Probate rule changes in 2025: what executors need to know

Key changes

Copy fees and the application fee. From 17 November 2025 the cost of a copy of a grant, will or letters of administration rose from £1.50 to £16. This applied to copies ordered with the application as well as later ones. The Ministry of Justice said this reflected the true cost of the service. On 13 July 2026 the position changed again. The application fee rose from £300 to £526 for estates over £5,000, and copies ordered with the application now cost £2 each. Copies ordered afterwards still cost £16 each. For an estate that needs several copies for different institutions, timing matters. An application with ten copies ordered at the outset costs £546 in total (£526 plus £20 for copies). The same ten copies ordered later cost £160.

Clearer rules for competing applicants. Where people with an equal right to letters of administration disagree, the registrar may now follow a set order of priority. Siblings whose parent died without a will are a common example. The person most of them support comes first, then the first to apply. Next comes a neutral person they agree on, and last a neutral person the registry appoints. The rule does not apply to executors named in a will. That should mean fewer disputes and delays at the application stage.

Online process improvements. The reforms continue the move to online probate applications through MyHMCTS. GOV.UK says you will usually get the grant within 12 weeks of applying, whether online or by post, and online applicants can track their application. The rules aim to make the online process more consistent.

Updated procedural requirements. A caveat stops a grant being issued for six months. Since 3 November 2025 it can no longer be entered in person at a probate registry. It must be entered online or by post. If the registry issues a grant in error while a caveat is in place, the grant must be revoked.

What this means for executors

If you are dealing with an estate now, or about to start, this is what it means in practice.

• Order copies at the outset. Order the copies you need with the application, when they cost £2 each rather than £16. Think about which institutions will accept a certified copy rather than an original.
• Apply online where possible. GOV.UK says you will usually get the grant within 12 weeks of applying, whether online or by post. If you apply online you can track the application's progress.
• Give full information up front. Many stopped applications are caused by missing information, unexplained alterations to the will or incomplete executor details. Getting it complete and accurate first time avoids delays.
• Take advice if in doubt. New rules on top of an already involved process make professional advice worth having, especially for a complicated estate.

Looking ahead

The government has said it intends to keep modernising the probate service. Further digital improvements and possible changes to the process may follow. Executors administering an estate over a long period should keep an eye on further changes.

Aaron keeps up with changes in probate law and procedure so that the advice you get is current.

This guide is intended as general legal information and does not constitute legal advice. Safe Harbour Legal and Legal Studio Solicitors are trading names of MDLS Solicitors Limited, authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA ID 598793).