Government announces that plans for Probate Court Fee hike will not proceed. The UK Government has recently announced that the plans announced under former Prime Minister, Theresa May’s government to increase probate court fees, have been scrapped.
The plans had been met with significant opposition as they were effectively an additional tax on estates. Furthermore, whilst the Court fees for dealing with a probate application is the same regardless of the value, the revised proposals would have seen a £6,000 variance in fees paid by estates (it is perhaps worthy of note that this would have been significantly higher at £20,000 under the original proposals). It is also understood that the increase would have been utilised in subsidising other areas of the Court system at the expense of the affected estates.
It is undoubtedly a relief therefore that the current fee structure for probate applications will remain for the foreseeable future at a flat fee of £215 for personal applications or £155 for applications made through a Solicitor. The Ministry of Justice has advised that the probate Court fees along with all Court fees will be reviewed as part of a wider justice system review at a later date.
