Can I avoid paying solicitor's fees for probate entirely?

Yes, if the estate is straightforward. A personal application via MyHMCTS costs only the £526 HMCTS fee plus death certificate copies and any valuation fees. Solicitors are necessary for disputed wills, foreign assets, business interests, complex IHT, insolvent estates or missing beneficiaries.

What are sealed copies of the grant of probate and how many do I need?

The sealed grant is the court-stamped document proving your authority as executor. Every bank, investment platform, share registrar and the Land Registry needs their own copy before releasing assets. Order at least 6–8 copies with your application at £2 each — copies ordered after the grant cost £16 each.

Who pays probate fees — the executor personally or the estate?

The estate pays all probate costs — court fees, solicitor fees, valuations and death certificate copies are administration expenses charged before distribution. The executor may need to pay upfront from personal funds and claim reimbursement. All costs are recoverable as a first charge on the estate.

Probate · Fees & Costs

How much does probate cost?

Q: Is the probate fee based on the size of the estate?

The HMCTS probate fee is a flat £526 regardless of estate size. There is no percentage element in the court fee. A firm's own fee is separate: some providers calculate all or part of their fee by reference to the estate's value, others use fixed fees, hourly rates, or a combination of time and value — there is no standard market rate. The engagement terms should state the charging method and whether VAT and third-party costs are additional.

Q: Is there VAT on solicitor probate fees?

Yes. Solicitors' professional fees attract VAT at 20% on top of their quoted rate. A quote of £3,000 becomes £3,600 before disbursements. Always request a total cost estimate including VAT and all disbursements — court fees, death certificate copies and Land Registry searches — in writing.

Q: What happens to probate fees if the estate is insolvent?

Administration expenses rank second in the statutory order of priority under the Administration of Estates Act 1925 — after funeral expenses but before all unsecured creditors. In a deeply insolvent estate, the executor may not recover all costs personally. Obtain a solvency assessment early if in doubt.

The court fee is £526. The total cost depends on whether you use a solicitor. A DIY application costs £526 plus £2 per sealed copy of the grant ordered with the application. Professional fees for the full administration of a relatively straightforward estate commonly fall within a broad range of about £3,000–£8,000 including VAT on top — some firms charge by reference to the estate's value, others use fixed fees or hourly rates. Where an estate is genuinely straightforward, doing it yourself is achievable and avoids those fees entirely; where it is not, professional advice is usually appropriate — see when you need a solicitor below.

This page covers: the HMCTS court fee · what solicitors charge and why · what you can handle yourself · a full cost breakdown · the executor's year and when costs must be paid.

§1

Every cost you will encounter

Probate costs fall into four categories. The HMCTS court fee is fixed. Everything else depends on estate complexity and whether you instruct a solicitor. All costs are paid from the estate — the executor is reimbursed — so beneficiaries receive what's left after these are deducted.

Cost breakdown — England & Wales 2026

HMCTS probate application feeFlat fee for all applicants. Waived if the estate is under £5,000.

£526

Sealed copies of the grantOrder with your application. Each bank, registrar and platform needs its own copy — order at least 6–8. Copies ordered after the grant is issued cost £16 each.

£2 each

Death certificate copiesObtained from the register office, separate from the grant. Most institutions accept a certified copy — order at least 10 to cover all institutions simultaneously.

£11–12 each

Solicitor fees — straightforward estate (if instructed)Charged as a fixed fee, on an hourly basis, by reference to the estate's value, or as a combination of time and value — firms differ and there is no standard market rate. Always obtain a written estimate stating the charging basis, whether VAT is included, and what disbursements are extra.

£3,000–£8,000 inc. VAT

Property valuation (RICS surveyor)Required for IHT purposes on any property in the estate. HMRC will not accept online estimates — a formal RICS valuation is needed for the IHT405 schedule.

£250–£600

IHT specialist (taxable estates)For estates above the nil-rate band, completing IHT400 and supporting schedules (IHT405, IHT407, IHT409 etc.) without professional help risks errors HMRC will investigate.

£1,500–£5,000+

Genealogist (missing beneficiaries)If beneficiaries cannot be located, a genealogist (heir hunter) must be instructed before distribution. Costs are charged to the estate as administration expenses.

£500–£5,000+

§2

DIY probate vs using a solicitor

For a genuinely simple estate, DIY is routinely achievable and avoids the professional fees entirely — but check the conditions below before you commit. The MyHMCTS online portal guides you through the application step by step. You need the original will, a death certificate, estate valuations, and — for taxable estates — the IHT400 acknowledgement from HMRC before you submit.

DIY application

Solicitor

Court fee

£526

Professional fees — straightforward estate

£0

£3,000–£8,000 inc. VAT

VAT

£0

Included above

Time required from you

20–40 hours

5–10 hours

HMCTS processing time

Same (16–20 wks)

Best for

Simple estate, clear will

Complex, taxable, disputed

When you need a solicitor. Do not attempt DIY if the estate involves: a disputed will · IHT liability (estate above the nil-rate band with complex reliefs) · foreign assets · a business interest · an insolvent estate · missing beneficiaries · a trust. One error in any of these areas can expose the executor to personal liability.

§3

How to keep probate costs down

Most overspend on probate comes from two places: unnecessary solicitor involvement and ordering too few grant copies upfront. Both are avoidable. The actions below consistently reduce total cost for straightforward estates.

Apply online, not on paper

Online applications via MyHMCTS are processed 4–6 weeks faster than paper PA1P/PA1A forms. They also reduce errors that trigger HMCTS queries — each query pauses your application until resolved.

Order enough grant copies upfront

At £2 each with the application vs £16 each after, ordering 8–10 sealed copies upfront costs £16–20 instead of £128–160 if you order them later. Underestimating this is a common, expensive mistake.

Get three solicitor quotes

Solicitor probate fees vary enormously. A firm charging 2% of a £400k estate charges £8,000 + VAT; a fixed-fee firm may charge £2,500 + VAT for the same work. Always get three written quotes including VAT and all disbursements.

Do the legwork yourself

Even if you instruct a solicitor, you can reduce billable hours by gathering all death certificates, asset valuations, bank statements and the original will before the first meeting. Time spent by a solicitor finding documents you could find yourself costs £200–£350 per hour.

Figure watch · checked weekly

The figures on this page change.

Court fees rise, thresholds move, deadlines shift.

This card watches the same way your Valoren records would — leave an email and we'll tell you when one changes, once, then stop.

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If this estate needs more than a guide

Where the boundary is reached, Valoren refers.

The advice above stands — if you instruct anyone, get more than one quote, in writing, with the charging basis stated. This section puts our own desk on that list, disclosed plainly, beside the public directories where the independent quotes are found.

Signum · Valoren's own specialist desk

Have Signum carry it

Signum is part of Valoren — our own service, and we say so plainly. Where the costs on this page stop being predictable — a taxable estate and its IHT400 schedules, a business interest, foreign assets, a dispute in view — Signum quotes the work from the estate's actual shape, in writing, before anything is instructed. It starts with a free intake, and if we are not the right fit for your estate, we will tell you so and point you at the directories below.

valoren.uk/services →↗

Prefer an independent adviser?

The Law Society · Public directory

Find a Solicitor

The Law Society of England & Wales — regulated solicitors. Searchable by postcode and area of practice. Best fit for full-service estate administration where IHT400 submission, cross-border assets, or contested points are involved.

solicitors.lawsociety.org.uk →↗

STEP · Public directory

Find a Trust and Estate Practitioner

Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners — the professional body for trust and estate work in the UK. Members hold the TEP credential after rigorous examination. Best fit when trusts, cross-border estates, or complex succession structures are involved.

step.org →↗

CIOT · Public directory

Find a Chartered Tax Adviser

Chartered Institute of Taxation — the leading professional body for UK tax. Members hold the CTA credential after the most demanding tax qualification in the UK. Best fit when APR/BPR, business succession, lifetime gift planning, or HMRC dispute resolution are in play.

tax.org.uk →↗

Signum is Valoren's own desk — instructing it means instructing us, disclosed plainly. None of the three directories pays Valoren a referral fee; they are listed so the independent route is always one click away.

FAQ

Common questions

01Is the probate fee based on the size of the estate?›

The HMCTS probate fee is a flat £526 regardless of estate size. There is no percentage-based element in the HMCTS fee itself.

However, a firm's own fee is a separate matter. Some providers calculate all or part of their fee by reference to the estate's value; others use fixed fees, hourly rates, or a combination of time and value — there is no standard market rate. That is a commercial arrangement with the firm, not a court fee, and the engagement terms should state the charging method and whether VAT and third-party costs are additional.

02Can I avoid paying solicitor's fees entirely?›

Yes, if the estate is straightforward. A personal application (DIY probate) costs only the HMCTS fee (£526) plus death certificate copies and any valuation costs. The MyHMCTS online portal guides you through PA1P (with will) or PA1A (no will).

Solicitors are necessary for: disputed wills, foreign assets, business interests, complex IHT (taxable estates with IHT400), insolvent estates, or missing beneficiaries. For a simple estate — house, bank accounts, will in order — DIY is routinely achievable.

03What are 'sealed copies' of the grant and how many do I need?›

The sealed grant is the official court-stamped document that proves your authority as executor. Banks, investment platforms, share registrars and the Land Registry each require a sealed copy before releasing assets.

Order at least 6–8 copies with your application — they cost £2 each at that stage. If you order additional copies after the grant is issued, the cost rises to £16 per copy. Do not underestimate how many you'll need: every institution that holds an asset needs its own sealed copy.

04Is there VAT on solicitor probate fees?›

Yes. Solicitors' professional fees attract VAT at 20% on top of their quoted rate. If a solicitor quotes £3,000 as their fee, the total including VAT is £3,600 before disbursements (court fees, search fees, valuation costs).

Always ask for a total cost estimate including VAT and all disbursements in writing before instructing. Disbursements — HMCTS fee, death certificate copies, Land Registry searches — are passed through at cost without VAT markup.

05Who pays probate fees — the executor or the estate?›

The estate pays all probate costs — court fees, solicitor fees, valuation costs and death certificate copies are all administration expenses charged against the estate before any distribution to beneficiaries.

The executor may need to pay upfront from personal funds and claim reimbursement, as the estate's cash is frozen until the grant arrives. Keep every receipt: all costs are recoverable as a first charge on the estate ahead of legacies.

06What happens to probate fees if the estate is insolvent?›

Administration expenses — including HMCTS fees and solicitor costs — rank second in the order of priority (after funeral expenses) under the Administration of Estates Act 1925. In an insolvent estate, they are paid before any unsecured creditors and well before beneficiaries.

However, if the estate has no liquid assets at all, the executor may need to pay costs personally — and may not recover them in full if the estate is deeply insolvent. Obtain a solvency assessment early if in doubt.