1000% price rise for cost of probate certificates are an unfair ‘windfall tax’ on grieving families, says The Estate Registry

The Estate Registry (TER), which provides a range of end-of-life admin services, including InheritNOW, LegacyNOW, and bereavement notification services NotifyNOW and Settld, has said fee increases for documents announced by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), could have a huge financial and emotional effect on bereaved families.

Fees for certificates, which includes probate certificates, wills or letters of administration, are to rise by 1000% – even if they are ordered at the time of applying for the grant – from £1.50 to £16 per copy. The changes will take effect from November 17th 2025.

Howard Enders, chief operating officer at The Estate Registry, said:

“We all understand that government departments are under pressure to reduce their costs and the Chancellor is under pressure to balance the books, but clawing back money from recently bereaved families with a price increase of 1000% is unjust and overly excessive. 

“This is essentially a windfall tax on the bereaved.

“Grieving families who are following the advice of His Majesty’s Court and Tribunal Service(HMCTS) to obtain multiple copies are, we are told,  helping to streamline the probate system. It seems unrealistic and unfair to charge the same for a sealed copy of a certificate as it does for the original.”

The MoJ said the price increase aligns fees more closely to their estimated cost. Charges for Lasting Power of Attorney documents are also to rise, from £82 per application to £92 with a repeat application fee costing £46.

Enders added:

“HMCTS recommends that bereaved families obtain multiple sealed copies of the grant of probate. While only one original grant of probate is issued, separate official copies are required by each institution that holds assets of the deceased.

“That includes different banks, building societies, pension providers and share registers. While some organisations may accept a solicitor-certified copy, many insist upon seeing an original court-sealed copy before releasing funds or transferring assets.”

Critics question whether the fees bear any relation to the actual work involved in preparing the certificates.

Fees are typically paid upfront by the executor or administrator. But families who are asset-rich but cash poor – such as the farming community  – and those who have smaller estates may find the additional costs difficult at a time when many are struggling financially.

This article was submitted by The Estate Registry as part of their advertising agreement with Today’s Wills and Probate. The views expressed in this article are those of the submitter and not those of Today’s Wills and Probate.