17/01/2022
Probate fees in England and Wales are set to increase on 26 January 2022 to a flat fee of £273 regardless of the size of the estate or who is making the application.
At present the fees charged by the Ministry of Justice are £155 for applications made by probate professionals and £215 for applications from individuals.
In explaining the reason behind the increase in probate fees, the government said the cost of processing applications costs more than the revenue raised in fees and that the fee increase will raise an estimated £20m per year to offset this deficit.
Administering an estate can be a complex and emotionally challenging process, and, if mistakes are made, can open people up to contentious probate claims. For this reason, many people tasked with estate administration choose to instruct an experienced solicitor to act on their behalf.
If you are administering an estate your solicitor will talk to you about the probate fees that are due. The fees are known as disbursements, which means they are not legal fees, but fees that are charged by, and paid directly to, a third party.
If you would like more information about probate or estate administration, please get in touch with our Stoke-on-Trent based wills and probate team by phoning 01782 205000 or emailing enquiry@beswicks.com.
