After 30 June, the court fee to apply for probate or letters of administration will be $260. However (as clarified on 13 June), if you pay online before 1 July, you don’t have to pay any extra if your documents aren’t sent to the court until later.
Currently it’s $200.
This change has just been announced.
The court fee to apply to reseal an overseas grant of probate (or a similar overseas grant) will be $65.
Currently it’s $50.
Other court fees will also increase. The full list is here: Full-List-of-Fee-Changes.pdf (justice.govt.nz)
If you’re definitely going to apply for probate or letters of administration in the near future, you can pay the $200 court fee now, save the receipt which will be emailed to you, and send the receipt with your documents when you send them to the High Court: https://www.courtsofnz.govt.nz/file-and-pay/. (High Court Civil – Wellington – Probate – …)
I’m wondering how it’s possible to implement these changes so efficiently – which were announced in the recent Budget on the basis that many of the fees have not been increased in 10 years – but not yet to implement a simple increase in the threshold above which probate is required (which hasn’t been increased since 2009).
Cheryl Simes
10 June 2024 updated 13 June 2024