Further to Louise Garrett’s articles in Lawyer Monthly, WealthBriefing and EPrivateClient, the Government has announced that on 26^th January probate application fees in England and Wales will increase to £273 for both personal and professional applications. Currently, the fees are £155 for professional applicants and £215 for personal applicants.

The announcement follows a consultation last summer where many objected to the raising of fees given the significant delays to the probate service. Despite this, the fees increase has been officially enacted under an amendment to the Non-Contentious Probate Fees Order 2004 published in December 2021 and it is now only a matter of days until the new higher fee will become payable.