Answers · UK 2025/26
How much does DIY probate cost compared with using a solicitor?
Applying for probate yourself (DIY probate) costs just the standard court probate application fee, currently £300 for most estates over £5,000, plus £1.50 per additional copy of the grant. Using a solicitor to handle the whole probate and estate administration process typically costs significantly more, often 1-5% of the estate's value or an hourly-rate fee running into thousands of pounds, but can be worth it for complex or high-value estates.
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Deciding whether to handle probate yourself or instruct a solicitor is one of the biggest cost decisions facing an executor, and the right choice depends heavily on how complex the estate is. **The court fee is the same either way** Whether you apply for the Grant of Probate (or Letters of Administration if there's no will) yourself or through a solicitor, the underlying Probate Registry court fee is the same: currently £300 for estates worth over £5,000 (estates below this are exempt from the fee), plus a small additional charge (£1.50) for each extra sealed copy of the grant you need to send to banks, pension providers, and other institutions. **DIY probate -- what you're taking on** Applying for probate yourself means you personally complete the application (via the online probate service in most straightforward cases, or on paper for more complex situations), value the estate for Inheritance Tax purposes, submit any required Inheritance Tax return, distribute the estate according to the will or intestacy rules, and deal with any creditors, debts, or disputes -- all without professional oversight, though free guidance is available from gov.uk and probate registries. **Solicitor probate costs -- two main models** Solicitors typically charge either an hourly rate (varying by firm and region, but often several hundred pounds per hour for a senior solicitor) or a percentage of the estate's value (commonly cited examples range from roughly 1% to 5%, sometimes with a minimum fee), which for a larger estate can add up to a very substantial sum, sometimes tens of thousands of pounds for a high-value or complex estate. **When DIY probate makes sense** DIY is often reasonable for simple estates -- for example, a straightforward estate with a valid will, one or two beneficiaries, no Inheritance Tax liability (because it falls under the nil rate band and any transferable/residence nil rate band available), no property to sell (or a single property with clear ownership), and no disputes among beneficiaries. **When a solicitor is worth the cost** Complex estates -- involving Inheritance Tax liability, business or agricultural assets, property abroad, disputed wills or family disagreements, insolvent estates, or where the executor feels overwhelmed by the administrative burden -- often benefit from professional help, since mistakes in estate administration can create personal liability for the executor in some circumstances, and a solicitor's expertise can also identify tax-saving opportunities (such as deed of variation planning) that a layperson might miss. **Middle ground -- partial help** Many solicitors and specialist probate services now offer a 'fixed fee for the grant only' option, where they help you obtain the Grant of Probate itself (often the most legally technical part) for a fixed, more modest fee, leaving you to handle the ongoing estate administration (collecting assets, paying debts, distributing to beneficiaries) yourself. **Practical tip** Get a clear, itemised quote from at least two solicitors before committing to full-service probate, and consider the fixed-fee-for-grant-only option as a middle ground if you're comfortable handling the administration but want help with the technical application itself.
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This answer is informational only and does not constitute financial, tax or legal advice. Figures are for the 2025/26 UK tax year. See our methodology and sources.