Probate

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Our Fees

Currently, our hourly rate is £280 plus VAT@20%.
Our minimum fee is £1,500 plus VAT@20%.

We work out our fee based on the number of hours we think it will take to do the following:

1. Initial Assessment of the validity of the will
2. Advising on and dealing with any issues identified
3. Collecting information, relevant documents and valuations on the assets and liabilities held by the deceased at the date of death
4. Completing the IHT form and calculating any inheritance tax due
5. Arranging for the payment of any IHT and arranging for the executors to sign the forms
6. Drafting an Oath and arranging for this to be sworn/affirmed by the executor
7. Applying for a Grant
8. Paying any liabilities
9. Preparing Estate Accounts
10. Distributing the estate

Other Incorporated Charges

In addition to our hourly rate, we can incorporate a charge which takes into account the total value of the estate. This charge is usually in the region of 0.1% of the total value of the estate.

Example matters and likely fee:

1. There is a valid will
2. There is no more than one property
3. There are no more than 6 bank or building society accounts
4. There are no shares held
5. There are between 1 and 4 beneficiaries
6. There are no disputes between beneficiaries on the division of assets. If disputes arise this is likely to lead to an increase in costs
7. There is no inheritance tax payable and the executors do not need to submit a full account to HMRC
8. There are no claims made against the estate
9. The total value of the estate does not exceed £500,000

£2,500+VAT@20%

The final fee will depend on the number of hours spent on the matter and this is not predictable without specific details of the case.  We can confirm as a useful guide that our average fee for probate matters completed over the last 4 years is under £2000 plus VAT@20% and disbursements.  Our highest fee during that period was £6000 plus VAT@20% and disbursements.

Additional Costs

Although we include a lot of our services in the above costs, there are also some additional costs outside of the fixed fee services (Disbursements).

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.

• Probate application fee of £273
• Swearing of the oath (£7 per executor)
• Bankruptcy searches (£2.90 per beneficiary)
• Post in The London Gazette and in a local newspaper – protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors/beneficiaries. Between £300 and £500
• Land Registry (Infotrack) fee to check ownership of any property (£8.80 per document)

Once a fee is agreed upon with our probate solicitor and you have been provided with a written fixed fee probate quote, this quote will not change unless any original information given was incorrect or there is an unexpected change in circumstances.

On average, straightforward estates are dealt with from start to finish within 3 – 8 months.

Frequently Asked Questions