Costs Information for Probate

Costs estimate 1. (Fixed fee) Probate

We can help you through this difficult process by obtaining the Grant of Probate on your behalf and in your name.  You will then undertake the collecting and distributing of assets yourself.  This Costs estimate assumes there is no inheritance tax payable and the executors do not need to submit a full account to HMRC.

How much does this service cost?

TOTAL: fixed fee of £2,016.40. This includes: applying for probate and obtaining the grant

It does not include collecting assets and distributing them.

Breakdown of costs:

• Legal fees £1,445
• VAT on legal fees £289
• Disbursements (£282.40 in total
  (including VAT at 20% where applicable):
• Probate court fee of £273
• £7 Swearing of the oath (per executor).
• Bankruptcy-only Land Charges Department searches (£2.40 per beneficiary).

Optional extras, if required:

• £96 Post in The London Gazette (if required) – Protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors.
• £96 (estimate, if required) Post in a Local Newspaper – This also helps to protect against unexpected claims.

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 (but this estimate does not include the relevant HMRC forms and assumes there is no Inheritance Tax to pay)
• Draft a legal oath for you to swear
• Make the application to the Probate Court on your behalf
• Obtain the Probate and securely send two copies to you
• You will then collect and distribute all assets in the estate

On average, estates that fall within this range are dealt with within 4-9 months. Typically, applying for the grant of probate takes 8-12 weeks. The Probate Registry are currently taking about 16 weeks to process applications.  We will then pass the Grant of Probate to you so that you can collect in the assets. Once this has been done, you can distribute the assets to the beneficiaries

Costs estimate 2. Applying for the grant, collecting and distributing the assets

We anticipate this will take between 15 and 25 hours work at £290 per hour plus VAT at 20% plus the Value Element (as below) costs estimated at -£4,900 – 7,250 (+VAT at 20%) depending on the size of the estate in accordance with the Law Society guidance our charges will be calculated mainly by reference to the time spent by us dealing with this matter, plus 0.5% percentage of any property and 1.0% of the balance (residuary) estate. This is known as the value element.  This is lower than the Law Society recommended figure which is between 0.5% & 0.75 % of the property value plus between 1% & 1.5% of the balance (residuary) 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.

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 5 bank or building society accounts
• There are no other intangible assets
• There are 1-9 beneficiaries
• There are no disputes between beneficiaries on division of assets. If disputes arise this is more than 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

Disbursements included in this fee (where applicable VAT is included at 20%):

• Probate application fee of £273
• £7 Swearing of the oath (per executor)
• Bankruptcy-only Land Charges Department searches (£2.40 per beneficiary)
• £96 Post in The London Gazette – Protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors.
• £96 (estimate) Post in a Local Newspaper – This also helps to protect against unexpected claims.

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 is 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 £1 (1 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 6-11months. Typically, applying for the grant of probate takes 12 weeks. The Probate Registry are currently taking about 16 weeks to process applications. Collecting assets then follows, which can take between 4-8 weeks. Once this has been done, we can distribute the assets, which normally takes 4-8 weeks.