Individuals and families applying for probate will face a significant increase in court fees from 13 July 2026, with the probate application fee set to rise by 75%.
From 13 July 2026, the fee for obtaining a Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration increases from £300 to £526.
For executors and administrators already navigating the complexities of estate administration, this increase will add a further cost at a time when families are dealing with a bereavement.
| Copies of Grants of Probate
While the headline change is the substantial increase in the probate application fee, there is one welcome development. The cost of obtaining additional copies of a Grant of Probate will reduce from £16 per copy to £2.
Additional copies are often required when dealing with multiple banks, investment providers, pension companies and other organisations during the administration of an estate.
| What does the probate fee increase mean for executors?
Anyone expecting to submit a probate application after 13 July should be aware of the increased costs and factor them into their estate administration planning. Although the reduction in copy fees will offer some savings, these are unlikely to offset the substantial increase in the main application fee for most estates.
Seeking early legal advice can help ensure applications are prepared correctly and submitted efficiently, avoiding unnecessary delays and additional costs.
Andrew Milburn, Head of our Wills, Probate and Estate Planning team, said:
“It’s claimed that the proposed hike in fees is to ‘recover the cost of an ever-improving service…’. The reality is that the service is nowhere near as good as it was when the applications were dealt with by the local Registries. When the service was centralised back in 2019 the service fell off a cliff. It has improved recently for basic applications but the turnaround times for any complex applications is still too long.”
If you have any questions about probate, estate administration, or how these fee changes may affect you, our experienced Wills, Probate and Estate Planning team is here to help.
Please get in touch to find out how we can support you through the probate process and help manage the practical and administrative aspects of estate administration during a challenging time. Call us on 0800 988 7756. Or send us a message through our contact form and we’ll call you.
