Bill 35: An Act to Amend the Probate Court Act

This primarily affects estates lawyers, notaries, and trust companies in New Brunswick who handle estate administration and probate filings on behalf of clients. Day-to-day, these professionals calculate and remit probate taxes when applying for letters of probate or administration. The updated fee schedule changes the tax structure: estates over $100,000 now face a higher marginal rate of $15 per $1,000 above that threshold, up from the prior schedule. Sole practitioners and small law firms doing estate work will need to update their fee calculators and client intake processes to reflect the new rates.