If you are dealing with a loved one's estate, the cost of doing so is about to change. From 13 July 2026, probate fees in England and Wales are set to rise sharply, with the main application fee jumping from £300 to £526. It is a big increase, and it lands at a time when families are already coping with a great deal. Here is what is changing, in plain English, and what it means for you.

What is probate, and why is there a fee?

When someone dies, the person sorting out their affairs often needs a legal document before banks, pension providers and the Land Registry will deal with them. If there is a Will, this is called a grant of probate. If there is no Will, it is a grant of letters of administration. Either way, you apply to the Probate Registry, and there is a fee to do so.

That fee is changing. The Ministry of Justice has confirmed that the probate application fee will rise to £526 on 13 July 2026, subject to final approval by Parliament. The current fee is £300, so families will pay an extra £226. That is a rise of around 75 per cent.

How the new probate fees break down

The headline number is the application fee, but a few related charges are moving at the same time. The key points to know are:

• Probate application fee: rising from £300 to £526.
• Estates worth £5,000 or less: still free. There is no application fee at all below this threshold, and that is not changing.
• Extra copies of the grant: currently £16 each. From July, if you order copies at the same time as your application, the fee drops to just £2 per copy. Ordering several copies up front lets you deal with different banks and organisations at once, so this is a small but welcome saving.

One thing worth saying clearly: the £526 fee is a flat fee. It does not go up with the size of the estate. Whether the estate is worth £20,000 or £2 million, the application fee is the same once you are over the £5,000 threshold.

Who pays, and where does the money come from?

The fee is usually paid by the person applying, known as the executor or administrator. In practice it is normally paid out of the estate itself rather than from your own pocket, and many banks will release funds to cover probate costs before the rest of the estate is settled.

The government says the higher fee reflects the cost of running the probate service and investment in making it quicker and more modern. Whatever the reason, the practical effect is the same: settling an estate after 13 July will cost a little more than it does today.

Help is available if money is tight

If paying the fee would be a struggle, you may not have to pay all of it. The Help with Fees scheme can reduce or remove the probate fee for people on a low income or certain benefits. You can apply online or by post using form EX160 before you apply for probate. It is always worth checking whether you qualify rather than assuming you have to pay in full.

What you can do now

You cannot avoid probate fees by acting quickly, and we would never suggest rushing such an important process. But there are sensible steps that make life easier for the people you leave behind.

A clear, up to date Will makes probate smoother and reduces the chance of delays or disputes. Keeping a simple record of your accounts, policies and property in one place saves your family hours of searching. And for some families, certain types of trust or the way assets are jointly owned can affect whether a full probate application is needed at all. These are personal decisions that depend entirely on your own circumstances, which is exactly the sort of thing a friendly conversation can help you think through.

The change to probate fees is a useful reminder that planning ahead is one of the kindest things you can do for the people you love. A little organisation now spares them stress, time and cost later.

If you would like to talk through what this means for you and your family, you can book a free consultation with us. No pressure, just a friendly chat.

This article is general information for England and Wales, not legal or financial advice, and the rules can change. Please seek personal advice about your own circumstances.