Probate fees calculator, explained
A probate fees calculator adds up three things: the flat £300 court application fee (estates over £5,000), £16 for each extra sealed copy of the grant, and any professional fees. The court fee never changes with estate size — only professional fees, if you choose to use them, scale with the work or the estate's value.
How probate fees are calculated
It helps to understand what a calculator is really adding together, because two of the three components are fixed and predictable.
Component 1 — the court fee (fixed)
The probate registry charges a flat £300 for any estate worth more than £5,000. It does not rise with the estate's value, so a £6m estate and a £60,000 estate pay the same court fee.
Component 2 — extra copies (fixed per unit)
Each additional sealed copy of the grant is £16. Order one per asset-holder you'll need to deal with simultaneously (banks, registrars, the Land Registry) to speed things up.
Component 3 — professional fees (variable)
This is the part a calculator can only estimate. Providers price in three main ways:
- Fixed fee — a set price for a defined scope; the most predictable.
- Hourly rate — you pay for time spent; total depends on complexity.
- Percentage of the estate — often 1–5%; can be large on high-value estates.
| Estate value | Court application fee | DIY total (fee + ~4 copies) | Solicitor at ~2% (illustrative) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to £5,000 | £0 | £0–£64 | n/a (often no grant needed) |
| £50,000 | £300 | ≈ £364 | ≈ £1,000 |
| £250,000 | £300 | ≈ £364 | ≈ £5,000 |
| £500,000 | £300 | ≈ £364 | ≈ £10,000 |
| £1,000,000 | £300 | ≈ £364 | ≈ £20,000 |
The court fee is a flat £300 whatever the estate is worth — it does not scale with value. The percentage column is purely illustrative of how some solicitors price; always get a written quote.
An estate of £320,000 needs a grant. The court fee is £300; the executor orders five copies (£80). Done DIY, the cost is £380. A solicitor quoting 1.5% would add about £4,800 plus VAT — the same court fee, very different total.
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Sources
- GOV.UK — Applying for probate (application fee £300; estates over £5,000)
- GOV.UK — Probate fees and additional copies (£16 per copy)
- HM Courts & Tribunals Service — probate timeliness statistics, 2025
- GOV.UK — Valuing the estate of someone who's died
- Reviewed by
- ClearLegacy editorial team
- Last reviewed
- June 2026
- Next review
- December 2026
- Jurisdiction
- England & Wales
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