Bereaved families across the UK are facing a sharp rise in the cost of essential probate paperwork after fees were increased more than tenfold.
The price of obtaining copies of probate documents has jumped from £1.50 to £16 per copy following a change introduced by the Labour government in November.
The price increase came into force on November 17 after the government said the old fee did not cover its costs.
Families now pay £460 for an application with ten copies, up from £288 last year.
These documents give executors the legal right to deal with a deceased person’s estate, and banks usually require them before releasing any money.
As a result, families handling estates must now set aside much more money to deal with a loved one’s finances.
Ministers have justified the increase by arguing that £16 represents the genuine cost of processing each copy request.
However, legal and financial professionals have questioned whether such a steep rise is appropriate for people already under considerable strain.
Madeleine Beresford at TWM Solicitors said: “[This] is a drastic rise for families at a time where they are already dealing with lots of administration, potentially inheritance tax, while grieving the loss of a loved one.”
Kirsten Pettigrew of wealth manager Rathbones added: “The jump in costs feels excessive. While the Government cites cost recovery, the scale of the increase raises questions about fairness during one of life’s most difficult moments.”
Grieving families hit by ‘excessive’ 11-fold probate fee hike
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GETTYExecutors frequently require multiple sealed copies to satisfy the demands of various banks, pension providers and other financial institutions involved in settling an estate.
The cumulative effect of these charges has become substantial: an application for a grant of probate accompanied by ten copies now totals £460, compared with £288 at the beginning of 2024.
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This increase follows other recent rises in probate-related costs, including the main application fee climbing from £273 to £300 in May last year under the previous Conservative government.
On the same day the copy charges rose, lasting power of attorney registration fees also increased from £82 to £92.
Experts have warned that the financial pressure could lead to unintended consequences for estate administration
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GETTYRish Sareen at law firm Trustestate warned that the financial pressure could lead to unintended consequences for estate administration.
“These documents are not optional. Executors often need multiple sealed copies to deal with banks, pension providers and other institutions, so costs can quickly add up at a time of emotional and financial strain,” he said.
“Families trying to control costs may choose to order only a few copies and send them one by one to institutions, waiting for each to be returned. While this can keep fees down, it inevitably slows the estate administration process, prolongs an already difficult experience and can place additional strain on family relationships.”
The fee increases come despite long delays in the probate system becoming more common since 2020, according to data obtained by wealth manager Quilter through a Freedom of Information request earlier this year.
In nearly 1,400 cases, families waited more than 12 months for a grant of probate in 2023, up from 930 the previous year and 587 in 2020.
The Ministry of Justice said processing times have since improved, adding that the time taken to complete probate cases has more than halved compared with previous years.
An MoJ spokesman said: “We are speeding up probate, recruiting more court staff and investing in digital services to streamline the process.
“The fee increase reflects the true cost of the service and means we can focus taxpayers’ money on improving other parts of the under-pressure court system.”