{"id":1507,"date":"2022-01-26T09:12:51","date_gmt":"2022-01-26T09:12:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/advisingfamilies.org\/uk\/?p=1507"},"modified":"2022-01-26T10:18:19","modified_gmt":"2022-01-26T10:18:19","slug":"probate-fee-changes-in-england-and-wales","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/advisingfamilies.org\/uk\/information-portal\/life-after-death\/probate-fee-changes-in-england-and-wales\/","title":{"rendered":"Probate fee changes in England and Wales"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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Are you applying for probate in England or Wales? You should be aware of changes to the cost of applications as of 26 January 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is probate?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In England and Wales, if someone has died, their next of kin, or those named in the will, need to obtain a legal document called a grant of representation, which gives them the legal right to deal with any property, money and possessions. This is known as probate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The process and terminology differ across the UK \u2013 see \u2018Elsewhere in the UK\u2019 below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can find more information about probate in our article \u2018What is probate<\/a>?\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are the changes?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The UK government announced in July 2021 that it planned to change the probate fee system. It consulted on the plans, explaining that it would introduce a single fee to cover the cost of delivery without making a profit. The proposed plans were officially enacted in December 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a result, for estates over the \u00a35,000 threshold, the fee as of 26 January 2022 is \u00a3273. This cost is the same whether you apply yourself or you are paying a solicitor to act on your behalf.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As before, there is usually no need to apply for probate if the estate is worth less than \u00a35,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Previously the fees were \u00a3215 for personal applications, and \u00a3155 if you applied via a solicitor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is the impact?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While the new fee is a lot more reasonable than earlier proposals, the removal of a lower \u2018solicitor rate\u2019 may discourage the use of a probate professional. This could result in more errors, possibly leading to delays or contentious probate claims being made later on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To avoid these issues, it may be prudent to engage the services of a professional to administer the estate, which would ensure the correct estate searches and checks are carried out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you would like professional advice on dealing with probate, you can talk to a TEP, who are experts in inheritance and related issues: https:\/\/advisingfamilies.org\/uk\/find-a-tep\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elsewhere in the UK<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The legal document is called \u2018confirmation\u2019<\/a> in Scotland and \u2018grant of probate\u2019 in Northern Ireland and the process in each country differs slightly from that in England and Wales. You can find out more here:<\/p>\n\n\n\n