Probate application fee rises 75% today but the court fee is only the start of the cost
The Ministry of Justice has increased the probate application fee from £300 to £526 as of 13 July 2026. The Probate Network sets out what executors in England and Wales need to budget for across the full cost of probate administration.
England — 13 July 2026
From today, the probate application fee increases from £300 to £526 as part of wider changes to court and tribunal charges announced by the Ministry of Justice, subject to parliamentary approval. The probate application fee is an outlier within the wider package: it goes up by 75%, while around 27 other fees are increasing by approximately a third. For executors and administrators dealing with estates in England and Wales, the change takes effect immediately. The Probate Network, the UK’s independent probate comparison and guidance platform, is today publishing guidance on the full cost of probate for an average estate — because the court fee, significant as it is, represents only one part of what executors can expect to spend.
What has changed and why
The government has confirmed plans to increase the probate application fee from £300 to £526, subject to parliamentary approval. If introduced, the change increases the cost of obtaining a Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration by £226 per application.
The increase represents a rise of more than 75% in just two years, following the previous increase introduced in 2024. The changes form part of a wider review of court and tribunal fees, with the government introducing increases across more than 170 fees administered by HM Courts and Tribunals Service.
The government has defended the increase, saying it is needed to cover the cost of running and improving the service. Officials said the new fee “recovers the cost of an ever-improving service” and reflects both inflation and investment in a more efficient and modern probate system.
Ian Bond, a solicitor specialising in wills, trusts and probate and a member of the Law Society’s wills and equity committee, raised concerns about the state of the service, noting that the fee increase arrives precisely when backlogs are growing and service standards for complicated cases are deteriorating.
One partial concession has been made alongside the rise. The fee for obtaining copies of probate documents, when requested at the same time as the application, will reduce from £16 to £2. This is, in the words of one industry commentator, “a positive and pragmatic step”, given that families often require multiple copies for financial institutions and administrative purposes.
The court fee is the smallest part of the bill
The £526 application fee will attract the most attention, but it does not reflect what it actually costs to administer an average UK estate. Executors need to plan for a range of costs that begin well before they can access a single penny from the estate.
Research from Which? found that around half of all estates require a Grant of Probate. The process is generally required where the deceased owned a residential property, or held significant assets in their sole name.
Most executors need multiple copies of the grant because banks, building societies, and other institutions often require an original or certified copy before releasing assets. For a typical estate with a property, a few bank accounts, and perhaps a pension or ISA, executors will usually need somewhere between six and ten copies. At the new rate of £2 per copy ordered with the application, that amounts to between £12 and £20, a meaningful reduction on the previous £16 per copy.
Where a solicitor is instructed to administer the estate, costs increase considerably. Solicitor fees in 2026 typically fall into one of three charging structures. Traditionally, many solicitors charge a percentage of the gross estate value, often between 1% and 4%. On a £400,000 estate, that could mean fees of £4,000 to £16,000. Fixed-fee arrangements for a straightforward estate typically fall between £1,500 and £5,000 plus VAT, with the vast majority of overall probate costs being professional fees rather than court charges.
Inheritance tax: paid before probate is granted
For estates above the nil-rate band, inheritance tax adds a further and substantial cost and one that must, in large part, be settled before the Grant of Probate is issued.
The rate of IHT is normally 40% on the value of an estate above a threshold of £325,000. This threshold is frozen up to and including 2030–31.
IHT receipts have climbed to a record £8.5 billion for the 2025–26 tax year, marking a fifth consecutive annual high. Figures from HMRC show receipts rose £200 million on the previous year, with March alone generating £755 million.
More estates that would once have been considered comfortably below the IHT threshold are now creeping into taxable territory. Families often discover this only when dealing with bereavement and the administration of wills, by which point opportunities for mitigation have significantly narrowed.
HMRC requires IHT to be paid, or for a payment arrangement to be in place, before the Grant of Probate is issued. This is not a cost of probate itself, but it is a cost that falls during the probate process and can come as a significant shock if families have not planned for it.
Property valuations, insurance and the cash-flow problem
If the estate includes a property, a formal RICS-accredited valuation for probate purposes is required. This typically costs between £250 and £500. HMRC uses this figure when calculating any inheritance tax liability, so accuracy matters; an undervaluation can lead to penalties later.
The costs of probate, including government application fees and any solicitor fees, are typically settled using funds from the estate itself. However, executors and administrators may face a short-term challenge: estate accounts are often frozen until the Grant of Probate is issued.
This is the cash-flow problem at the heart of estate administration. Executors can find themselves personally funding costs before they have any legal authority to access the estate.
Julie Draper, Founder of The Probate Network, explains:
“The cost of probate is much broader than the fee for submitting the application. Executors may need to budget for legal advice, property valuations, inheritance tax, insurance, maintenance, clearance costs and professional fees, often before they can access the estate’s funds. This can create a significant cash-flow problem, which is why probate loan products have developed to help executors meet inheritance tax and estate administration expenses without having to use their own money or delay the probate process.”
What executors in England and Wales can expect to pay
The costs below are indicative for a straightforward estate containing a residential property. Every estate is different and figures will vary.
| Cost item | Indicative range |
|---|---|
| Probate application fee (from 13 July 2026) | £526 |
| Sealed copies of the Grant (per copy, if ordered separately) | £16 each |
| Sealed copies ordered with the application | £2 each |
| Solicitor fees (if instructed, percentage model) | 1%–4% of estate value |
| Solicitor fixed-fee (simple estate) | £1,500–£5,000 + VAT |
| RICS property valuation | £250–£500 |
| Inheritance tax (where applicable) | 40% above nil-rate band |
Applicants who have a low income or are on certain benefits may be able to get help to pay the probate fee and other court fees. They can apply for help with fees online or by filling in form EX160 before applying for probate.
Background: a pattern of rising fees
This is not the first increase in recent years. The latest increase follows an 11-fold rise introduced in 2014, when the fee moved from £45 to £215 for applications made through a solicitor. A further increase to £273 followed in 2021, and the fee reached £300 in 2024.
A more radical proposal was put forward in 2019 under a sliding-scale model that would have seen estates worth more than £2 million pay up to £6,000 for a single grant. That proposal was withdrawn following widespread criticism from legal professionals and the public. The current flat-rate model, now set at £526, has largely replaced that approach.
The pattern suggests that probate fees are unlikely to remain static for long. Executors applying today should be aware that further changes to court fee structures remain possible.
How The Probate Network can help
The Probate Network provides free, impartial guidance on probate costs, processes and professional services in England and Wales. Executors can use the platform to compare probate solicitors and specialists, and to find out whether a probate loan might be suitable for their circumstances.
If you are dealing with an estate and want to understand your options, find a probate specialist through The Probate Network.
This article provides general guidance only and does not constitute legal or financial advice. Executors should seek advice from a qualified solicitor or regulated financial adviser for their specific circumstances.