills, Succession and Grants of Representation is often the module where PEE candidates feel most confident — you've been administering estates for years — but the exam requires you to articulate the legal principles, cite the statutory provisions, and structure advisory answers in a way that goes beyond practical know-how. The KMA will identify which areas need formal study and which you can move through quickly.

Employers funding targeted training

Some firms enrol individual staff on Wills, Succession and Grants of Representation to develop probate expertise in a team member who primarily handles other work, or to formalise the knowledge of someone who already manages probate files. The module carries the same support package as the full Diploma — it's a fair trial of everything we offer.

Do I need any prior qualifications to study Wills, Succession and Grants of Representation?

Short answer
Yes — this is a Level 6 module. To enrol, you must have either completed the Level 4 Diploma in Probate Law and Practice or hold a recognised exemption from it. Exemptions from the Level 4 Diploma are available for holders of a qualifying law degree (LLB, BA in Law, or GDL), and for candidates who have entered the CLC route via the Professional Experience Exemption. There are no additional entry requirements beyond the Level 4 prerequisite.

If you haven't completed Level 4, you'll need to do so first — or apply for an exemption. Our Exemptions Calculator can tell you in minutes whether your existing qualifications exempt you from Level 4.

The Knowledge Mapping Assessment at the start of the module will tailor your study plan regardless of your background. If you're new to probate practice (perhaps you completed Level 4 with exemptions and haven't practised in this area), the KMA maps out the full syllabus. If you already work in probate and have practical familiarity with grants, intestacy, and inheritance tax, it identifies your gaps and focuses your study time there.

Am I exempt from the Wills, Succession and Grants of Representation module?

Short answer
You might be — but exemptions from this specific module at Level 6 are relatively uncommon. Most candidates entering the Level 6 Probate Diploma need to complete Wills, Succession and Grants of Representation. The main exceptions are candidates who hold a law degree plus an LPC (awarded within the last 6 years) with the Wills and Administration of Estates core unit AND the Private Client (Wills, Probate and Estate Planning) elective, STEP members with the Will Preparation certificate alongside Administration of Estates or Administration of Trusts, Solicitors and FCILEx Practitioners with a current licence, and CILEX Level 6 candidates who passed Unit 14 (Law of Wills and Succession) and Unit 21 (Probate Practice). Use our Exemptions Calculator for a personalised assessment in minutes.

You may be exempt from Wills, Succession and Grants of Representation if you fall into one of these categories:

LPC holders (Probate route). You hold a law degree (LLB, BA in Law, or GDL) AND passed the LPC within the last 6 years AND passed the Wills and Administration of Estates core unit AND the Private Client (Wills, Probate and Estate Planning) non-core elective AND Solicitors Accounts. If all of these are satisfied, you're exempt from the entire Level 6 Probate Diploma — no modules required. If you passed the LPC but did not take the Private Client elective, or if you took Property Law and Practice as your core unit instead of Wills and Administration of Estates, you must complete the equivalent Level 6 units. LPC candidates with missing or failed units will have this verified at the point of First Licence Application.

Solicitors and FCILEx Practitioners. If you hold a current and valid practising certificate issued by the SRA, or a current licence from CILEx Regulation (FCILEx), you're exempt from all Level 6 units except Managing Client and Office Accounts. Solicitors qualified via the pre-SQE route who passed Solicitors Accounts on the LPC are also exempt from Accounts — meaning no SQA units are required. If your licence or practising certificate has expired, the CLC's requirements for lawyers with an expired licence apply.

CILEX Level 6 Law and Practice holders. If you passed Unit 2 (Contract Law) AND Unit 14 (Law of Wills and Succession) AND Unit 21 (Probate Practice), you're exempt from the Level 4 Diploma and from the Probate-specific Level 6 units — leaving only Managing Client and Office Accounts (and Landlord and Tenant if you're also pursuing the Conveyancing route). If any of these units were not passed, the equivalent SQA Level 6 unit must be completed. Chartered Legal Executives follow the same pattern.

STEP Advanced Certificate holders. If you hold the STEP Advanced Certificate in Will Preparation AND either the Administration of Estates or Administration of Trusts certificate, you're exempt from Wills, Succession and Grants of Representation — you only need to complete Managing Client and Office Accounts (Probate). However, if you hold Administration of Estates or Administration of Trusts WITHOUT Will Preparation, you must complete both Wills, Succession and Grants of Representation AND Accounts.

Principal Fellows of NALP. Principal Fellows who completed the Probate elective may progress directly to Level 6 and are exempt from the Grants of Representation unit. All remaining Level 6 units must be completed.

You're not exempt from Wills, Succession and Grants of Representation if you hold a law degree only (without the LPC), or if your LPC is more than 6 years old, or if you hold an incomplete CILEX qualification without the relevant probate units, or if you entered Level 6 via the Professional Experience Exemption. Candidates with aged LPC, CLC, CILEX, or other Level 6 or above professional qualifications must pass the full Level 6 Diploma without exemption from any unit — this is the CLC's policy to ensure that your academic knowledge meets the current minimum standard for a First Qualifying Licence.

The aged qualification rule. Legal qualifications awarded more than 6 years prior to the date of a licence application are deemed aged and cannot be used to support exemption from the Level 6 Diploma. This means that even if you passed the LPC with the Private Client elective, if it was awarded more than 6 years ago you'll need to complete Wills, Succession and Grants of Representation (and the rest of the Level 6 Diploma) without exemption. The aged qualification policy does not apply to law degrees or other professional legal qualifications used to claim exemption from the Level 4 Diploma, nor to applicants who hold a current and valid licence from the CLC, SRA, or CILEx Regulation.

SQE candidates. If you passed SQE1 FLK1 only, you must complete specific Level 4 units (including Law of Wills, Succession and Grants of Representation) plus all Level 6 units. If you passed both SQE1 FLK1 and FLK2, you only need to complete Managing Client and Office Accounts at Level 6 — you're exempt from Wills, Succession and Grants of Representation.

The Accounts module overlap rule. Managing Client and Office Accounts is a shared module — if you're completing both the Probate and Conveyancing Level 6 Diplomas, you only need to pass one Accounts module at Level 6. An exemption will be granted for the other. However, Wills, Succession and Grants of Representation is Probate-only and cannot be shared with the Conveyancing route.

Not sure? Use the Exemptions Calculator or contact our team on 0333 052 3844. We can assess your transcripts and confirm your position within 48 hours.

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