6 April 2017
In order to deal with someone’s estate after they have passed away it is usually necessary to obtain a grant of probate from the Probate Registry. The fee for obtaining Probate is currently charged at a flat rate of £215 (or £155 for those applying through a solicitor).
UPDATE – This has been suspended and will now not happen in May 2017. Instead it will be looked at again after the General Election in June 2017.
Despite overwhelming opposition by lawyers, the Ministry of Justice has recently confirmed a massive overhaul in probate charges which will see some estates charged up to £20,000. Whilst this overhaul is still subject to parliamentary approval, the new system is expected to come into force from May 2017.
The Ministry of Justice plans to change the fees to be proportional to the value of the estate in question. The new charges will mean that:
- Estates below £50,000 will be exempt from charges
- Estates worth between £50,000 and £300,000 will be charged £300
- Estates worth between £300,000 and £500,000 will be charged £1,000
- Estates worth between £500,000 and £1m will be charged £4,000
- Estates worth between £1m and £1.6m will be charged £8,000
- Estates worth between £1.6m and £2m will be charged £12,000
- Estates worth more than £2m will be charged £20,000
If you have any concerns about these changes and how they could affect you, or any estates you may be responsible for (if you are named as an executor in a Will for example), please do not hesitate to contact our Wills and Probate Department on 01482 323697.
