From 26 January 2022, the probate application fee rose to £273 for estates valued at £5,000 or more. This is a flat fee that applies irrespective of who makes the application. There is no fee for estates valued at less than £5,000.
The flat fee replaces the previous system whereby the fee was £155 for an application made by a solicitor, or £215 for a personal application. HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) states that based on data from 2018-19, the estimated processing costs of administering these applications was £260 and £265 respectively and the new single fee was set at a cost-recovery level. The benefit to HMCTS from the receipt of increased fees is estimated to be about £20m a year.
