Huge 75% Probate Fees Increase in July

Probate fees in England & Wales will jump from £300 to £526 on 13 July 2026 — a 75% increase — subject to Parliamentary approval.

What’s Changing?

• Probate application fee (estates > £5,000): rising from £300 → £526 (a £226 increase).

• Effective date: 13 July 2026, pending Parliamentary approval.

• Copy documents fee: £16 → £2 when ordered at the same time as the application.

This is one of the steepest increases in the MoJ’s wider court‑fee reforms, far exceeding the 2.6% inflation‑linked rises applied to most other fees.

Why a 75% Increase?

The Ministry of Justice says the new fee:

• “recovers the cost of an ever‑improving service”,

• reflects inflation, and

• supports investment in a more modern, efficient probate system.

However, the scale of the increase is far above inflation (≈7% since the last rise in May 2024), making probate the standout outlier among fee changes.

But Is the Service “Efficient and Modern”?

Official guidance still states: “You’ll usually get probate within 12 weeks.” Yet real‑world performance tells a different story:

• A Freedom of Information request revealed that 1 in 8 applications in 2024/25 took more than six months to be processed.

• Practitioners continue to report significant delays, especially for complex estates.

This mismatch between claimed service improvements and lived experience is fuelling criticism of the fee hike.

Possible Additional Reason: Rising Administrative Burdens

Over the coming years, we expect:

• More complex IHT reporting,

• Greater scrutiny of pension‑death‑benefit structures, and

• Higher volumes of queries and corrections.

Our view is this will inevitably increase workloads for HMCTS, HMRC, advisers, and executors — making a cost‑recovery‑driven fee rise more likely.

Impact on Families & Executors

Even though probate fees are paid from the estate, executors often must fund the fee upfront before gaining access to estate assets.  The increase may therefore create cash‑flow pressure, especially where estates are asset‑rich but cash‑poor.

Key cost impacts:

• Additional £226 payable at application stage.

• Potential surge in applications before 13 July → risk of further delays.

Can Executors Beat the Deadline?

Possibly — but only if:

• Valuations are complete,

• IHT reporting is done,

• IHT payments (if any) are arranged, and

• All documents are ready.

For many estates, especially complex ones, accelerating the process may not be realistic.

Key Takeaways

• Probate fee rising 75% on 13 July 2026 (subject to approval).

• Copy fees dropping to £2 when ordered with the application.

• Service delays persist despite claims of “modernisation”.

• FOI data shows 12.5% of cases exceed six months.

• Likely administrative pressures ahead (including pension‑IHT changes).

• Executors may wish to submit before July if the estate is ready.