The probate court fee in England and Wales is £303 for estates over £5,000 (and nothing below that). Beyond that, the cost depends entirely on whether you do it yourself or use a professional — and how that professional charges. Percentage-based fees can run to several thousand pounds on a larger estate; a fixed fee stays the same whatever the estate is worth.
The three things you actually pay for
"Probate costs" is really three separate things. It helps to keep them apart:
- The court (probate application) fee — a fixed government charge to issue the grant.
- Professional fees — what a solicitor or probate specialist charges to do the work, if you use one. This is the part that varies enormously.
- Disbursements — third-party costs the estate has to pay regardless: valuations, official copies of the grant, statutory notices, bank transfer fees, and so on.
Add them together and you have the true cost of administering the estate.
The probate court fee (2026)
In England and Wales, the probate application fee is paid to HM Courts & Tribunals Service:
| Estate value | Application fee |
|---|---|
| £5,000 or under | No fee |
| Over £5,000 | £303 |
| Each additional sealed copy of the grant | £1.50 |
It's worth ordering several official copies — banks, the Land Registry and other institutions each want to see one, and getting them all at once is far quicker than going back later. Fees in Scotland (confirmation) and Northern Ireland are different and structured separately.
Professional fees: percentage vs fixed
If you instruct a solicitor, a bank, or a probate specialist, this is where most of the cost sits — and how they charge makes a big difference.
Percentage fees
Many traditional firms and banks charge a percentage of the estate value — commonly anywhere from 1% to 5%, sometimes with an additional hourly element on top. The catch is that the fee scales with the estate even though the work often doesn't. Two per cent of a £300,000 estate is £6,000; the same 2% on a £700,000 estate is £14,000 — for what may be very similar work.
Hourly rates
Some firms charge purely by the hour. That can be fine for a simple estate but makes the final bill unpredictable, and there's little incentive to be quick.
Fixed fees
A fixed fee is agreed up front and doesn't change with the estate value. You know the cost before you commit. We think this is the fairest approach, which is why it's how we charge.
| Charging method | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Grant of Probate only (we apply, you do the rest) | ~£1,000–£3,000 + VAT |
| Full estate administration — fixed fee | often ~1%–2% of estate, agreed in writing |
| Full estate administration — percentage (banks/some firms) | commonly 1%–5% + sometimes hourly |
| Pure hourly rate | £150–£350+ per hour |
What GLCS Probate charges
We use fixed fees, agreed with you in writing before any work begins, with no hidden charges:
- Grant of Probate only — £2,995 + VAT. We prepare the oath, complete the HMRC forms, submit the application to the Probate Registry and obtain up to three office copies of the grant. You then deal with collecting the assets and distributing the estate.
- Full estate administration. We handle everything from the grant through to final distribution — valuations, inheritance tax, collecting assets, paying debts and legacies, estate accounts and distribution. The fee is based on the work involved, capped at 2% of the estate value for simple estates, and confirmed in writing before we start. It's paid from the estate, not from your own pocket.
Plus the disbursements below (court fee, official copies, etc.), which are charged at cost and itemised clearly. Full detail is on our probate service page.
Disbursements — the smaller costs that add up
Whoever does the work, the estate also pays various third-party costs. Typical ones:
| Disbursement | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Probate application fee (over £5,000) | £303 |
| Extra official copies of the grant | £1.50 each |
| Statutory notices (creditors — The Gazette & local paper) | ~£150–£300 |
| Bankruptcy / beneficiary searches | ~£2–£6 per name |
| Property valuation (estate agent or RICS surveyor) | free–£400+ |
| Land Registry office copies | ~£3–£7 per title |
| Bank transfer / electronic payment fees | a few pounds each |
For a typical estate, disbursements usually come to a few hundred pounds in total — modest compared with the professional fee, but worth knowing about so the final bill holds no surprises.
So what's the total — a worked example
Take a fairly typical estate: a house, two bank accounts, an ISA, no inheritance tax due, one straightforward beneficiary. Roughly:
- DIY: £303 court fee + ~£200–£400 disbursements = around £500–£700 — plus your time, and you carry the personal liability.
- Fixed-fee "Grant only": ~£2,995 + VAT + court fee + disbursements = around £4,000 — and you still do the asset collection and distribution.
- Fixed-fee full administration: the agreed fixed fee (capped at 2% for a simple estate) + court fee + disbursements — everything handled, insurance-backed, nothing left for you to do.
- Percentage full administration (bank/some firms): on a £450,000 estate at, say, 2.5% that's ~£11,250 + VAT + costs — markedly more for similar work.
Frequently asked questions
Get a clear, fixed quote
Tell us about the estate and we'll give you a straightforward fixed-fee quote — agreed in writing, with no hidden charges — plus an honest view of what's involved. No pressure, no obligation.