PROBATE

Applying for the Grant, Collecting and Distributing the Assets

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.

Our charges are calculated according to the time spent by those who will deal with your matter and a value element. The value element reflects the responsibility involved and the weight of the matter and is based on a percentage of the value of the assets. It is difficult at the beginning of the administration of most Estates to say how much work will be involved, and therefore what our final charges will be. However, we would not expect our charges to exceed 4% of the gross value of the estate unless it is a very complex or very time-consuming matter.

We anticipate this work may take between 3 and 25 hours. The solicitor’s hourly rate is £300/hour. The solicitor’s partner hourly rate is £360/hour and the Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives is £300/hour to £330/hour depending on whether they are a Partner or Head of Department. The Licenced Conveyancer rate is £300/hour, with the total costs estimated between £600-£8250 plus vat.

We have a specialist niche team who will work on your matter and regardless of who works on your matter, they will be supervised by Aileen Francis, Partner and Head of Probate & Estate Administration.

We will handle the full process for you. This range of costs is for estates where:

  • there is a valid Will
  • there is not more than one property
  • there are no more than 10 bank or building society accounts
  • there are no other intangible assets
  • there are 1-10 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
  • there are no foreign assets
  • there are no untraced beneficiaries

Disbursements included in this fee:

  • The current dual fee structure was replaced on 26th January 2022 by a single fee of £273 for all applicants where the value of the estate exceeds £5,000, payable to HMCTS.
  • Bankruptcy – only Land Charges Department searches £2.00 per beneficiary
  • Trustee Act Notices in the London Gazette and local newspaper £282.00 (including vat), this protects against claims from unknown creditors and against unexpected claims

Disbursements are costs relating 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 shareholdings (stocks and bonds) there is likely to be additional costs that could range significantly depending on the estate and how it is 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 £1.50 each (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 within 3-12 months. Typically obtaining the Grant of Probate takes 8-24 weeks. Collecting assets then follows, which can take between 2-6 weeks. Once this has been done we are able to prepare the Estate Accounts and deal with any tax return in connection with the estate before distributing the assets and this normally takes between 4-12 weeks.

Our firm has over 40 years of collective experience in delivering high-quality work in all matters relating to Wills and Estate Administration. The team has particular expertise in high-value estates and Inheritance Tax matters and contested Wills and estates.