Probate costs

Have a look at our probate page to understand what probate, estate administration and Wills are and how long it can take if you need our help. That page explains what can be necessary and what we will do for you.

Will

All of our fees are quoted without VAT. This firm is VAT registered, so we must charge you VAT on our fees for any work we do at the current rate of 20%. We then pass this money on to HMRC.

Normally, our hourly rates apply to probate work, although sometimes we may be able to quote you a fixed fee for all our work, (which will be plus VAT). Our current rates are £350 per hour of our time (plus VAT) and we will give you an estimate of the approximate time we think will be required to complete the work before we do any chargeable work.

Because our charging for probate work is time based the exact cost will depend on the individual circumstances of the matter. For example, a formal grant of probate from the probate Court isn’t always necessary. This reduces the time needed and therefore the cost. 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 and an inheritance tax liability, costs will be at the higher end. It all very much depends on the individual circumstances.

In simple terms the larger and more complex the estate, the higher our time input needed and the higher the cost.

Additional Charges and VAT

An additional charge of 1% of the gross value of the estate plus VAT is applicable to the estate, unless we have quoted you a fixed fee.

If we have to obtain a grant of probate for you our costs quoted above is for estates where:

  • There is a valid will, or if there is no will the persons entitled to obtain the grant (called letters of administration) can be easily found and are willing to co-operate with us.
  • There is no more than one property.
  • There are no more than 5 beneficiaries.
  • There are no disputes between beneficiaries on division of assets. If disputes arise this is likely to lead to a very significant increase in costs.
  • There is inheritance tax payable, and the executors need to submit a full account to HMRC.
  • There are no claims made against the estate by third parties.

Disbursements may also be payable (and are not included in our fee), (where applicable VAT is included at 20%): Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as court fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf. They may arise whether we are charging on a fixed fee or a time basis.

The most common disbursements are:

  • Probate application fee, usually £300
  • Creditors notice in The London Gazette. (This protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors and isn’t always necessary) £104.76.

Here are some examples of the time that a simple, an average and typical complex probate transactions can take.

Simple Estate Administration Transaction:1 to 4 hours
Average Estate Administration Transaction: 5 to12 hours
Complex Estate Administration transaction:12 to 25 hours

If we quote you a Fixed fee for it can be anywhere between £1,800 to £8,000 Plus VAT

Potential Additional Costs

  • If there is no will or the estate consists of any share holdings (stocks and bonds) there is likely to be additional costs that could vary 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.
  • Dealing with the sale or transfer of any property in the estate is not included.

Below we have set out an explanation of what our services include:

 Our Full Estate Administration service includes, this applies whether we are working on a time basis, or have given you a fixed quote.

As part of our charges, we will do the following:

  • Provide you with a solicitor to work on your matter;
  • If required, register the death and arrange the funeral to include liaising with funeral directors.
  • Identify the legally appointed executors or administrators and beneficiaries;
  • Advise you on the terms of the Will or, where there is no Will, on the intestacy provisions.
  • Review the estate papers and obtain valuations of the estate assets and liabilities in the sole and joint names of the deceased.
  • Verify and value shareholdings and obtaining professional valuations as required.
  • If necessary, visit the deceased’s property to secure premises, take meter readings and comply with insurers’ requirements.
  • Check the tax position to date of death, and prepare and submit all necessary returns to the date of death and for the administration period.
  • Investigate any lifetime gifts made and any trusts in place and report to HMRC;
  • Investigate, prepare and submit relevant applications for Inheritance Tax (IHT) allowances, such as the Transferable Inheritance Tax Nil-Rate Band, Residence Nil-Rate Band, Transferable Residence Nil-Rate Band.
  • Prepare and submit HMRC Inheritance Tax Accounts with full supporting schedules and documentation.
  • Complete the Probate Application and apply to the Probate Court on your behalf.
  • Advise on funding and payment of Inheritance Tax in full or by instalments, interest rates and due dates for payment of tax;
  • Register the Grant of Probate with financial institutions;
  • Collect or transfer assets and settle liabilities;
  • Deal with payment of ongoing utilities and administration expenses;
  • Advise you on protection of Personal Representatives and placing adverts for creditors in London Gazette and local newspapers, and conduct Certainty searches as applicable;
  • Liaise with HMRC and District Valuer’s office as required to agree valuations;
  • Report adjustments and obtain the Inheritance Tax clearance certificate;
  • Conduct bankruptcy searches of beneficiaries and deal with ID formalities to ensure compliance when dealing with the distributions;
  • Correspond with the beneficiaries regarding distribution of assets, payments of legacies and interim and final distributions;
  • Prepare Interim and Full Estate Accounts; and
  • Report to Executors and beneficiaries throughout the administration and provide the beneficiaries with tax certificates as required.”

If you ask us to get you a grant of representation only, because you intend to deal with the rest of the administration yourself we will do the following for you:

  • Provide you with a solicitor to work on your case
  • Accurately identify the type probate application you need
  • obtain the relevant documents required to make the application
  • complete the probate application and the relevant HMRC forms
  • make the application to the probate court on your behalf
  • when we received granted probate send the agreed number of sealed copies of the grant to you

Costs For Wills

Individual Wills for most people are £350 plus VAT @20% and Wills for Married couples are £450 plus VAT @20% for both Wills. If your personal circumstances are more complex for any reason, we will quote you before undertaking any work.

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