Probate

The collection and distribution of assets belonging to a person following their death, where these are within the UK and the matters are not contested

About this page

This page is intended to provide potential business clients with information about our charges when engaging us to administer an estate following the death of a loved one. When you instruct us, our retainer letter will provide more details on the scope of our work and what you can expect. In addition, our terms of business are available to view here.

The process

The information on this page is intended to be an initial guide.  The precise stages involved in the process may vary according to the circumstances of the case, but typically we will assist the executors or administrators to obtain a Grant of Probate or a Grant of Letters of Administration and then to distribute the assets in accordance with any will or the Rules of Intestacy. Broadly, this involves:

• Collating and gathering all the information about the deceased’s financial affairs
• Obtaining valuations of the assets and liabilities in the estate as at the date of death
• Completing any necessary Inheritance tax return to HMRC
• Completing the application for a Grant and submitting it at Court
• Following receipt of the Grant, collecting in all the assets, paying the liabilities due and distributing the balance to the beneficiaries

Our Fees

Hourly rates

Our fees will be primarily based on the time spent by us in carrying out your instructions and the current hourly rates of our solicitors are as follows:

VAT at the prevailing rate will be charged in addition to the above hourly amounts.

Costs range

We anticipate the process will take between 15 and 25 hours work. The time spent on the matter by the different fee earners is recorded at their different hourly charge rates stated. The average range of costs is estimated at £3,500 – £6,000 plus VAT at 20%. This costs range assumes we are dealing with an estate where:

• There is a valid will
• There is no more than one property
• There are no more than 5 bank or building society accounts
• There are no other assets
• There are no more than 4 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

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.

Potential additional costs

If there is no will or the estate consists of any share holdings (stocks and bonds) or multiple assets and liabilities 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. Dealing with the sale or transfer of any property in the estate is not included.

Disbursements

Disbursements are payments which we make to third parties arising in the course of providing our services. The disbursements you will likely incur in addition to our fees are:

• Probate application fee of £155 (no VAT)
• Bankruptcy-only Land Charges Department searches (£2 plus VAT at 20% per beneficiary)
• Land Registry searches (£3 plus VAT at 20%)
• If any additional copies of the grant are required, they will cost £1.50 (per extra copy usually).
• £100 (no VAT) Post in The London Gazette – Protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors.
• £100 (no VAT) Post in a Local Newspaper – This also helps to protect against unexpected claims.

Probate Team

Details of the fee earners who will be responsible for your work are set out in the table below.