End to Uncertainty for Grieving Families
Plans for the government to increase probate fees have been reversed and welcomed by our solicitors.
Probate - the legal authority to take control of someone's finances when they die - used to take up to 10 days to be granted by the court.
If the proposal had progressed the probate costs would have gone up from £215 (or £155 for a solicitor) on a sliding scale up depending on the size of the estate. So for an estate valued at over £2m people would have been charged £6000. However the plans, which were due to be introduced next year, have been abandoned by the justice secretary.
“We are glad to see that the government has taken notice of solicitors who have condemned this as a tax,” says Hannah Pearson, Probate Solicitor.
There has been a bottle neck of applications as some people have been waiting to gain probate before the hike in fees. The delays have been due to Brexit, computer glitches and a lack of parliamentary time.
Hannah adds, “Whilst it is necessary to have fees, this increase would have been a tax on those who are grieving. It did seem very unfair for bereaved families. Resolving a loved one’s estate is something we like to do as swiftly as we can so, this decision brings an end to that uncertainty and helps us to help our clients.”
If you’d like advice on probate please contact our Probate Solicitor Hannah Pearson on 0161 785 3500
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