Probate Costs UK: Fees, Who Pays & How (2026)

At a glance

• Probate application fee (estates over £5,000): currently £300, paid to HM Courts and Tribunals Service (GOV.UK – probate fees).
• No fee for small estates: the application fee is waived entirely where the estate is worth £5,000 or less.
• Fee increase incoming: from 13 July 2026, subject to parliamentary approval, the fee for estates above £5,000 is due to rise to £526 (GOV.UK – court and tribunal fee updates July 2026).
• Extra copies of the grant: £16 per sealed copy ordered after the grant issues (raised from £1.50 in November 2025); a reduced rate applies if copies are ordered at the same time as the application — check GOV.UK for the current figure.
• Inheritance tax usually comes first: you will normally need to make a payment towards any inheritance tax due before the probate registry issues the grant.
• Professional fees are separate from the court fee and vary widely; solicitors charge by the hour, a fixed fee, or a percentage of the estate.
• Help with fees: executors on low incomes or certain benefits can apply to reduce or waive court fees using form EX160 (GOV.UK – help with court fees).

This guide provides general information about how probate costs work in England and Wales. It is not a substitute for legal advice about your specific situation.

What does probate actually cost?

Probate costs fall into three broad categories: the court application fee, miscellaneous administration charges such as extra copies of the grant, and professional fees if you instruct a solicitor or probate specialist. Understanding which costs are mandatory and which are discretionary is the first step to budgeting sensibly.

The court application fee

The probate application fee is paid to HM Courts and Tribunals Service when you submit your application. It is a flat fee — it does not scale with the size of the estate above the threshold.

As at June 2026, the fee structure is:

| Estate value | Application fee | |---|---| | £5,000 or less | No fee | | Over £5,000 | £300 |

The £5,000 threshold is designed to protect small or modest estates from court costs entirely.

Fee increase from July 2026. The Ministry of Justice has announced that, from 13 July 2026 and subject to parliamentary approval, the application fee for estates above £5,000 will rise to £526. This increase is described as recovering the cost of a modernised service. Always check GOV.UK's probate fees page immediately before applying, since fees can change without extended notice.

If your application straddles the change date — for example, you are preparing your application now but may not submit until after 13 July 2026 — the fee payable is the one in force on the date HMCTS receives your application, not the date you start preparing it.

Extra copies of the grant

Once the grant of probate or letters of administration is issued, you will need to present it to each financial institution or asset holder before they will release funds or transfer ownership. Banks, building societies, pension providers, and share registrars each want their own sealed copy — they will not generally accept a photocopy.

As at June 2026:

• Extra copies ordered at the same time as the application: a reduced fee applies under changes announced alongside the July 2026 court fee review.
• Extra copies ordered after the grant has been issued: £16 per sealed copy (raised from £1.50 in November 2025) — check GOV.UK for the current figure.

The practical advice is to order more copies than you think you need when you submit your application. It is significantly cheaper to order six copies upfront than to discover three months in that you need more and have to pay separately for them. A typical estate with four or five institutions to contact will generally need at least four to six sealed copies to administer smoothly.

Professional fees

If you instruct a solicitor, licensed probate practitioner, or specialist probate firm to help, their fees are charged separately from the court fee. The court fee is the same whether you instruct a professional or not.

Professional fees vary considerably depending on the complexity of the estate and the charging model used:

Hourly rate. The solicitor or practitioner charges for time spent. This is common for complex estates where the scope of work is hard to predict in advance. Always ask for a cost estimate and ask how the firm handles unexpected complications.

Fixed fee. A defined price for a defined scope of work. Fixed-fee probate is common for straightforward estates and gives you cost certainty upfront. Be clear on what is included — disbursements such as the court fee, valuation costs, and Land Registry fees are usually charged on top.

Percentage of the estate. Some firms charge a percentage of the gross estate value — this approach can look simple but becomes expensive on larger estates. A percentage-based quote should always be compared to an hourly-rate or fixed-fee alternative before you commit.

Whichever model a firm uses, you are entitled to a written fee estimate before the work starts. Ask for one, ask what is included in the scope, and ask how the firm handles additional work that falls outside the original scope.

The distinction between the court fee (a fixed, statutory charge paid to HMCTS) and professional fees (paid to a solicitor or practitioner) matters because they are entirely independent. Doing probate yourself removes professional fees entirely, but the court fee is still payable.

Who pays probate fees?

Probate fees are an expense of the estate — they are paid from the estate's assets, not from the executor's own money in the long run. An executor who pays the application fee out of their own pocket is entitled to reimburse themselves once the grant is issued and funds are accessible.

The timing, however, is the practical difficulty. Estate bank accounts are frozen until the grant is issued, which means an executor may need to advance the application fee themselves and wait. Two routes can ease this:

Direct payment scheme. Most major banks will release money directly from the deceased's accounts to pay the probate fee and funeral costs, even before the grant is issued. Contact the bank early and ask whether they participate. This is usually the simplest route where the estate has readily accessible bank funds.

Help with fees (form EX160). If the executor has a low income or is receiving certain benefits, they can apply to have the court fee reduced or waived using form EX160 before applying for probate, or by applying online at GOV.UK – help with court fees. Note that the fee reduction scheme relates to the executor's own financial position, not the estate's value. If you apply online and succeed, you receive a refund of the fee paid at application.

Inheritance tax and the probate timeline

Inheritance tax has a direct bearing on probate costs and timing. In most cases, you will need to report the estate's value to HMRC and make at least a payment toward any inheritance tax due before the probate registry will issue the grant.

The key points:

• Inheritance tax threshold (nil-rate band): £325,000. Estates below this threshold (and with no taxable gifts in the previous seven years) typically pay no inheritance tax. The standard rate above the threshold is 40%. See GOV.UK – how Inheritance Tax works for full details including the additional residence nil-rate band that can increase the threshold to £500,000 when a family home passes to direct descendants.
• IHT must be paid before the grant issues: you will normally need to start paying inheritance tax before the probate registry will issue the grant of probate or letters of administration. The deadline for paying inheritance tax without interest charges is six months after the end of the month in which the person died.
• IHT400 form: if the estate is large enough to require a full inheritance tax return, you must submit form IHT400 within twelve months of the death. You cannot apply for probate until this has been done and any initial tax payment made.
• The direct payment scheme: where the estate's cash is tied up in the deceased's accounts, HMRC's direct payment scheme allows participating banks and building societies to transfer money straight to HMRC to settle the inheritance tax liability, even before the grant is in hand. See GOV.UK – paying Inheritance Tax for details.
• Instalments for property and business assets: in some cases — typically where the estate includes land, property, or unlisted shares — inheritance tax on those assets can be paid in annual instalments over ten years, rather than as a single lump sum before probate.

The sequencing matters: value the estate first, establish whether inheritance tax is due, sort the tax before applying for probate, then apply. Skipping steps or trying to apply for probate before settling the tax position will cause delays.

DIY probate versus instructing a professional

Many people handle probate without professional help, and for simple estates it is entirely achievable. The question is whether your estate falls within the range where DIY probate is realistic.

DIY probate tends to work well where:

• The will is clear and unambiguous.
• The estate consists mainly of straightforward assets — bank accounts, a single property in sole ownership, investments in a small number of accounts.
• There is no inheritance tax to pay.
• The family is in agreement and no one is likely to dispute the will or the distribution.
• You have time — the administration of an average estate takes months of correspondence, form-filling, and chasing institutions.

Professional help is worth considering where:

• Inheritance tax is payable, particularly where the reliefs or exemptions are complex (business property relief, agricultural relief, gifts in the seven years before death).
• There is property abroad.
• The estate includes a business, unlisted shares, or other hard-to-value assets.
• There are minor beneficiaries, trusts arising under the will, or a life interest for a surviving spouse.
• A family member may challenge the will or the distribution.
• The executor lives abroad or is elderly and finds the administration burdensome.

A hybrid approach is also available: you handle the straightforward parts yourself and instruct a solicitor only for the aspects you are not comfortable with — valuing business assets, dealing with an overseas property, or advising on a potential dispute. Many solicitors will quote for partial assistance.

Keeping costs down: practical steps for executors

Order extra grant copies upfront. The court fee is the same whether you order one copy or ten. Additional sealed copies ordered after the grant are charged separately. Work out how many institutions you need to notify and order enough copies at the time of application.

Apply online where possible. The online probate application service at GOV.UK is generally quicker than a paper application, which can reduce the time estate accounts remain frozen and professional fees accumulate if you have instructed a solicitor.

Get multiple quotes for professional help. If you decide to instruct a probate specialist, get at least two or three written quotes. Ask each firm to confirm what is included in their fee, what constitutes a disbursement charged on top, and how they handle complexity that exceeds the original scope.

Use the direct payment scheme early. If inheritance tax is due and the estate has bank funds, contact the deceased's bank immediately about the direct payment scheme. Delaying this step can push back the date the grant issues and extend the administration.

Check whether any assets pass outside the estate. Jointly owned assets passing to a surviving joint owner by survivorship, and assets in a trust, typically do not require probate to transfer. Identifying these early can reduce the scope of the probate application and the associated work.

Step-by-step: the probate cost and process timeline

1. Value the estate. Identify and value all assets and liabilities. You need this to determine whether the application fee applies (over or under the £5,000 threshold) and whether inheritance tax is due. See GOV.UK – how to value an estate.

2. Submit an inheritance tax return if required. If the estate is above the inheritance tax threshold or if a full return is needed for other reasons, submit form IHT400 (or the simpler IHT205/IHT207 where applicable) and make the initial tax payment before proceeding.

3. Decide DIY or professional. Weigh the complexity of the estate against your time, confidence, and the cost of professional assistance.

4. Submit the probate application and pay the court fee. Apply online at GOV.UK or by post using form PA1P (with a will) or PA1A (without a will). Pay the court fee and order extra sealed copies of the grant at this stage — the fee is lower if copies are ordered concurrently with the application.

5. Receive the grant. Processing times vary. Once the grant arrives, you have the legal authority to deal with the estate.

6. Administer the estate. Use the sealed copies of the grant to close accounts, collect in assets, settle debts, and distribute the estate to beneficiaries. Keep clear records: executors are personally accountable for how the estate is handled, and good records protect you if anyone raises questions later.

Last reviewed: June 2026. Next review due: January 2027 or on any change to probate court fees or inheritance tax thresholds.