What probate actually costs
Probate has three separate cost layers: the official court fee of £526 (nothing for estates at or below £5,000), unavoidable estate expenses such as office copies, statutory notices and valuations, and whatever you choose to pay for help. Only the third layer is really in your control.
Jurisdiction: England & Wales. Last reviewed 13 August 2026.
How much does probate cost?
For a straightforward estate handled personally, the cost is the £526 court fee plus a small number of estate expenses — office copies at £2 each, certified death certificates and, if you choose them, statutory notices. Estates at or below £5,000 pay no court fee at all. Add £349 once if you want the estate mapped, the tax route identified and every registry answer prepared for you. Solicitors and banks are the expensive route: quotes are commonly a percentage of the estate and run into the thousands.
| What you pay for | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Court fee (estates above £5,000) | £526 |
| Extra office copies of the grant | £2 each with the application |
| Statutory notices, valuations and other estate expenses | Usually low hundreds in total |
| Guided self-service package | £349 once, whatever the estate is worth |
| Solicitor or bank | Often a percentage of the estate, commonly thousands |
The three layers below explain where each of those figures comes from, and which of them you can actually control.
Layer 1: the official fee
HM Courts & Tribunals Service charges £526 to issue a grant where the estate is above £5,000. Below that, there is no fee. Extra office copies are £2 each with the application, or £16 each afterwards — order plenty at the start, because you will need one per institution.
Layer 2: estate expenses
| Item | Typical range | Necessary? |
|---|---|---|
| Certified death certificate copies | A few pounds each | Yes — order several |
| Statutory notices in The Gazette and a local paper | Low hundreds | Strongly recommended — it protects you personally |
| Professional property valuation | Varies; estate agents often value free for probate | Yes if the estate is near a tax threshold |
| Unclaimed asset and will searches | Modest | Optional, sometimes worth it |
| Property insurance while empty | Varies | Yes if a property is standing empty |
Layer 3: help
This is where the range is enormous. Percentage-based professional fees are common and scale with the estate rather than the work. Fixed-fee firms are easier to compare. Our self-help package is £349, once, whatever the estate is worth — and it is separate from the £526 court fee, which you always pay directly to HMCTS.
Do not confuse the fees
Our fee is not the probate fee. The probate fee is not a tax. Inheritance Tax, if any, is a third and entirely separate liability paid to HMRC.The three routes compared
| Route | What you pay | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Entirely alone | £526 court fee plus estate expenses | Everything, with no structure and no second pair of eyes |
| Guided self-service | £349 once, plus the £526 court fee | The work, with the estate mapped, the tax route identified and every registry answer prepared |
| Solicitor or bank | Commonly a percentage of the estate, or a fixed fee in the thousands | Hand it over, and chase for updates |
The honest comparison is between the first two. A solicitor is worth the money when the estate is genuinely complicated — a contested will, a trust, business property, foreign assets — and poor value when it is not.
Who pays
Probate costs are estate expenses and come out of the estate before beneficiaries are paid — but they usually have to be funded before the grant releases the money. Many banks will release funds directly to HMCTS or to a funeral director on request, which is worth asking about early.
Frequently asked questions
- Is there a fee for small estates?
- No application fee is charged where the estate is at or below £5,000.
- Can probate costs be reclaimed from the estate?
- Yes. Reasonable costs of administration, including the court fee and statutory notices, are paid from the estate before distribution.
- Is Inheritance Tax part of the probate cost?
- No. Inheritance Tax is a separate liability to HMRC, due by the end of the sixth month after the month of death.
- How much do solicitors charge for probate?
- Quotes vary enormously and are often a percentage of the estate, so the same work costs far more on a larger estate. Always ask for a fixed fee and for a written list of what is excluded.
- What is the cheapest way to get probate?
- Applying personally and paying only the £526 court fee. A guided package at £349 sits between that and professional fees, and exists to stop the mistakes that cost more than the saving.
Dealing with a straightforward estate yourself?
Our free probate checker helps you work out whether this estate appears suitable for a self-help route. It asks about jurisdiction, disputes and complexity, takes a few minutes, and needs no account.
£349 one-off service fee if you go ahead. Court fee and any Inheritance Tax are paid separately.
Guides that go deeper
- Is DIY probate actually cheaper?What you save by handling probate yourself in England & Wales, what it costs you in time and risk, and the estates where doing it yourself is a false economy.
- The probate costs executors forget to budget forThe costs that appear after the grant: insurance on an empty property, statutory notices, bankruptcy searches, valuations, and clearing a house.
- The probate court fee and how many copies to orderThe HMCTS probate application fee, who is exempt, how to pay it, and how many sealed copies of the grant an executor should order.
Sources
Continue your probate journey
Apply For Probate Online is an independent self-help service and is not part of HM Courts & Tribunals Service or GOV.UK.