Who pays the probate fee?

The applicant pays it, and is reimbursed from the estate. Some banks will release funds directly to HMCTS or HMRC before the grant if you ask.

Cost · 4 min read

The probate court fee and how many copies to order

The court fee is fixed and identical whoever applies. The only real decision is how many sealed copies of the grant to buy, and most executors buy too few.

Written and reviewed by Ramani Gill, Founder & CEO — Solicitor, TEP, BA, LLM. Last reviewed 2026-08-19.

The fee

Situation	Fee
Estate above £5,000	£526
Estate of £5,000 or less	No fee
Extra sealed copy ordered with the application	£2
Extra sealed copy ordered later	£16

The fee is based on the value of the estate for probate purposes, not on the size of any Inheritance Tax bill, and it does not scale with the estate above the exemption.

How many copies?

Every organisation holding an asset will want to see a sealed copy, and several will keep theirs for weeks. Count one for each of the following, then add two spares.

Each bank or building society
Each pension or life insurance provider
Each share registrar or investment platform
The Land Registry, for each property title
The conveyancer, if a property is being sold

Order them upfront

Copies ordered with the application cost £2; ordered later they cost £16 and add a fortnight to your timetable while you wait for them.

Doing this yourself?

Our guided service walks an executor through valuations, the HMCTS forms and the estate accounts for a one-off £349.

Check if I can do probate myself

Help with the fee

Help with Fees may reduce or remove the fee where the applicant is on a low income and has limited savings. It is assessed on the applicant's own means, not the estate's.

The fee is only one line in the budget — see how the court fee fits into the total cost.

GOV.UK — Help with court and tribunal fees

Common questions

Who pays the probate fee?: The applicant pays it, and is reimbursed from the estate. Some banks will release funds directly to HMCTS or HMRC before the grant if you ask.

Not sure whether this estate is straightforward?

The free suitability checker asks about jurisdiction, disputes and complexity, and tells you in a few minutes whether a self-help route is sensible — or whether you should speak to a solicitor. No account needed.

Start the free checker

Where this fits in the probate process

What probate actually costsCourt fee, solicitor quotes and the self-help route compared.

General information only, not legal or tax advice. Last checked 2026-08-19.