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Probate Fee Guide

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.

We will handle the full process for you. This quote is for estates where:

• There is a valid will
• There is no more than one property
• There are no more than 3 bank or building society accounts
• There are no other intangible assets
• There are up to 4 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

Disbursements in addition the above fees:

• 300 No VAT – Probate application fee, to include 2 copies
• £2.40 incl VAT- Bankruptcy fee (per beneficiary) – only Land Charges Department searches
• £243.89 incl VAT – Statutory Notice fee – Protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors. Cost may vary depending on the local paper used to issue the notice.

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 ensure a smoother process.

Potential additional costs

If the estate is complex it is likely that additional costs would be incurred, which could range significantly depending on the estate and how it is to be dealt with. We can give you a more accurate quote once we have more information.

Examples of complex estates include:-

• If there is no will
• The estate consists of any share holdings (stocks and bonds)
• Limited Grants
• Claims against the estate
• Foreign assets
• Multiple beneficiaries
• DWP claims
• Requirement for an Inheritance Tax Account
• Payment of Inheritance Tax
• Agricultural or Business Property Relief claims
• Application for residence Nil Rate Band
• Deed of Variation
• Insolvent Estate
• Missing beneficiaries

As part of our fees we will:

• Provide you with a dedicated and experienced probate lawyer 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 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
• Produce estate accounts and obtain approval from the Executors and/or Residuary Beneficiaries
• Dealing with the sale or transfer of any property in the estate is not included.

Key Stages:

• Initial appointment to discuss the estate with Executors/Administrators and advise on the next steps
• Review the Will or intestacy
• Confirm the value of estate to include all assets and liabilities
• Issue statutory notices, if required
• Draft the Grant application
• Approve the Grant application with the Executors
• Submit the Grant application
• Await receipt of the Grant
• Contact beneficiaries regarding their entitlement
• Cash in the estate
• Deal with any estate property via Transfer, Assent or Sale
• Settle all estate liabilities
• Draft estate accounts
• Approve the estate accounts with the Executors/Administrators and the beneficiaries
• Distribute the estate

How long will this take?

On average, estates that fall within this range are dealt with within 9-12 months. Typically, obtaining the grant of probate takes 16 weeks from the date of submission. Collecting assets then follows, which can take between 8-10 weeks. Once this has been done, we can distribute the assets, which normally takes 3-4 weeks.

It is important to note that if there is a property to be sold this will increase the average timescale for conclusion of the estate. Significant delays and costs can also be incurred if the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) raise queries as to the deceased’s assets and wish to investigate this further.

Estate Property:

If there is a property within the estate this will need to be dealt either by a transfer, assent or sale.  Our probate fees do not include the cost of the dealing with the property and will be dealt with and quoted for separately.

Fixed tariffs:

• £1980 incl VAT – Limited to applying for Grant in expected estate – Paper application
• £1800 incl VAT – Limited to applying for Grant in expected estate – Online application