Probate Costs UK (2026): HMCTS Fees, Solicitor Charges and DIY Probate Costs

Probate costs fall into two distinct categories — the official HMCTS application fee and any professional charges for help with the process: (1) THE OFFICIAL PROBATE APPLICATION FEE (HMCTS): Estate value over £5,000: £273 (single flat fee for the Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration). Estate value £5,000 or less: FREE. Additional official copies of the Grant: £1.50 each (order one per asset type — each bank, building society, and investment platform will typically require one original certified copy). For a typical estate with 5 different asset holders, ordering 10 official copies at £1.50 = £15; (2) SOLICITOR PROBATE FEES: if a solicitor or professional probate service handles the administration, fees are charged additionally. These vary widely — see Q2 below; (3) IHT FORM COMPLETION (HMRC): HMRC does not charge for IHT400 or IHT205 completion. However, if the estate is subject to IHT, a professional adviser to complete the IHT400 may charge £500-£2,000+ separately from the probate application; (4) TOTAL COSTS FOR A SIMPLE ESTATE (DIY): HMCTS fee: £273. Official copies: £15-30. Postage/copies: £20-50. Total DIY: approximately £300-£350. The executor's own time (often 50-200 hours for a typical estate) has no monetary cost but represents significant personal commitment; (5) TOTAL COSTS WITH A SOLICITOR: HMCTS fee (included in solicitor's bill or charged separately): £273. Solicitor's fee for probate and administration: £2,000-£15,000+. Official copies: included or charged separately. IHT advice (if needed): £500-£2,000+. Total: £2,500-£20,000+ depending on estate complexity and solicitor.

Solicitor probate fees vary significantly — there is no fixed scale fee, and the way fees are charged matters as much as the headline number: (1) FIXED FEE: many solicitors now offer a fixed fee for straightforward grant-only or full probate and estate administration work: (a) Grant-only service (solicitor obtains the Grant; executor does the rest): £500-£1,500 typically; (b) Full estate administration (Grant + collecting assets + paying debts + distributing): £1,500-£5,000 for a simple estate (one bank account; no property; straightforward beneficiaries); £3,000-£10,000 for a more complex estate (property; multiple assets; IHT to pay); (2) PERCENTAGE FEE (AD VALOREM): some solicitors charge a percentage of the gross estate — commonly 1-3%: (a) 1% of £300,000 = £3,000; (b) 1.5% of £500,000 = £7,500; (c) 2% of £1,000,000 = £20,000. Percentage fees are often the most expensive option for large estates — the work required for a £1m estate is rarely 5× the work for a £200k estate. Challenge percentage fees and ask for a fixed or capped alternative; (3) HOURLY RATE: some charge by the hour — typically £150-£350/hr for a solicitor; £80-£200/hr for a paralegal. The total depends on complexity but can be unpredictable; (4) WHAT IS INCLUDED: always clarify what the fee covers. 'Grant-only' means the solicitor just obtains the Grant — the executor then deals with all asset collection and distribution. 'Full estate administration' typically covers: Grant; valuing assets (though professional valuations are extra); IHT return; HMRC correspondence; collecting assets; paying debts; estate accounts; distributing to beneficiaries; (5) VAT: solicitor fees are subject to 20% VAT. Always ask whether quoted fees include or exclude VAT; (6) DISBURSEMENTS: separate from solicitor fees — paid through the solicitor's account: HMCTS fee (£273); property valuers; stockbrokers' fee for share valuations; bankruptcy search fees; Land Registry fees on transfer; copies of death certificate. These add typically £500-£2,000 to the total.

Yes — anyone can apply for probate without a solicitor. DIY probate is entirely lawful and very common for straightforward estates: (1) DIY PROBATE COSTS: HMCTS application fee: £273 (or free for estates under £5,000). Official copies: £1.50 each. Total out-of-pocket cost: approximately £300-£350 for a typical estate; (2) WHO SHOULD CONSIDER DIY PROBATE: executors who are organised and methodical; estates without IHT liability or with straightforward IHT (using only the standard NRB and RNRB, not complex reliefs); estates without business interests, foreign assets, or complex trusts; estates with clear beneficiaries and no family disputes; (3) THE HMCTS ONLINE PROBATE SERVICE: the online portal (probate.service.gov.uk) guides executors through the application step by step. The executor completes the IHT205 (excepted estates — most simple estates) or IHT400 (IHT-paying estates) and submits the probate application online. The Grant is typically issued within 4-8 weeks; (4) WHAT IS REQUIRED: the original will (and any codicils); the original death certificate (or an official copy from the register office); a completed IHT205 or IHT400; the probate application fee (£273); the 'statement of truth' (an online declaration that the information is correct — replaces the old 'oath' sworn in person); (5) THE IHT FUNDING PROBLEM FOR DIY EXECUTORS: IHT must be paid before HMRC issues clearance; the Probate Registry will not issue the Grant without HMRC clearance or confirmation IHT is not due; banks will not release funds without the Grant. The solution: the Direct Payment Scheme allows banks to transfer funds directly to HMRC for IHT payment without a Grant. The executor contacts the bank before applying for probate, completes the direct payment authorisation, and the bank pays HMRC on behalf of the estate; (6) WHEN PROFESSIONAL HELP IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED: estates with IHT above the standard allowances (complex BPR, APR, reservation of benefit, conditional exemption); business interests (sole trader; company shares); foreign assets; disputes between beneficiaries; contentious probate (will challenged); trusts created by the will (trust income tax reporting, IHT periodic/exit charges after 10 years).

This is a common source of confusion. The basic rule is simple — but has important exceptions: (1) THE BASIC RULE (TRUSTEE ACT 2000 s.28-29; traditional common law): an executor or administrator acting in their personal capacity (not as a professional) is entitled to reimbursement of expenses actually incurred — postage, travel, phone calls, valuers' fees, etc. They are NOT entitled to a fee for their time or for the personal work they carry out. Executors act gratuitously (for free) unless the will or the court says otherwise; (2) EXECUTOR IS A SOLICITOR OR OTHER PROFESSIONAL: if a solicitor, accountant, or other professional is named as executor, they CAN charge professional rates for work done — but ONLY if the will contains a professional charging clause (almost all professionally drafted wills include one). Without a charging clause, even a solicitor executor cannot charge for their time; (3) WILL CONTAINS A CHARGING CLAUSE: many standard will templates include an executor charging clause allowing a professional executor (or any executor) to charge. These clauses vary — some allow any executor to charge market rates; others restrict charges to professional executors only. Check the specific wording; (4) COURT AUTHORISATION: in cases of exceptional complexity or where the estate benefits significantly from the executor's personal skills (e.g. an executor who is an expert auctioneer who maximises estate sale values), the court can authorise a fee under the Trustee Act 2000 s.29 in certain circumstances — but this is rare and requires an application; (5) LAY EXECUTOR — NO FEE: a family member or friend acting as executor cannot charge for their time absent a will charging clause or court order. They can claim every expense (receipted) but not a fee for time spent; (6) PRACTICAL APPROACH: for complex estates, consider whether naming a professional co-executor (with a charging clause) or instructing a solicitor to assist makes commercial sense — a 2% solicitor fee on a £300k estate (£6,000) vs an executor spending 200 hours dealing with HMRC, banks, and beneficiaries. Many executors underestimate the time involved in estate administration.

Where the estate includes a residential property, the probate process has additional cost implications: (1) PROFESSIONAL PROPERTY VALUATION (RICS SURVEYOR): the executor must report the market value of the property to HMRC for IHT purposes (IHTA 1984 s.160 — 'open market value' at the date of death). HMRC expects an RICS Red Book valuation for significant properties. Cost: typically £300-£600 for a standard residential property from a RICS-registered surveyor. Note: estate agents' 'probate valuations' are not always full Red Book valuations — check what is being provided; (2) HMRC DISTRICT VALUER SERVICE: HMRC can challenge the valuation using the District Valuer Service (DVS) if they believe the property is undervalued. The DVS checks declared values against local comparables. Undervaluation is the single most common source of HMRC IHT enquiries after death; (3) HMCTS PROBATE FEE: £273 (as above). The presence of property does not increase the HMCTS fee — it remains £273 regardless of the number or value of assets in the estate; (4) SOLICITOR FEES — PROPERTY COMPONENT: if the estate property needs to be sold during administration, a conveyancer (usually the probate solicitor or a separate firm) will handle the sale. Conveyancing fees on an estate sale are in addition to any probate administration fees. Typically £750-£2,500 + disbursements (searches, Land Registry fee) for a standard property sale; (5) HM LAND REGISTRY FEES: on the transfer of a property from the estate to a beneficiary (assent), an application to HM Land Registry is required. Fees: based on property value (scale 2 for transfers not for value): £20-£500 depending on registered value; (6) TOTAL PROPERTY-RELATED COSTS IN A PROBATE ESTATE: RICS valuation: £300-600. HMCTS fee: £273. Conveyancing (if selling): £1,500-£3,000+. Land Registry (if assenting to beneficiary): £20-500. Total additional property costs: approximately £2,000-£4,500 on top of the baseline probate costs.