Thank you for looking at our probate services. Coping with the death of a person can bring a mixture of emotions and the legal side of dealing with a person’s death can often be overwhelming and confusing. Having compassionate, experienced legal advice can make this difficult situation much easier on you and your loved ones.
Whether the deceased person left a Will or whether there is substantial wealth and property involved, the sense of burden can increase. Where a Will is in existence the Executors will need to apply for the grant of probate which will give them the legal right to administer the estate. Where there is no Will in existence, the Will is invalid, or it does not specify Executor, an Administrator will need to be appointed.
Why Us
We offer a fixed fee service and we do not charge an additional hourly rate, which is the pricing practice of many other firms. We are therefore very competitive in our pricing.
Fixed Fee
We can help you through this difficult process by obtaining the Grant of Probate on your behalf. We will also undertake the collecting and distribution of assets and as part of the fixed fee we will:
- Provide you with a dedicated and experienced Probate solicitor to work on your matter
- Identify the legally appointed executors, administrators and beneficiaries
- Accurately identify the type of Probate application you will require
- Obtain relevant documents required to make the application
- Complete the Probate Application and relevant HMRC Forms
- 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
- Collect and distribute all assets in the estate
Fixed Legal Fees as recommended by the Law Society if this firm is not appointed to act as an Executor under the Will:
0.5 % of the value of the residence
1%of the value of the rest of the estate
For example, an estate with a total value of £1million with a residential property value of £800,000 and accumulated assets making up the rest of the estate in the total value of £200,000 would result in a fixed fee of £6,000 plus VAT.
Fixed Legal Fees as recommended by the Law Society if this firm is appointed to act as an Executor under the Will:
0.75 % of the value of the residence
1.5% of the value of the rest of the estate
Disbursements
Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as Land Registry fees or court fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.
Anticipated Disbursements
Item | Amount | VAT | Subtotal |
|---|---|---|---|
Grant of Probate/Grant of Letters of Administration Fee | £155.00 | --- | £155.00 |
Office Copies for the Grant of Probate £0.50 per copy | £2.50 | --- | £2.50 |
Commissioners/Solicitors fees for Swearing Oath of probate, approximate fee | £7.00 | --- | £7.00 |
Land Registry Search fee per property | £3.00 | --- | £3.00 |
Bankruptcy Search fee (per beneficiary if required) | £2.00 | --- | £2.00 |
Grant Total Estimate: | £169.50 |
Additional Disbursements (if required)
National Will Register Ltd Will search fee:
- Basic Search fee - £45.60
- Detailed Search fee - £114.00
Inheritance Tax
There are various factors that will affect any Inheritance Tax due on an estate, including the size of the estate and any measures that were put in place by the deceased to limit the estates tax liability.
We do not believe that it would be sensible to attempt to provide at this stage an estimate of any tax that may be payable. We would advise you to look on the HMRC Website to calculate Inheritance Tax which may be due, the calculators can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/hmrc-tools-and-calculators#inheritance-tax-and-bereavement
Exclusions
Our fees are fixed and include items detailed above, however there may be factors which would typically increase the cost of the fees involved. Where there is likely to be any additional cost, we will make sure you are informed of this at the earliest opportunity and a clear estimate of those extra costs will be provided.
Additional services that will require the assistance of a third party at additional cost include:
- Tax advice
- Valuations for property, savings, investments or other assets
Time Scales
On average, probate for the typical estate will take between 3 – 12 months. Generally, the time taken to obtain the Grant of Probate will take between 3 - 6 months, followed by the collection of assets and distribution of the assets which can take between 4 -12 months. The range takes into account handling everything from straightforward estate through to more complex estates.
Key Milestones
With every transaction there are key milestones, which may vary according to individual circumstances. They may be as follows:
- Applying for Grant of Probate
- Obtaining Grant of Probate
- Settling Liabilities
- Collecting funds ready for distribution
- Distributing funds
- Producing Estate accounts