Probate Fees
Within our team we have extensive experience of delivering a high quality service in all matters relating to Wills, Estate Planning and Estate administration. Our team has particular expertise in mid to high value estates and in inheritance tax matters.
We can help you through this difficult process by obtaining the Grant of Probate on your behalf. We can also, if you wish, undertake the collecting and distributing of assets.
If you are the executor or administrator of an estate you might want to consider legal representation. Here we give you an overview of the services included and their respective costs. If you have any further questions please do feel free to contact us.
Costs for obtaining a Grant of Probate
You will appreciate that it is very difficult to estimate a likely fee before we know anything about the nature and complexity of a particular estate. Based on your individual circumstances we’ll advise you on the best option for you however please see below pricing to guide you on our likely fees:
Obtaining a Grant of representation in England and Wales |
Our Price |
VAT (20%) |
Obtaining a Grant (IHT205) |
£2,000 – £3,000 |
£400 – £600 |
Obtaining a Grant (IHT400) |
£3,000 – £8,000 |
£600 – £1,600 |
VAT is a government tax that we are required to charge and will be added at the current rate of 20% to our fees and disbursements except where we indicate the disbursements are outside the scope of VAT.
Costs for dealing with the Administration of an estate
Our fees for the administration of an estate range between 1% to 4% of the gross value of the estate depending on the complexity of your case. You will always be informed of any increase to our estimated fees prior to us carrying out any further work.
1-4% of Gross Estate (minimum fee £3,000)
plus hourly rate of £275 (+20% VAT)
It is difficult to give an accurate estimate of costs as this does depend on the complexity of the estate which in turn varies depending on the size of the estate, the type of assets held, the number and type of beneficiary etc. Costs can range anywhere between £3,000 – £30,000 (+20% VAT) for a complex case. It can take 3 – 6 months to receive a Grant of Probate for a standard matter and then a further 6 – 12 months to conclude matters. More complex cases can take between 18 – 24 months to conclude. We will give a full estimate of costs and likely timescales at the start of your matter.
Breakdown of costs:
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 facilitate a smoother process.
Disbursements:
- Probate court fee: £273 (plus £15 for 10 copies);
- Bankruptcy-only Land Charges Department Searches: £2 per beneficiary;
- Post in The London Gazette: £80.00, which protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors;
- Post in a Local Newspaper: Approximately £120-200, which also helps to protect against unexpected claims.
Which services are included and what is excluded
- Provide you with an 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 and the relevant HMRC forms;
- Draft a statement of truth;
- 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;
- If there is no will or the estate consists of any share holdings (stocks and bonds) there are 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 idea of costs once we have more information;
- Dealing with the sale or transfer of any property in the estate is not included but can be carried out by our Conveyancing Team who would be happy to provide you with an estimate of costs.
Assumptions
The above indication of charges are based on various assumptions which include:
- The deceased owned assets in England and Wales only;
- The deceased was domiciled in England for Inheritance Tax purposes;
- The deceased’s estate has a net value for Inheritance Tax purposes of less than £3,000,000;
- If the estate is subject to Inheritance Tax, there are sufficient directly accessible assets in the estate or available from beneficiaries to fund any Inheritance Tax payable prior to obtaining the Grant and a loan is not being applied for;
- There are no claims against the estate by relatives, creditors or others, no disputes over the validity of any Will and there are no caveats lodged at the Probate Court;
- The personal representatives provide us with all relevant paperwork and information for the applications for the Inheritance Tax allowances at or shortly following the initial meeting.
How long the process will take
Each case is individual and can differ in the time it takes to settle. This also depends on the timescales for applications of HMRC and the Probate Registry which are out of our control.
Our Horley & Reigate offices cover the following areas:
Horley, Epsom, Esher, Guildford, Woking, Leatherhead, Dorking, Banstead, Kingswood, Purley, Croydon, Sutton, Coulsdon, Tadworth, Caterham, Oxted, Godstone, Redhill, Reigate, Gatwick, Crawley, Lingfield, East Grinstead, West Grinstead, Horsham, Forest Row, Haywards Heath, Burgess Hill, Orpington, Sevenoaks, Tonbridge, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Worthing, Brighton, Lewes, Uckfield, Eastbourne
Our Mayfair office covers the following areas:
Mayfair, Marylebone, Fitzrovia, Holborn, Covent Garden, St James’s, Westminster, Pimlico, Victoria, Soho, Hyde Park, Hyde Park Corner, Bond Street, Marble Arch, Paddington, Euston, St John’s Wood, Notting Hill, Bayswater, Camden, Hampstead, Angel, Islington, Isle of Dogs, Canary Wharf, Clapham, Clapham Junction, Clapham Common, Balham, Kennington, Barbican, Kings Cross, Maida Vale, Knightsbridge, Chelsea, Chelsea Harbour, Kensington, South Kensington, West Kensington, Fulham, Fulham Broadway, Green Park, Southwark, Belgravia, Bloomsbury, Finsbury, Pentonville, Oxford Circus, Piccadilly Circus, Barbican, St Pauls, Gray;s Inn, Lincoln’s Inn, Temple, Battersea, Battersea Park, Nine Elms, Holland Park, Earl’s Court, West Brompton, Parsons Green, Putney, Hammersmith, Waterloo, Vauxhall, Wandsworth, South Lambeth, Southfields, Earlsfield, Wimbledon, South Wimbledon, Roehampton, Barnes, Richmond, Sheen