# Sector bodies unite in joint letter to Justice Minister on probate fee concerns

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2019/03/12/sector-bodies-unite-joint-letter-to-justice-minister-on-probate-fee-concerns/
- Published: 2019-03-12T11:24:22+00:00
- Author: Melanie May

**The Institute of Fundraising, Remember A Charity, Institute of Legacy Management,
and NCVO have sent a joint letter to the Minister of Justice voicing their concerns
on the plans to raise probate fees.**

 

The Non-Contentious Probate (Fees) Order 2018 was passed by nine votes to eight 
last month, with a plan to bring it into effect from 1 April 2019. The current proposal
is to abolish the £215 flat-rate probate fee and replace it with fee bands, in which
estates valued at less than £50,000 would be exempt from fees and estates worth 
more than £50,000 would pay between £250 and £6,000.

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The letter expresses the concerns held by the[ IoF](https://www.institute-of-fundraising.org.uk/home/),
NCVO, [Remember A Charity](https://www.rememberacharity.org.uk/), and Institute 
of Legacy Management over the potential negative impact of these changes on charitable
giving, and proposes taking an alternative approach.

 

The letter states that while it is understood that probate fees are an essential
element of judicial funding, the cost is disproportionate and the fee structure 
will therefore have unintended consequences that could be detrimental to charitable
giving.

 

The bodies ask to meet with the Minister to discuss a potential way forward that
would avoid this, such as introducing a reduction or discounted rate on probate 
fees for estates that include a legacy gift, which they say would have the effect
of both reducing the financial impact on charities, as well as creating an incentive
to leave a charitable gift in a Will.

 

The [letter can be read in full](https://www.institute-of-fundraising.org.uk/library/joint-letter-to-government-on-probate-fees/)
on the IoF’s site.

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