How to help your clients avoid unnecessary probate costs

Digital probate applications have risen steeply, according to HM Courts & Tribunals Service. Going digital streamlined the process, but it is still worth a refresher on what to expect for clients currently going through it.

There has been a huge jump, from 17% in 2019/20 to 80% between April to December 2024, in digital probate applications.  More than 1 million digital probate applications have been received since 2019.  

Probate experts and IFAs have weighed in on how efficient the probate system in the UK now is and whether consumers are aware that they can do this themselves or believe you have to use a solicitor, which can prove more costly.  

Phil Weston, director at probate specialists, Berkeley Weston, told Newspage Media the Government’s portal is “much faster” than the paper-based process and is clearly gaining traction.  

“Probate can be an absolute minefield in terms of the potential impact on people's pockets. In our experience far too many people pay far too much for probate,” he says.

Traditional solicitors and probate companies charge a percentage of the estate, which results in a legal bill of as much as five times what you need to be paying to get probate completed.  

On top of that, solicitor-led probate often takes six months to complete.  

“Many consumers don’t realise they can apply for probate themselves or use a fixed-fee provider. In our experience of having worked with over 10,000 cases, probate should only take 3-4 weeks to obtain after applying,” says Weston.

Consumers should explore their options. Avoiding excessive solicitor fees and delays allows families to manage probate efficiently and keep more of their inheritance intact.  

“Having probate granted faster provides peace of mind at what can be an emotional time," Weston says.

Looking at this from a client’s perspective, Gillian Langley, Paraplanner at The Timebank, says, ‘Death is a difficult thing to deal with and people often revert to a solicitor as they struggle to deal with the emotional stress and grieving or they simply don’t know that they are able to do it themselves. If a financial adviser can add value by guiding a client though this it will potentially save client’s money.  This will do so much to secure the relationship between the adviser and the client”

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