Make your own mind up.
Current probate fees are £215, or £155 for those applying through a solicitor.
Putting aside the issue of whether an estate should be charged at all I think we can all just about live with the fees charged.
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is now proposing a massive hike in the fees for Probate.
On the new scale, the fees will be as follows:
a) estates below £50,00 will be exempt from fees
b) estates valued between £50,000 and £300,000 will pay £300.
sounds bearable so far …..but look at the higher end of the scale:
c) estates between £1.6m and £2m will be charged £12,000
d) estates worth more than £2m will be charged £20,000,
The MoJ describes the new structure as a ‘fairer banded system’ and said the fees will be used to fund the court service. (is that not the governments job though national taxation? Do we get a better service as a consequence?
The MoJ consulted on the proposals in February last year. Out of 831 respondents, fewer than 2% (13 responses) were in favour.
What do you think ?
The information provided in this article is not intended to constitute legal advice and each case requires careful consideration in our view by a fully qualified Solicitor before decisions are made and before you embark on a certain course of action.
Shak Inayat
Solicitor
Penn Chambers Solicitors
0207 183 2898
Shak Inayat Blog 
Update – The fee change is no longer going to be implemented after pressure was put on the government. Shak