Probate fees

Probate Service Fees

Coping with bereavement can be a distressing and emotional time. We pride ourselves on being able to deal with your issues sensitively and efficiently.  We are a dedicated team who will work with you every step of the way to deal with the estate as quickly as possible. As every estate is different, we suggest that the first step is a meeting with you so that we can get to know you and the estate which will need to be distributed.

Introduction

Probate is the court-supervised process of gathering a deceased person’s assets, paying debts and taxes and distributing what is left to those who are named as inheritors, in the Will.

Uncontested probate is where there is no dispute over the Will and distribution of assets.

Below we provide you with information on our Legal Fees, disbursements and the length of time it will take to complete your matter.

Legal Fees and Disbursements

Legal Fees are the amount you will be required to pay for all of the work performed by us in actioning your instructions, from commencement of your case to conclusion.

We will handle the full process for you. The precise stages involved in an uncontested probate vary according to the circumstances. We have set out the key stages of a standard transaction. This includes

  • providing you with a dedicated and experienced probate solicitor to work on your matter;
  • identifying the legally appointed executors or administrators and beneficiaries;
  • accurately identify the type of Probate application you will require;
  • obtaining the relevant documents required to make the application;
  • completing the Probate application and the relevant HMRC forms;
  • drafting a legal oath for you to swear;
  • making the application to the Probate Court on your behalf;
  • obtaining the Probate and securely send two copies to you; and
  • collecting and distributing all of the assets in the estate.

Our average standard legal fees for an uncontested probate matter is between £2,000 – £12,000 plus VAT. Below we detail what services are covered in our standard fee.

Our fees are calculated largely by reference to the time spent in dealing with the matter (although other matters may also be taken into account, such as the complexity of the work undertaken, and the value of the assets being dealt with).

Should your instructions require us to take your matter out of the fixed fee rate (see below for what our fixed fee covers) we will charge an hourly rate of £140 – £300 plus VAT which will depend on the experience and qualification of the case handler as follows: –

Leyla Whitlingum Solicitor & STEP £300 plus VAT
Sian Lias

Lisa Perry

 Legal Director & STEP

Legal Director

£290 plus VAT
Sarah Parker Senior Associate £275 plus VAT
Claire-Marie Selwood Associate £235 plus VAT
McBriggs Antwi‑Boasiako​​​​ Solicitor £200 plus VAT
Sandra Griffiths MCILEX Advanced Paralegal £185 plus VAT
Trainee Solicitor (Second Year) £150 plus VAT
Trainee Solicitor (First Year) £140 plus VAT
Paralegal £140 plus VAT

Electronic money transfers are charged at £45 plus VAT and International money transfers are charged at £65 plus VAT. To give you an idea on the likely costs, we have set out some fairly common probate scenarios with a range of costs:

There is a Will with no Inheritance Tax payable
10 – 15 hours £2,000 to £4,500 plus VAT This is for one property, where there are up to five accounts and with three beneficiaries.
There is a Will and Inheritance Tax is payable
20 – 35 hours £4,000 to £10,500 plus VAT This is for one property, up to ten accounts/shares and with three beneficiaries.
There is no Will and no Inheritance Tax is payable
15 – 30 hours £3,000 to £9,000 plus VAT This is when there is no valid Will, for one property, with up to five accounts and three beneficiaries.
There is no Will and Inheritance Tax is payable
30 – 40 hours £6,000 to £12,000 plus VAT This is when there is no valid Will, for one property, with up to 10 accounts/shares for up to five beneficiaries.

 

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.

Our Standard Fee estimate above is for estates where: –

  • There is no more than one property.
  • There is no more than £350,000 in bank or building society accounts.
  • There are no other intangible assets.
  • There are no more beneficiaries than stated above
  • There are no disputes between beneficiaries on division of assets. If disputes arise this is likely to lead to an increase in costs.
  • There are no claims made against the estate.
  • There is no tax clearance awaited for either inheritance or income tax.

If at any stage our fees change, we will notify you and discuss the reason for any changes. This would typically occur if you change your instructions or your case involves an unforeseen complexity.

Our average fees assume that:

  1. The transaction is concluded in a timely manner and no unforeseen complication arise.
  2. All parties to the transaction are co-operative and there is no unreasonable delay from any parties providing documentation.

Disbursements and Other Costs

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.

You will be provided with a full list of disbursements in our formal quotation. If you need to incur any further disbursements during your case, you will be notified in advance of the reason and the amount.

Typical disbursements will include: –

  • Thirdfort ID checks £9.95 plus VAT per person
  • Probate application fee is currently £273 with £1.50 per office copy of the grant
  • Bankruptcy-only Land Charges Department searches are £3.30 including VAT
  • Office copy register of title is £4.50 including VAT
  • Certainty National Will Register search £105 plus VAT
  • Asset search costs between £155 plus VAT to £185 plus VAT
  • Placing Section 27 Trustee Act Notices in The London Gazette – Protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors. From £100+VAT (£120.00 Inc. VAT)
  • Newspaper close to where the deceased lived – This also helps to protect against unexpected claims. From £150 – £200+VAT (£180.00 – £240 Inc. VAT)

How long will this take?

Where the estate is straightforward with no Inheritance Tax payable, the estate administration will normally take three months to six months to complete.

Where Inheritance Tax is payable, the estate administration could take between six months and a year to complete. This is because HMRC have their own time scales for the issue of documentation to allow for probate to be applied for, issue assessments and review the estate. If the estate is complex, it could take even longer.

We can help you through this difficult process by obtaining the Grant of Probate on your behalf. We will also undertake the collection and distribution of assets.

Potential additional costs

Further potential costs may arise where: –

  • 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 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.
  • If any additional copies of the grant are required, they will cost £10 (1 per asset usually).
  • Dealing with the sale or transfer of any property in the estate is not included.

Fee Earners

Our Wills and Probate department is under the supervision of Leyla Whitlingum who is the Head of Wills and Probate.

Leyla Whitlingum Partner

Sian Lias – Legal Director

Lisa Perry – Legal Director 

Sarah Parker – Senior Associate

Claire-Marie Selwood – Associate

McBriggs Antwi‑Boasiako​​​​ – Solicitor

Sandra Griffiths – MCILEX Advanced Paralegal

 

Questions

If you have any questions relating to our services and our fees, please contact us on 01256 460830 or email us at [email protected]