Our clients will be relieved to read that the Government has made a u-turn on its proposed probate fee hike.
Under the Government’s proposals, the changes – proposed last November – would replace the current fixed fee system of £215 (or £155 when using a solicitor to administer the estate), to a sliding scale of up to £6,000 depending on the size of the estate.
As reported by Claer Barrett of the Financial Times: “The Ministry of Justice has now dropped plans to replace this with a six-band charging structure which would have seen those with estates worth £2m or more being charged a maximum fee of £6,000, a 3,370 per cent increase on the current lower cost.”
Secretary of State for Justice Robert Buckland told the Daily Mail: ‘While fees are necessary to properly fund our world-leading courts system, they must be fair and proportionate. We will withdraw these proposals and keep the current system while we take a closer look at these court fees as part of our annual wider review.’ It is reported that the review will consider small adjustments to cover costs.
Should you have any queries regarding probate fees or would like to speak to one of our specialist probate solicitors be sure to call us on 01483 451 900 or make an online enquire here and we will call you back.