Probate Pricing Information
We do not believe in charging a proportion of the estate value as some other probate practitioners do. We believe that we should be paid only for the work that is necessary and that we carry out. Therefore our directors charge an hourly rate of £290 plus VAT for probate work. For work carried out by other fee earners we charge £150 plus VAT.
We are required to provide pricing information on our probate services. It is very difficult to give a useful example as every case is different and requires different amounts of work. We have set out below an example based on a simple estate administration but we would be very happy to provide you with a more accurate estimate. We offer a free 30 minute interview in order to be able to provide you with some initial advice and a realistic estimate for your particular estate.
In addition to providing a full administration service we are happy to offer fixed fee interviews and ad hoc advice (at our hourly rate) for people who wish to administer an estate themselves. We will provide whatever level of service you require.
A simple estate would be one that meets the following criteria:
A valid Will
No inheritance tax is payable & the short form tax form can be completed
No more than one property
No overseas assets
No more than 3 bank or building society accounts
No more than 3 shareholdings
No other investments
No more than 2 pensions (including the state pension)
No other investments
No more than 5 beneficiaries
No disputes arise and no claims are made against the estate
If we are instructed to fully administer a simple estate then we would anticipate that this would take between 7-10 hours of work. This would cost £1,890 - £2,760 plus VAT.
In addition to our fees the following costs may be payable:
Court probate fee of £300 (plus £1.50 for every copy)
Conveyancing costs
Financial search fees of approximately £190 - £270
Bankruptcy search fees usually of between £4 - £8
Notice in London Gazette costs approximately £78
Notice in local papers costs approximately £250
Electronic identification fees of approximately £20
This pricing does not cover estates where any inheritance tax is payable or a full return is required to claim all allowances. We would be happy to provide you with a more personal estimate of costs after a free 30 minute interview. You can find inheritance tax calculators online so that you can see whether inheritance tax is payable and to estimate any liability.
The time it takes to obtain a grant of representation and finish the administration of the estate varies depending on its complexity. In a simple estate it would usually take between 4 - 8 weeks to apply for a grant of representation and a further 4 - 6 weeks to finalise. Unfortunately there are still significant delays in the Probate Registry processing applications and in some cases it is taking them 12 weeks to issue a grant which needs to be added to the timescale.
The Society of Estate and Trust Practitioners (STEP) offers advice for families on inheritance and succession planning.