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Probate Fees

Pricing Information

  • We do not charge by reference to time spent (i.e. by hourly rates), but instead seek to agree with you one of the following:
  1. A fee of 1% of the gross value of the estate submitted as part of the Inheritance Tax return or Probate application. This is intended to cover all assets that will be dealt with as part of the administration and so would typically ignore pensions. As mentioned, our fee is for the gross value (so before the deduction of any liabilities or the application of any tax reliefs) and excludes VAT and disbursements. This is subject to a minimum fee of £5,000 plus VAT and disbursements. We would charge half of our fee at the point we obtain the Grant of Probate and the other half at the end of the administration.

OR

2. A fixed fee for the entire matter.

In more complicated estates where we do not agree a percentage, then fees are separate for the various individual stages of the matter. We generally consider the administration in complicated matters to be made up of three stages, the first of which is the matter of collating the details of the estate and completing the probate papers; the second is obtaining the Grant, collecting in wealth and settling debts; and the third is concluding matters with HM Revenue and Customs and distributing the estate.

For very simple estates, for example, estates where there is no property to sell or perhaps only a main residence, and alongside this there are limited financial assets, such as Bank accounts, but no shares or share portfolios, we would charge in the region of £5,000 plus VAT and disbursements and we would expect matters to take in between 6 and 12 months to complete.

For estates made more complex, due to there being a need to make an Inheritance Tax return, or where there are multiple UK properties and/or shares, we would charge you a fee of in the region of £10,000 plus VAT and disbursements and we would expect matters to take between 12 & 18 months to complete. We would charge half of our fee at the point we obtain the Grant of Probate and the other half at the end of the administration.

For complicated and large value estates, perhaps with assets abroad, or where the deceased person was non UK domiciled, our fee would typically be at least £15,000 plus VAT and disbursements and would be divided into three sections, as mentioned above, with a third charged at the conclusion of each section. Estates of this nature would normally take at least 18 months to complete.

  • As above, our fee is exclusive of VAT – and so 20% will be added to our fees for VAT.
  • The likely disbursements include
    • Probate Application Fee of £273
    • Copy Grants of Probate at £1.50 per copy (if requested at the time of the Grant Application)
    • Property Title Searches at £3 each
    • Bankruptcy Searches at £2 each

Service Information

  • Included in the quoted price are the following services:
    • Collating and reviewing the deceased’s papers to determine what they owned and owed (at the outset of matters, normally taking up to two weeks to send correspondence to relevant banks and other businesses);
    • Preparing the inheritance tax account (carried out when all information about the deceased is received, normally taking up to one week);
    • Applying for the Grant of Representation (taking place when all above information is available and normally taking one to two weeks);
    • Collecting in the deceased’s assets (taking place after receiving the Grant and normally taking several weeks);
    • Settling the deceased’s debts (taking place immediately upon being in receipt of funds);
    • In simple matters, settling the deceased’s income tax affairs (taking place when all information is available and usually taking no more than a few weeks);
    • Finalising inheritance tax matters (taking place throughout the administration, can take several months);
    • Distributing the estate (taking place at the end of the administration and usually taking no longer than one week)
  • NOT included are the following services;
    • Conveyancing;
    • Varying the terms of the Will or intestacy and any tax planning;
    • Settling more complicated income tax affairs;
    • Any contentious or disputed matters
  • The work will be supervised by James Hall, Solicitor and Managing Partner of the firm, and carried out by James Hall, Celia Butterfield, a Solicitor, and Libbi Gavins, a Paralegal.