Costs and fees
Probate: How Much Does It Cost?
The cost of probate depends almost entirely on the route you take. Do everything yourself for free via GOV.UK, use a platform like ours for a fixed fee, or instruct a solicitor and potentially pay thousands. This guide breaks down every cost you might encounter and helps you decide which approach makes sense for your situation.
What are the unavoidable government fees?
Whatever route you choose, these costs are fixed and cannot be avoided.
The Probate Registry application fee
When you submit your probate application, HM Courts and Tribunals Service charges a fee of £526 if the value of the estate is £5,000 or over. There is no fee for estates valued under £5,000. This is a government fee paid directly to the Probate Registry and is the same regardless of whether you apply yourself or use a solicitor.
Additional official copies of the Grant
Once your Grant of Probate or Grant of Letters of Administration is issued, you will almost certainly need several official copies to send to banks, mortgage lenders, investment platforms, and other financial organisations simultaneously. Each official copy costs £2. Most estates need between three and ten copies, so it is worth ordering enough upfront rather than requesting more later at additional cost.
Death certificates
You will need multiple certified copies of the death certificate when you register the death. These cost £11 each. Ordering several at the outset saves time chasing them later.
Statutory advertisement in The Gazette
Placing a notice in The Gazette (and optionally a local paper) protects you as executor against future creditor claims. If a creditor comes forward after the estate has been distributed and you placed a notice, liability passes to the beneficiaries rather than remaining with you personally. The Gazette charges around £70 plus VAT for this notice.
How much does a probate solicitor cost?
Solicitor fees for probate vary widely and are rarely straightforward. Many firms still charge by the hour, and quotes for a standard estate commonly run to £1,500 to £5,000+. For larger or more complex estates, or where a solicitor charges a percentage of the estate value, fees can reach £10,000 to £20,000 or more.
Even “fixed-price probate” from a solicitor or specialist provider tends to be quoted on application once they have assessed the estate’s complexity. The published figure is rarely the final one. Extras such as completing IHT forms, dealing with property, or handling multiple bank accounts are often priced separately. Always ask exactly what is and is not included before agreeing to anything.
It is also worth noting that much of the information-gathering work — contacting banks, valuing assets, locating the will, gathering documents — still falls to you as executor even when you use a solicitor. They complete the forms with the information you provide.
What does DIY probate cost?
Applying for probate yourself via GOV.UK costs only the unavoidable government fees listed above. There are no professional fees to pay. You complete form PA1P (with a will) or PA1A (without a will) and the relevant HMRC inheritance tax forms yourself, value the estate yourself, and submit everything directly.
What does YouCanDoProbate cost, and what does it include?
YouCanDoProbate charges a single fixed fee of £499 inc. VAT. There are no hidden extras, no hourly charges, and no percentage of the estate taken.
For that fee, the platform completes all of the following on your behalf:
- Probate application forms PA1P or PA1A, completed automatically from your answers
- Full IHT400 inheritance tax return, including all supplementary schedules where required
- Every IHT exemption and calculation, including nil rate band, residence nil rate band, transferred allowances, and gifts
- Unlimited UK-based expert support by phone, email, live chat, and support ticket
- Secure cloud storage of all your workings and submitted documents
The only additional costs are the standard government fees: the £526 Probate Registry fee plus £2 per official copy of the Grant you need.
The easy and affordable way to apply for probate
Related articles
I signed up with trepidation having never had to do this before!! However I managed all the form filling with ease and much to my surprise did not have to telephone for help once. I am 70 years of age and would not describe myself as a computer expert in anyway and am a bit of a dinosaur! I would not hesitate to use this service again and will certainly recommend it if asked. For the record I received official notification and paperwork from HMC and Justices that probate had been granted within 21 days of posting the forms. Perhaps I was lucky but this service was idiot proof and saved me the cost of a solicitor.
This made a very difficult time and task painless. I had a few queries which were answered very efficiently. The whole process from start to finish and obtaining probate was 6 weeks.
I was quoted thousands to outsource the probate process. I thus thought whether I could do it myself. After doing some research it did seem possible. I came across the YCDP website and the rest is history. The process was easy to follow and help via messaging was super fast. It cost £500 (+£301 for HM Probate department) which was £££ less than the other options. If you feel your sources of potential inheritance are fairly clear then I am happy to recommend YCDP
I was so happy I found YouCanDoProbate. I did not even know where to start with this process but as soon as you register with them on line (and pay the fee) it guides you through step by step. You then just print off the the forms and send them off. It made a complicated system really simple for us.
Very straightforward process which explained everything required to fill out the form. This coupled with excellent back up with regard to speaking to somebody if clarification was required & explained in simple terms. Very recommended and good value for money.
Easier to complete than I initially thought.
Really pleased to have come across this service. The system was easy to use and the support provided was really helpful when I wasn’t sure what info to enter. From my perspective the cost was negligible for the peace of mind the system and team provided. Probate was granted within 8 weeks. Highly recommended.
Solicitors wanted to charge me between £2300 and £2700! They made it sound very complicated. I contacted this firm who offered a fixed fee of £500. Their online platform was easy to follow. When I ran into a couple of things I wasn’t sure of I called their helpline. They guided me through those areas and it was all sorted and posted off the same day. The solicitors had quoted me six to twelve months to get the Grant. I’ve just received it in six weeks! I don’t normally bother with writing reviews but felt I had to with this firm. They were superb. I’m just coming up to eighty and hate form filling. If I can do it , anyone can. Excellent.
The set was easy to access and user friendly. It was good to be able to go in and out of the site to input data as it became available. The phone line was an additional help to guide me through.
The dedication and professionalism of Tom and the team was TRULY outstanding. If I as a 70 something and barely computer literate can do it with their help, then anyone can. Outstanding, brilliant service and amazing value.
This service isn’t easy but it is brilliant! From our previous experience of using a solicitor for probate, who asked us to do 80% of the work, searching for bank records, certificates etc. etc. this service was difficult, not easy, but well worth it! The support team are excellent and help with those questions you can’t easily answer. Google helps immensely also. But the real benefit is saving at least 2% up to 5% of an inheritance. That would be most of one of my late mother-in-law’s grandkids inheritance. Bargain price makes it worth it! I am happy to strongly recommend this excellent service!
I found this website incredibly helpful and it saved me a huge amount of money and time. I had been quoted £5-7k for a solicitor to do my mum’s probate, so I thought I would give YouCanDoProbate a try. It was very easy – the website guides you through. When I did have a query, I sent through the question and it was answered really quickly. Also, it was handy that it saved what I had done and I was able to leave it and come back to it again, so you don’t have to do it all at once. I would very much recommend.
AFFORDABLE FIXED PRICE
Forms filled in for you
No expertise needed
Unlimited UK support
One time payment
£499
including VAT
Get started in 3 simple steps
Back Guarantee
T&Cs apply.
Monday to Saturday; 9am - 6pm
Trusted & Secure
