Probate Costs Calculator
What Probate Actually Costs, and Why
"How much will probate actually cost?" is one of the first questions almost every executor asks, usually not long after realising just how much is involved in administering an estate.
The honest answer is that it depends, on the size and complexity of the estate, whether you use professional help, and whether Inheritance Tax applies.
What follows is a genuine breakdown of the costs involved, so you can budget realistically rather than guessing, and understand what a probate costs calculator is actually working out for you.
What Costs Are Involved in Probate?
Probate costs typically fall into a handful of categories: the probate application fee itself, solicitor fees if you choose to use one, property valuations, professional valuations for other valuable assets, estate agent fees if property is being sold, conveyancing fees, accountant fees where relevant, any Inheritance Tax due, funeral expenses, and general estate administration costs.
Not every estate incurs every one of these; a simple estate with no property and a single beneficiary looks very different from a complex one involving a business or overseas assets.
The Probate Application Fee
This is the one cost that applies to almost every estate above a certain size, regardless of whether you use a solicitor.
As of July 2026, the HMCTS probate application fee is £526 for estates valued over £5,000, following a significant increase from the previous £300 fee. Estates worth £5,000 or less pay no court fee at all. Additional certified copies of the Grant, which you will typically need several of for banks, the Land Registry and investment providers, currently cost £2 each.
This fee is payable whether you apply yourself or instruct a solicitor to handle the application on your behalf. Current figures are always worth double-checking directly on GOV.UK’s probate fees page, since this is one area that has changed more than once recently.
Solicitor Fees
If you instruct a solicitor, they will typically charge in one of three ways, and the difference between them can genuinely run into thousands of pounds on the same estate.
Fixed fee, a defined price agreed in writing before work begins. For a grant-only service, where the solicitor simply obtains the Grant and you handle the rest, this often ranges from around £500 to £1,500. For full estate administration, handling everything from the Grant through to final distribution, fixed fees commonly range from roughly £1,500 to £5,000 for a straightforward estate, rising considerably for more complex ones.
Percentage of the estate, commonly between 1% and 4% of the gross estate value. On a £400,000 estate, a 2% fee works out at £8,000 before VAT and before the court fee, which is why this model is often the most expensive option for larger, straightforward estates, since the actual work involved does not usually scale up in proportion to the estate’s value.
Hourly rate, with senior solicitors typically charging somewhere between £200 and £450 per hour, and junior fee earners less. Even a relatively simple estate can involve 15 to 25 hours of billable time, so total costs of several thousand pounds are not unusual under this model either.
Whichever model a firm uses, always ask for a written quotation up front, and check exactly what is included, and just as importantly, what would trigger additional charges.
Property Valuations
Where the estate includes property, you will need an accurate valuation as at the date of death, not the current market value. Professional valuations are also often worthwhile for jewellery, artwork, antiques, business interests, and any other valuable collections, particularly where an individual item is worth more than a few hundred pounds.
Our guide on probate and property covers this side of estate administration in more detail, including who is responsible for the property while it remains part of the estate.
Estate Administration Costs
Beyond the headline fees, a number of smaller costs tend to add up over the course of administering an estate: copy documents, postage, bank transfer fees, storage of important documents, insurance for a vacant property, and various professional searches.
These are usually paid from the estate itself rather than by the executor personally, but it is worth being aware of them when budgeting, since they can genuinely add several hundred pounds across a longer administration.
Can You Reduce Probate Costs?
In some cases, yes. Gathering paperwork thoroughly before seeking any professional advice reduces the amount of time, and therefore cost, a solicitor needs to spend getting up to speed.
Keeping accurate financial records throughout, obtaining property valuations early rather than at the last minute, handling straightforward parts of the administration yourself, and comparing quotes from more than one probate solicitor before instructing anyone can all make a genuine difference.
Reducing unnecessary delays also helps, since time-based fees and ongoing property costs both tend to grow the longer an estate takes to settle.
When Is Using a Solicitor Worth the Cost?
A solicitor is an additional expense, but one that can genuinely save time and reduce risk where the estate is high in value, Inheritance Tax is payable, property ownership is complicated, overseas assets are involved, the will is being disputed, beneficiaries disagree, or business assets form part of the estate.
For genuinely straightforward estates, many executors choose to handle probate themselves and only pay the court fee. Our guide on probate advice covers this decision in more depth if you are still weighing it up.
Information You'll Need to Estimate Probate Costs
To get a realistic estimate, you will generally need the estimated value of the estate, the number of properties involved, an approximate figure for savings and investments, whether a valid will exists, whether Inheritance Tax is likely to be payable, and whether you think you will need professional legal assistance.
Providing accurate figures, even rough ones, produces a far more useful estimate than guessing.
Common Probate Cost Mistakes
Executors frequently underestimate what administering an estate actually costs.
Common oversights include forgetting valuation fees entirely, ignoring conveyancing costs where property is being sold, not budgeting for any professional advice at all, underestimating how much time the process will genuinely take, and failing to account for ongoing maintenance or insurance on a property sitting vacant during administration.
Planning realistically for these from the outset avoids some unpleasant surprises later.
How Find a Funeral Can Help
Understanding probate costs properly helps you plan ahead and avoid unexpected expenses during what is already a difficult time.
Find a Funeral lets you view and compare trusted probate solicitors across the UK, so you can get a clear, written quotation and find the right level of support for your specific circumstances.
Yes. Many executors successfully administer straightforward estates themselves, though there will still be the government application fee and other administration costs to account for.
In most cases, legitimate probate expenses are paid from the deceased’s estate rather than by the executor personally, provided they are properly incurred as part of the administration.
Funeral expenses are generally paid from the estate and are usually one of the first liabilities settled, often before other debts, during the administration process.
Executors can usually reclaim reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred while administering the estate, provided they keep clear records and receipts to support the claim.
Not necessarily. Experience, clear communication, transparent pricing and exactly what services are included matter just as much as the headline price, particularly for a more complex estate.