Probate Fees

Probate and Estate Administration Costs

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

Our hourly rates range from £190.00 to £235.00 plus VAT at 20%.  Full details of individuals’ charge out rate are included in the confirmation of instructions that are sent to you following instruction.

Option 1 – Full Estate Administration

We do not offer this work on a fixed fee basis.  Cases are charged at an hourly rate on a time recorded basis.  On average, our costs are in the region of £2,500.00 to £4,000.00 plus VAT at 20% for full administration of a basic estate, and £3,500.00 – £5,500.00 plus VAT at 20% for a basic taxable estate.

These fees would not include costs when:

  • there is the possibility of someone challenging the Will
  • there are Overseas assets
  • there are complex assets
  • there is conflict between the beneficiaries or the Executors

For those matters, once we have an accurate assessment of the level of work involved (such as the number and type of assets) we are able to give a more refined costs estimate.  Very complicated estates, or those which significant assets, would be dealt with on an individual basis.

Option 2 – Obtaining the Grant of Probate only for Executors

In the majority of cases when you provide valuations and relevant information to us to enable us to obtain the Grant of Probate we charge a fee which will depend on the complexity of the estate.

Our fees range between £600.00 to £1,900.00 + VAT at 20%

For an estate which will not pay Inheritance Tax and will not require a transferable nil rate band application or a full Inland Revenue account (IHT400) our fee to complete the legal formalities to apply for Probate only will be between £600.00 – £1000 + VAT at 20% + disbursements.

If the estate is liable to pay Inheritance Tax or a full Inland Revenue account (IHT400) is required our fees range from £1000.00 to £1,900.00 + VAT at 20%.  The average fee is £1,500.00 + VAT at 20% but in order to provide a fixed fee or estimate we will require further information about the estate, as there may be investigations to be carried out by HMRC.

Once the Grant of Probate is obtained, this is forwarded to the Executors to enable them to administer the estate.

Other Costs

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as court fees.  We handle the payment of disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process but we do require you to pay us for the disbursements in advance.

.  These include, but are not limited to:

  • Probate fee – £155.00 plus additional copies of Grant 50p each
  • Bankruptcy searches – £3.00 plus VAT at 20% (£3.60) for each beneficiary if based in the UK
  • Statutory advertisements – approximately £220.00 plus VAT at 20% (£264.00)
  • Valuation fees

Dealing with the sale of any property which forms part of the estate is not included in the costs.

Proof of Identity

In order to comply with anti-money laundering, counter-terrorist financing and counter-proliferation financing requirements and as part of our “Know Your Client” due diligence process, we invite clients to complete and submit their identification documentation via our third party online provider, InfoTrack.  This will be at a cost of £20 plus VAT per person (total £24.00 per search) which will be charged by us at the start of your matter.

Timescale

Obtaining the Grant of Probate will usually take between 4 – 6 weeks once all information has been received to enable the application to be prepared, unless Inland Revenue submissions are required, which are dependent on the HMRC’s service levels at the time of submission.

Estate administration usually takes between 2 – 18 months, depending on the complexity of the estate.  During this period we will, where possible, make interim distributions to the beneficiaries without delay.

Our Wills and Probate team consists of Amy Glover, Catherine Cammock and Olivia Lyons.