Millions Faces Large Rise in Death Fees

Millions of people across the UK face a large rise in fees payable after death, to raise an extra £250m for the courts service.

 

The Ministry of Justice wants an increase in probate fees to as much as £20,000 for those with the biggest estates.

Proposed probate fees
Value of estate	Planned fee
Less than £50,000	£0
£50,000 to £300,000	£300
£300,000 to £500,000	£1000
£500,000 to £1m	£4,000
£1m to £1.6m	£8,000
£1.6m to £2m	£12,000
Above £2m	£20,000

At the moment such fees are fixed at either £155 or £215.

Grant of probate gives executors the right to distribute the proceeds of someone's will.

Under the new proposals, most people - including the less wealthy - will pay less.

Currently the fee is chargeable on any estate worth more than £5,000. This threshold will rise to £50,000, meaning that 57% of estates will pay nothing.

However, anyone with an estate worth more than £50,000 will pay considerably more.

Those worth between £50,000 and £300,000 will pay £300, with fees rising to a maximum of £20,000 for estate worth more than £2m.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said:

"Court fees are never popular but they are necessary. We have got to make sure our courts and tribunals are properly funded at the same time as cutting the budget deficit."

The government will consult on the proposals between now and April.