‘Guided by our promise to make a difference when our clients need us most’.

We believe trust is built on the foundation of transparency, stitched together by open conversations.

For our Will and Lasting Power of Attorney Services, we offer a range of fixed fees depending on the options you request and we are happy to discuss your needs and provide you with a fixed fee quote. To find out more about the cost of our Will and Lasting Power of Attorney services, please do feel free to contact us to discuss the options available and costs, without obligation.

Typically, our clients request that we provide a complete service to assist in applying for a Grant of Probate, collecting and distributing the assets.

The exact cost will depend on the needs of our clients. We treat our clients as individuals, and one size doesn't fit all. The complexity of the matter will usually determine the amount of work we need to undertake and the cost. For example, if there is one beneficiary and no property costs will be at the lower end of the cost of our services. If there are multiple beneficiaries, a property and multiple bank accounts, a business, Inheritance Tax liability then costs will be at the higher end. 

Our Probate Solicitors current hourly charging rate is £290 per hour plus vat. 

This charging rate is reviewed annually at the beginning of January each year and any change at any time is notified to you in writing to agree.

We will provide you with an estimate of costs at the outset of your instruction and update you on costs as you request and /or at regular intervals but as an estimate of our costs:

A low complexity case will cost between £6,000 to £10,000 plus VAT (£7,200 to £12,000 with VAT).

A medium complexity case will cost between £10,000 to £20,000 plus VAT (£12,000 to £24,000 with VAT).

A high complexity case will cost between £20,000 to £100,000+ plus VAT (£24,000 to £120,000+ with VAT).

Our Estimate of costs for low complexity cases is based on Estates where:

• There is a valid will
• There is no more than five bank or building society accounts
• There is no more than one property
• There are no other  intangible assets
• There are no more than four 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

Additional costs anticipated for medium or high complexity cases is not exhaustive but based on Estates where:

*There is no Will

*Practical assistance is required to register the death, secure the deceased's property & gather together deceased's paperwork , arrange house clearance or disposal of personal belongings.

*A Variation of the Will is required

*The Estate consists of shareholdings or stocks & bonds

*There are multiple other assets exceeding five bank accounts

*There are more than four beneficiaries and/or charitable beneficiaries 

*The Estate value exceeds £1million

*The Estate comprises more than one property, non residential property or property which is tenanted

*The Estate comprising Farm property & Farm Partnership assets

*If the Will contains Trusts and we need to advice or assist you in the registration of the Trust with the Trust Registration Service

*If the Estate has overseas assets or beneficiaries

Please note that for all Estate matters dealing with the sale or transfer of any property in the estate is not included and a separate fee estimate can be provided by our property Team depending on the work required. 

What service do we provide for our costs?

We provide: 

• A Dedicated and experienced  probate solicitor to work on your matter aided by experienced paralegal  and support staff.
• An extensive interview with  you to advise on the terms of the deceased’s will/intestacy provisions and  to discuss the duties and powers as personal representatives.
• Advice & assistance for  immediate practical measures such as registering the death, arranging the funeral and securing the property (if necessary).
• Advice & assistance to  identify the legally appointed executors or administrators and  beneficiaries
• Assistance obtaining valuations of the  estate assets and liabilities and other relevant information required to  make the Probate application
• Identification & advice on the type of probate application you will require
• Advice & assistance to  complete the probate application and the relevant HMRC forms and discuss  these documents with the personal representatives and arrange for signing.      
• Submit the application to  the probate registry on your behalf
• Obtain the Grant of Probate and provide a copy to you
• Liaise with all relevant  organisations to collect in assets and settle all outstanding liabilities.
• Advertise for creditors, if  appropriate.
• We do not advise on matters  of specific taxation as this is outside our expertise but we will assist  you to settle the deceased’s income tax and/or capital gains tax position  to date of death by working with your trusted tax advisors/accountants, as required and to settle the deceased’s income tax and/or capital gains tax  position for the administration period (ie date of death to completion of  the administration of the estate).
• Liaise with beneficiaries  regarding payment of legacies and/or interim distributions to legatees and/or residuary beneficiaries.
• Prepare Estate Accounts  detailing transactions in the administration of the estate.
• Report to Trustees and  beneficiaries throughout the administration of the Estate and at its  conclusion.
  
   

Timescale

On average Estates are typically dealt with in a range of 6 - 12 months. More complex Estates can take longer. 

Typically, once we have sufficient information about the Estate to calculate the value for IHT and Probate purposes we can prepare the Probate Registry application. The length of time it can take to calculate the figures can vary depending on the information you provide us with at the outset and/or provided to us by third party asset holders.

If an IHT return to HMRC is required, we need to wait for this is be processed and settle any liability before we can submit the application for the Grant of Probate. HMRC can typically take some weeks to complete their process for us to have clearance to apply for the Grant of Probate. This is outside our control and timeframes can vary.

Once we have submitted the application on your behalf, obtaining the Grant of Probate from the Probate Registry takes 12-18 weeks. 

Collecting the assets then follows which can take 6-10 weeks. Often awaiting the sale of a probate property can extend the time scale for concluding an Estate .

Once all assets are collected and all liabilities have been dealt with, we can prepare Estate Accounts and distribute the assets, which normally takes 7 – 9 weeks.

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Disbursements

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

Disbursements not included in our fees are:

• Probate application fee of  £300 + £1.50 per office copy of Grant of Probate
• Certainty Will Search  Combined - This search is conducted to search for any more recent or      missing Wills - £126.00
• Anti Money Laundering  Compliance Search - £7.50 per individual. We are required by law to search  Executors, beneficiaries and the deceased
• Land Registry Fees - to   obtain copy of the deceased property title - £8.80
• Bankruptcy Searches - £7.80  per individual based in UK - These searches are required against Executors  & Beneficiaries. For those living abroad, an international search is required      and the cost varies but typically in the region of £114.
• £75.90+ VAT post in the  London Gazette – protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors
• Post of Notice in a local  newspaper - this also helps to protect against unexpected claims - Cost   varies according to newspaper
• Travel is charged at 60p per  mile (plus VAT)
• Valuations and other  professional services may be required eg. Property valuation, Accountants,   Financial Advisers, House Clearance. These are Estate expenses but will  depend on the choice of third party experts you choose and based on their  own fee structures.

What is not included? 

We will not usually advise you in connection with the following (and our costs estimates above assumes we are not giving you advice in relation to these matters)

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• Trusts arising from the  estate
• Any court work e.g. taking  enforcements/tracing assets proceedings
• Trusts of which the deceased  was a beneficiary
• Pensions, life policies or  similar paying benefits that do not pay to the estate
• Assets held outside England  and Wales
• Disputed or contested  wills/claims
• Care fees paid during the  lifetime of the deceased
• Taxation and Financial  Advice. This is outside of our expertise and scope of the work we do.   However, we are happy to work holistically with your trusted expert  advisers on these matters so our legal services compliment their  independent professional advice to you where these issues overlap the administration of the Estate.

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If you would like us to assist with any of the above, where these are services we can offer these areas of work would be charged on a time spent basis at £290 + VAT per hour.