Probate fees: the ‘cost of dying’ has increased sharply
The Ministry of Justice has hiked the probate application fee by 75% – but experts said the increase would leave people feeling ‘ripped off’.
Grieving families now face paying out more money to help resolve a loved one’s estate after the cost of applying for probate rose by 75% this month.
The Grant of Probate fee - giving someone a legal right to deal with the assets of a person who has passed away - increased on 13 July from £300 to £526.
It has almost doubled since May 2024, when it was £273.
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Martyn James, consumer expert, said the hike would leave people “absolutely justified in feeling upset and ripped off”.
He added: “Probate is one of the most antiquated, bureaucratic and complex processes we will encounter – precisely at the point where we need simple and clear help the most.”
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said the cost helps improve its service.
The spokesperson said: “We know that losing a loved one is already a difficult time. That’s why it’s vital the probate service remains as smooth, swift and simple as possible.
“The new fee reflects the full cost of an ever-improving service which enables families to resolve disputes in as little as two weeks. Increasing fees is always a last resort, however the new cost accounts for rising inflation as well as investment in delivering an efficient and modern service.
“The worst off will face no fees whatsoever and anyone struggling can still apply to have the fee reduced or removed entirely through our Help with Fees scheme.”
While the application fee has increased, the charge for copies of the probate documents – when requested alongside the application – has been cut from £16 to £2.
What is probate?
Probate is the legal right granted to someone to deal with and distribute another person’s estate (property, possessions and money) when they die.
You can only apply for probate if you’re the executor of a will or the closest living relative of someone that has died who didn’t have a will in place.
Typically, the next of kin or executors of a will have to apply for probate before they can claim, transfer or distribute a deceased person’s assets.
You don’t always need to apply for probate. You may not need it if the person who died only had savings in their estate. You may also not need probate if they owned shares or money with others, in which case the shares and money go to the surviving owner.
You also don’t need to apply for probate if the deceased person owned land or property as a joint tenant. In this instance, the land or property is automatically passed to the other tenant.
Financial institutions, such as banks and mortgage lenders, have different rules on whether you can access a deceased person’s assets without having been granted probate, so it’s worth contacting them to find out what you need to do.
How do you apply for probate?
You can apply for probate by post or online via gov.uk, which is usually quicker.
If you’re applying by post, the form you need to fill in is different depending on whether the person left a will or not.
If they did, you need to fill in the application form PA1P. If they didn’t have a will, you need to fill in the PA1A form.
The government says the probate is typically granted within 12 weeks of submitting an application.
It’s crucial you do a few things before applying for probate though.
This includes working out an estimate of the value of the dead person’s estate for inheritance tax (IHT) purposes.
Even if no IHT is due, you’ll need the value as part of your probate application.
If IHT is due on the estate, you have to report its value to HMRC within one year via an IHT400 form. You can’t apply for probate until this is done and normally need to start paying any IHT due before you can get probate granted.
If IHT is owed on an estate, you also need to send “full details” of the estate to HMRC within 12 months of the person dying and before applying for probate.
Full details refers to the estate’s assets and debts, any gifts made, and any reliefs and exemptions.
Even if no IHT is owed, you may still need to send full details of an estate to HMRC.
For example, if the person who died gave away over £250,000 in the seven years before they died or if their estate is worth more than £3 million, you will need to contact HMRC.
There is a whole list of reasons on the gov.uk website of why you may still need to send full details of an estate to HMRC despite no IHT being owed.
You don’t have to give full details of an estate’s value to HMRC if all of the following applies:
- The estate counts as an “excepted estate”,
- There’s no IHT to pay, and
- There are no reasons, as per gov.uk, the full details of an estate still need to be sent to HMRC, despite IHT not being due.
An estate is typically classed as excepted if its value is below the nil-rate band (£325,000) or it’s worth £650,000 and any unused nil-rate band was transferred to a surviving spouse or civil partner.
An estate is also classed as excepted if the person who died left everything to a spouse living in the UK or a qualifying charity and the estate is worth less than £3 million.
The last way an estate can be excepted is when the deceased person was living permanently outside the UK when they died and the value of their UK assets is £150,000 or less.
How to help your loved ones with the probate process
You can’t do much about the cost of applying for probate, but Sarah Coles, head of personal finance for AJ Bell, suggests people can ensure their own affairs are in order so it is easier for their loved ones to manage their estate.
This includes making sure your wishes are clear by making a will, make a list of your financial arrangements including bank accounts and pensions and ensure any paperwork for taxes or unpaid debts can be found.
Coles says: “Having to pay a fee for probate is bad enough, given it creates an endless pile of admin for those you leave behind, so a 75% hike in the fee is adding insult to injury.
“For those who can’t afford it, there’s a Help with Fees remissions scheme, to cover the cost.
“For everyone else, this is one more horrible hoop to jump through that makes the paperwork and processes after death such a nightmare. It means we could all benefit from taking steps to make the process easier for our loved ones after our death.”
