Probate Fees – Proposals to increase fees dropped

A grant of probate must usually be obtained before the estate of a deceased person can be distributed. These are obtained by making an application to the Probate Registry and paying a flat rate fee. At the time of writing this is £215 (or £155 if done by a solicitor).

The Ministry of Justice had argued that the fees needed to be increased in order to fund the courts and tribunal services. They proposed that fees should be calculated based on a percentage of the value of the estate and that a sliding scale of between £300 and £20,000 should be introduced. The proposals were put out to consultation and 97% of those who responded opposed the increases which, it was anticipated, would have affected 42% of estates (source Law Society).

If you would like to speak to someone about your Will or dealing with probate, please contact Debbie Sadler on 0118 957 5337 or at d.sadler@hewetts.co.uk.

Published on 03/05/2017