From May 2017, the way fees are charged for probate applications will change. The current flat fees (£155 if the application is made by a solicitor, or £215 if made by an individual) are to be replaced with a banded fee structure.

This means that small estates (of less than £50,000) will be able to proceed without any application charge being payable, but the probate application fee will otherwise be dependent on the size of the estate.

It is expected that for estates with a value between £50,000 and £300,000 the probate fee will be £300, estates up to £500,000 will pay £1,000, and those up to £1,000,000 will pay £4,000.  This will be a significant change from the previous structure for some applicants, but a solicitor can help guide you through the process.

If you would like to discuss the changes or any other probate related matter, please get in touch with our private client department.