Grant of probate: what it costs and how long it takes

What the grant is and whether you need one

A grant of probate, or letters of administration where there is no will, is a court document confirming your authority to deal with the estate of someone who has died. It is issued by the probate registry, which sits within HMCTS. The document itself does not decide who inherits, because that is set by the will or by the intestacy rules, but it is the evidence that financial institutions ask for before they will deal with you. Most banks, brokers and the Land Registry will not release funds or transfer property without a grant. The executor's authority arises from the will itself under the Administration of Estates Act 1925, although in practice most institutions still require the grant before releasing assets.

Not every estate needs a grant. Assets held jointly with another person often pass automatically by survivorship, so a property owned as joint tenants does not form part of the estate for this purpose. Small balances can also be released without a grant where they fall below each institution's own threshold, and that threshold varies by bank, so it is worth asking each one directly rather than assuming a single national figure applies. Personal possessions, household goods and assets held in a trust usually sit outside the process as well. If the estate is small, held jointly, or made up of accounts below the relevant thresholds, you may be able to deal with everything without applying at all. If there is a property in the sole name of the person who died, or a bank account above the institution's limit, a grant is normally required.

What it costs now, in a table

The headline change is the application fee. It rose from 300 pounds to 526 pounds on 13 July 2026, an increase of about 75 percent. Before that the fee had been 273 pounds until it rose to 300 pounds. The 526 pound fee applies whether you are applying for a grant of probate or for letters of administration, and whether you are a personal applicant or a professional. The Ministry of Justice said the increase recovers the cost of an ever-improving service and accounts for rising inflation as well as investment in delivering an efficient and modern service. Many readers will have seen the old 300 pound figure quoted elsewhere, so it is worth being explicit that the amount changed in July 2026 and that older guides are out of date.

The practical point sits in the last two rows of that table. Ordering copies at the same time as the application is the single easiest saving in the whole process. Eight copies cost 16 pounds if requested with the application, rather than 128 pounds if requested afterwards. The Ministry of Justice created the separate, reduced fee for copies requested alongside the probate application precisely because it better reflects the cost of that service. Banks, insurers, pension providers and the Land Registry may each want to see a sealed copy, so it is common to need several. If you are on a low income or hold little in savings, the Help with Fees remissions scheme remains available and can reduce or remove the application fee. It is worth checking eligibility before paying, because the scheme is not automatic and must be applied for.

How long it takes, and what actually causes delay

The current figures are better than they have been for some time. Ministry of Justice Family Court Statistics Quarterly for January to March 2026, published on 25 June 2026, put the mean time from submission to grant at 5 weeks, the lowest since the series began, with a median of 1 week. HMCTS management information for May 2026 showed the average time from submission of a probate application to issue of a grant was 6 weeks across all applications, falling to 4.1 weeks for digital applications. Around eight in ten probate applications are now made online rather than by post, and the digital route is consistently faster. GOV.UK states that you will usually get probate within 12 weeks of submitting your application, which remains a sensible outer expectation to plan around.

The figure that matters most, though, is the one about stops. In January to March 2026, applications that were stopped took 14 weeks on average, against 2 weeks for applications that were not stopped. That gap is the whole story of probate delay. An application is stopped when the probate registry puts it on hold because something is missing or does not match. Common causes include missing documents, errors on the form, details that do not match the death certificate, inheritance tax figures that do not match HMRC's records, a missing original will, and using the wrong form. Form PA1P is used where there is a will and form PA1A where there is not, and using the wrong form requires resubmission. Each stop adds correspondence, and each round of correspondence adds weeks. Checking names, dates and figures against the death certificate and the HMRC submission before you send anything is the most effective thing you can do to keep the application moving.

Grant of probate or letters of administration

The distinction between the two documents is straightforward. A grant of probate is issued where there is a valid will appointing executors. Letters of administration are issued where there is no valid will, and the nearest eligible relative applies. Where there is no will, the intestacy rules determine who may administer the estate and who inherits, so the person entitled to the estate and the person entitled to apply are decided by the same set of rules. A will that exists but does not name a willing executor can also lead to letters of administration, because the court needs someone with authority to act. In every case the practical effect is the same: the document is the proof of authority that institutions ask for.

What surprises many applicants is how little else differs. HMCTS processes both applications using the same systems and timelines. The application fee is the same 526 pounds for an estate over 5,000 pounds, and there is no fee for an estate of 5,000 pounds or less, whichever document is sought. The forms differ, and the evidence required differs, but the queue, the online system and the stop process are shared. That means the delay advice applies equally: matching details to the death certificate, submitting the correct form, and getting the inheritance tax position right matter just as much for letters of administration as for probate. If you are unsure which applies, the test is simply whether a valid will exists that appoints an executor who is able and willing to act.

What you need before you apply

Before you start the application, gather the original will and any codicils, the death certificate, a full valuation of the estate, and the inheritance tax position. The original will is required, not a copy, and a missing original is one of the common causes of a stop. The estate valuation needs to cover property, bank and building society accounts, investments, pensions where relevant, and personal possessions, because the figures you report must match what is submitted to HMRC. Details on the application must match the death certificate exactly, including the spelling of names and the dates. Small mismatches are a frequent reason for an application being put on hold.

The inheritance tax position is where timing most often catches people out. Where an estate requires a full IHT400, the probate application cannot be submitted until HMRC issues the unique code needed for the application. That means the IHT400 should go in early, because the probate clock does not start until the code arrives. If the estate is below the threshold and no full account is needed, the position is simpler, but the figures still need to be consistent with what has been reported. Getting the valuation and the tax position settled before you begin the probate form is the surest way to avoid a stop, and a stop is what turns a 2 week application into a 14 week one.

Doing it yourself or using a solicitor

The court fee is the same either way. Whether you apply as a personal applicant or through a professional, the application fee is 526 pounds for an estate over 5,000 pounds, with no fee for an estate of 5,000 pounds or less. Paying a solicitor does not change the fee, the forms or the queue, and around eight in ten applications are now made online by the applicant or their representative using the same system. What differs is the work of preparing the estate valuation, completing the inheritance tax position, matching details to the death certificate, and responding if the application is stopped.

A straightforward estate with a clear will, no disputes and assets that are easy to value is commonly handled without a solicitor. The forms are designed for personal applicants, the online route is faster, and the guidance on GOV.UK covers the common situations. Professional help tends to earn its cost where there are disputes between beneficiaries, missing beneficiaries who cannot be traced, business or agricultural assets that need specialist valuation, foreign assets, or an estate sitting near the inheritance tax thresholds where the figures need careful treatment. Those are the situations where an error is most likely to cause a stop or a later challenge. Neither route is right for everyone, and the decision turns on the complexity of the estate rather than on the size of the fee.

Source: GOV.UK: applying for probate.

Related coverage on Kael Tripton: Probate Fees UK 2026, Probate and Executor Home Insurance UK 2026: Cover for Inherited Properties, Executor of a Will UK: Duties, Responsibilities and Step-by-Step Timeline, Intestacy Rules UK 2026, Rules of Intestacy UK 2026: Who Inherits When There Is No Will?.

Frequently asked questions

How much is the probate application fee now?

The fee is 526 pounds for estates worth more than 5,000 pounds. It rose from 300 pounds on 13 July 2026. There is no application fee for estates of 5,000 pounds or less.

Does the fee differ for letters of administration?

No. The 526 pound fee applies whether the application is for a grant of probate or for letters of administration, and whether the applicant is a personal applicant or a professional.

How much do sealed copies cost?

A sealed copy ordered with the application costs 2 pounds each. A sealed copy ordered afterwards costs 16 pounds each, which rose from 1.50 pounds in November 2025.

How long does probate take at the moment?

Ministry of Justice figures for January to March 2026 show a mean of 5 weeks from submission to grant and a median of 1 week. GOV.UK states you will usually get probate within 12 weeks of submitting your application.

What is a stopped application and why does it matter?

An application is stopped when the probate registry puts it on hold because something is missing or does not match. In January to March 2026, stopped applications took 14 weeks on average, against 2 weeks for applications that were not stopped.