ARTICLE · 07 APRIL 2017

Update: Government Announce Drastic Increase In Probate Fees

RWK Goodman

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The personal representatives, who are responsible for administering the estate of someone who has died, generally require a Grant of Representation to allow them to collect in, sell and distribute the deceased's assets.

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The personal representatives, who are responsible for administering the estate of someone who has died, generally require a Grant of Representation to allow them to collect in, sell and distribute the deceased's assets, with the exception of jointly held assets which pass automatically on death to the surviving owner. Currently a flat fee of £215 (£155 for a solicitor's application) is charged by the Probate Registry when applying for a Grant.

However, last month the Ministry of Justice confirmed that, subject to parliamentary approval, there will be a dramatic increase in probate fees from May 2017. The charging structure proposed is a sliding scale of fees based on the value of the estate passing under the Grant, as shown in the table below.

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