Probate Fixed Fees
* VAT is charged at the prevailing rate which is currently 20%
Grant of Probate/Letters of Administration only
| Assuming full details of all assets and liabilities are provided, including values, and it is not an estate liable for Inheritance Tax | £800 + VAT |
| Assuming full details of all assets and liabilities are provided including values and no Inheritance Tax is payable, but additional Inheritance Tax forms have to be produced for HMRC (e.g. when a property is in Trust or the estate is able to take advantage of additional or unused Nil Rate Bands). We will advise on this when you contact us) | £1,200 + VAT |
| Assuming full details of all assets and liabilities are provided, including values, and Inheritance Tax is payable. The fee will be based upon how many organisations we are required to contact in order to meet the IHT liability | £1,500 – £2,000 + VAT |
If we are required to obtain a Grant and full details of assets and liabilities are not available, then this would be charged at the hourly rate applicable.
Disbursements
| Probate Court Fee | £526 |
| Office Copy Grant of Probate (per copy) | £2 |
Applying for the grant, collecting and distributing the assets
Our charges are calculated by reference to an hourly rate for the work that we do. All our practitioners are experienced, and their hourly rate is £200 + VAT.
The exact cost will depend on the individual circumstances of the matter. For example, if there is one beneficiary and no property, costs will be at the lower end of the range. If there are multiple beneficiaries, a property and multiple bank accounts, costs will be at the higher end.
| A simple estate might cost as little as | £1,500 + VAT |
| A high-value or more complex estate might cost in excess of | £10,000 + VAT |
In addition, there would be disbursements, which are likely to include:
| Probate Registry fee | £526 |
| Additional official copies of the Grant (per copy) | £2 |
| Bankruptcy Search (per beneficiary) | £6 + VAT |
| Notice to potential creditors under s27 of the Trustee Act (estimated) | £275 |
| Land registry fee if a property is transferred to a beneficiary (dependent on the value of the property) | £20 – £140 |
Before you are asked to confirm that you wish us to proceed, we will agree what work is to be done, which lawyer is going to handle the matter, and provide you with a more detailed estimate of our charges and disbursements. We will also provide you with an estimate of how long it is likely to take to conclude the matter.
- Provide you with a dedicated and experienced probate solicitor to work on your matter
- Identify the legally appointed executors or administrators and beneficiaries
- Accurately identify the type of Probate application you will require
- Obtain the relevant documents required to make the application
- Complete the Probate Application and the relevant HMRC forms
- Draft a legal statement for you to sign
- Make the application to the Probate Court on your behalf
- Collect and distribute all assets in the estate
- At the conclusion provide you with full estate and distribution accounts
- There is a valid will
- There is no more than one property
- There are no more than 3 bank or building society accounts
- There are no shares
- There is no work required in relation to personal possessions or property contents
- There is no work required in relation to utilities and services connected to the property
- There is no work required finalising pension or income tax matters
- There are no more than 3 beneficiaries
- There are no disputes between beneficiaries on division of assets. If disputes arise this is likely to lead to an increase in costs
- There is no inheritance tax payable and the executors do not need to submit a full account to HMRC
- There are no claims made against the estate
Example fee based on 10 to 12 hours: £2,000 – £2,500 + VAT. In this example the disbursements, including VAT would be as follows:
| Probate application fee | £526 |
| Official copies of the grant | £2 |
| Bankruptcy Search (per beneficiary) | £6 + VAT |
| Notice to potential creditors under s27 of the Trustee Act (estimated) | £275 |
The total cost is likely to be between £3,208.20 to £3,808.20 including VAT and disbursements.
Potential additional costs
If there is no will or the estate consists of any share holdings (stocks and bonds) there are likely to be additional costs that could range significantly depending on the estate and how it is to be dealt with. We can give you a more accurate quote once we have more information.
Please refer to the conveyancing section for our costs to handle the sale or transfer of any property in the estate.
Timescale
| On average, estates that fall within this range are dealt with within 6 to 8 months which is based upon the following timescales | Weeks |
|---|---|
| Valuing the estate | 4 – 6 |
| Preparing the application | 1 – 2 |
| Awaiting the issue of the Grant of Probate | 16 |
| Collecting the Assets | 2 – 3 |
| Completing estate accounts and obtaining your approval | 2 – 3 |
| Distribution | 1 |
House Visits
This includes visits elsewhere such as to a hospital or a care home. If local this would be charged at £50 + VAT per visit. We would be happy to quote for visits outside the local area upon request.
