On 10 April 2017 we reported the Government announcement that the fee for obtaining a Grant of Probate (or alternatively, if there is no Will, a Grant of Letters of Administration) was set to increase. The new fee was due to be calculated with reference to the value of the net estate of the deceased (assets minus date of death liabilities) and, crucially, before any exemptions for inheritance tax are taken into consideration.
In light of the snap General Election called by the Prime Minister, the fee increase is to be scrapped. The fee payable to the Probate Registry therefore remains £155 when the application is made by a solicitor, or £215 when made by anyone else. Reports state there was not enough time for the legislation to fully go through parliamentary approval before the general election and local probate registries have confirmed this position, saying ‘this is now a matter for the next Government’.
There is no confirmation at the time of writing whether any political party will address this point in their manifesto. The Private Client team at CooperBurnett will keep up to date with developments and are happy to speak with any clients to discuss the fees or other probate matters.
If you wish to discuss any matters arising out of this article, please contact Katie Gilliam on 01892 515022 or email: kjg@cooperburnett.com
