Applying for the grant, collecting and distributing the assets
We anticipate this will take between 4 and 6 hours work at £290 per hour.
Total costs estimated: £1,180 – £1,770 (+VAT).
In addition to these charges we charge 1.5% of the value of the estate and 0.75% of the value of any property where a solicitor of the firm is an Executor and 1% and 0.5% respectively in all other cases.
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.
We will handle the full process for you. This quote is for estates where:
- There is a valid will
- There is no more than one property
- There are no more than two banks or building societies that hold accounts for the deceased (it does not matter if more than one account is held with a bank, the estimate is based on how many banks or building societies we need to deal with, not the amount of accounts held with each)
- There are no other intangible assets
- There are between one and 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
No disbursements are included in this fee. These disbursements are as follows and will be in addition to our fees:
- Probate application fee of £300
- Bankruptcy-only Land Charges Department searches (£2 per beneficiary)
If requested:
- Approx.£95 plus VAT – Post in The London Gazette – protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors
- Approx.£230 plus VAT – Post in a local newspaper – this also helps to protect against unexpected claims. Please note this is only an estimate as the price is dependant on which local newspaper is required
- £114 – Will search – this is to ascertain if a later Will has been done and would be necessary for intestacy cases
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 to ensure a smoother process.
Potential additional costs
If there is no will or the estate consists of any share holdings (stocks and bonds) there are 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 £16 (one per asset usually).
Dealing with the sale or transfer of any property in the estate is not included.
How long will this take?
On average, estates that fall within this range are dealt with within 4–8 months. Typically, obtaining the grant of probate takes 8–16 weeks. Collecting assets then follows, which can take between 4–12 weeks. Once this has been done, we can distribute the assets, which normally takes 2–3 weeks.
Probate – Fixed fee option
This option is not available in the following circumstances:
- Where a member of the firm is named as an executor
- An IHT400 is required to be completed
- There is more than one property in the estate
- The deceased held assets with more than two financial institutions
We can help you through this difficult process by obtaining the Grant of Probate on your behalf.
TOTAL: fixed fee of £750 (plus VAT) Total £900
This includes: ascertaining the assets in the estate and obtaining the grant.
Breakdown of costs:
- Legal fees £750
- VAT on legal fees £150
Disbursements:
- Probate court fee of £300
Further copies of the Grant of Probate can be obtained for £16 per copy upon request.
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 to ensure a smoother process.
As part of our fixed fee we will:
- Provide you with a dedicated and experienced probate solicitor to work on your matter
- Identify the legally appointed executors or administrators and beneficiaries
- Accurately identify the type of Probate application you will require
- Obtain the relevant documents required to make the application
- Complete the Probate Application and the relevant HMRC forms
- Draft a legal oath for you to swear
- Make the application to the Probate Court on your behalf
- Obtain the Probate and securely send as many copies as requested to you
On average, estates that fall within this range are dealt with within 3–5 months. Typically, obtaining the grant of probate takes 8–12 weeks. Collecting assets then follows, which can take between 4–8 weeks. Once this has been done, we can distribute the assets, which normally takes 2–4 weeks.
