Probate Fees
We believe in transparency and our fees will be agreed with you from the outset. We will also advise you of any potential additional expenses that may be incurred during the administration process. We do not have any hidden charges or fees.
We will give you a fixed fee based on our review of the estate as every estate has different assets and requirements. Our fees will include all our advice, meetings, telephone calls, emails, letters, and status reports on the progress of the estate.
We will also advise you of the disbursements or payments to other parties (such as valuers) which are not included in the fee quoted.
Should additional costs be incurred, due to unforeseen circumstances, we will advise you as soon as possible and agree the additional costs in advance of carrying out the additional work.
The following fees are a guide. Once we understand exactly what is required and the scope of the work to be undertaken, we will be able to provide you with a bespoke fee quote.
Administration of full estate- Simple estate
Our fees for a simple and straight forward estate typically range between £3,500 to £6,500 plus VAT
We would regard the following as a simple estate:
- all assets are situated in the UK;
- the deceased and beneficiaries are all UK resident and UK domiciled;
- there’s a valid Will;
- the estate has a single property and no more than two bank accounts;
- there is no requirement to sell the property;
- there are no other assets, such as, fine art or trust interests;
- there are no legal claims made against the estate; and
- no disputes between the executors or beneficiaries;
Administration of full estate – Complex estate
Our fees for a complex estate range between £6,500 to £18,000 plus VAT
We would regard an estate having the following as a complex estate:
- foreign interests and assets;
- protracted correspondence with HMRC and other institutions;
- claims to be made for tax reliefs;
- sale and transfer of property;
- interests held under trusts;
- share and investment portfolios;
- business interests;
- post death planning and restructuring advice; and
- untraced beneficiaries.
Administration of part of an estate- Applying for grant of probate only
There are times when the executor requires us to apply for the Grant of Probate only.
In this case our fees for obtaining the Grant with no further advice or administration required would range between £ 1,500 – £3,000 plus VAT
You would need to provide us with the following:
- a valid Will of the deceased;
- original death certificate;
- email or letter confirming your instructions for us to apply for the grant of probate;
- provide us with a schedule of estate assets and liabilities including all lifetime gifts made by the deceased in the 7 years preceding their death;
- gross value of the estate assets, including the gross value of the declarable lifetime gifts;
- confirmation that there are no foreign assets; and
- confirmation that there is no dispute amongst the executors and beneficiaries.
Additional expenses
The majority of estates would incur additional third-party fees. The following are general but not exhaustive:
- Probate fees £155.00
- Copy of the Grant £1.50 (per copy)
- Statutory notice advertisement fees £250.00 (per estate)
- Bankruptcy-only Land Charges searches £2.00 (per beneficiary)
- Search of Wills registers £120.00 (excl VAT)
- Land Registry search fees (per property) £3.00 (per property)
- Valuation fees depends on assets
- Insurance premiums depends on assets
- Conveyancing fees depends on assets
Our hourly rates
We prefer to charge a fixed fee for the administration of a deceased’s estate but there are times when we would charge our hourly rates if we are instructed to attend to additional probate work.
| Hourly Rate (exclusive of VAT | |
| Trainees, Paralegals and Support Staff | £41 |
| Senior Solicitors | £325-£385 |
| Consultants | £325-£385 |