The Government has recently announced a new structure of fees for obtaining a Grant of Probate.
A Grant of Probate is obtained by an executor of a deceased’s estate. The Grant of Probate will allow the executor to deal with the deceased’s assets in accordance with their Will. If there is no Will, a Grant of Representation is obtained instead.
Currently, estates over £5,000 are charged a fee of £215 (or £155 if applied through a solicitor). From April 2019 the following fees will apply:
| Estate worth | New April 2019 Fee |
| Less than £50,000 | £0 |
| £50,000 – £300,000 | £250 |
| £300,000 – £500,000 | £750 |
| £500,000 – £1m | £2,500 |
| £1m – £1.6m | £4,000 |
| £1.6m – £2m | £5,000 |
| £2m + | £6,000 |
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Minister of Justice has assured the public that these fees will never be unaffordable; the fee is recoverable from the estate and executors have several options to fund it.
If you wish to discuss this further, please contact Ann Coutts on 020 8502 3991 for more information.
Click here for more information.