The fees will increase dramatically from their current £215 - or £155 for those applying through a solicitor - to as much as £20,000 for estates valued at more than £2 million. However, estates valued at below £50,000, or those exempt from requiring a grant of probate, will be free of the charge. This is the majority of cases according to the MoJ, which states that 58 percent of all estates in England and Wales fall beneath this threshold.
In the pipeline for a year
These proposals which first came to light early in 2016 have been strongly attacked by the legal profession ever since. Around 98 per cent of 831 respondents to the consultation process slammed the proposals. Reasons for attacking the hike included that the fees were too high, that the rise in property prices in certain areas meant that many families would be hit harder and the fact families may well also be paying to fund care.
New fees
Under the new banded system, estates between £50,000 and £300,000 will now pay probate fees of £300; those between £300,000 and £500,000, £1,000; from £500,000 to £1m the charge will be £4,000; £1m-£1.6m, £8,000; and £12,000 for those worth between £1.6m and £2m. However, The MoJ said the new system was fairer with more than half of
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