FIXED FEES

We can help with obtaining a Grant of Probate on your behalf on a fixed fee basis.

How much does this service cost?

TOTAL: fixed fee of £708.00 (including VAT at 20%)

This includes obtaining the Grant of Probate Only.

Breakdown of Costs:

Legal Fees:                                           £590.00

VAT on Legal Fees (at 20%):               £118.00

Total Legal Fees & VAT (at 20%):       £708.00

If the Deceased is entitled to use their former spouse's transferable Inheritance Tax Nil Rate Band and this is to be used the fees will be as follows:

Legal Fees:                                           £760.00

VAT on Legal Fees (at 20%):              £152.00

Total Legal Fees & VAT (at 20%):       £912.00

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as court fees.  We handle the payment of disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.

Disbursements:     

Probate Court Fee:                                          £300.00

Each Additional Office Copy Probate:          £1.50 per copy

(This will vary according to your specific

requirements)

As part of our fixed fee, we will:

• Provide you with a dedicated and 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 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 will provide you with one or more copies according to your requirements

How long will this take?

On average, estates that fall within this range are dealt with within 2 weeks.   Typically, obtaining the Grant of Probate takes around 16 weeks from submission of the application, although it could be received sooner.

Our team has over 70 years of collective experience in delivering high quality work in all matters relating to Wills and Estate Administration.

We have three members of the team who may work on your matter. Regardless of who works on your matter, they will be supervised by Alan Whitmore.

Nadine Forrester - Solicitor

Nadine is a qualified solicitor with over thirty years experience in Probate work.  She has been with the firm since 2023.

Amanda Boote - Legal Assistant

Amanda has been working in our Probate team for over ten years.  She is Nadine Forrester's assistant and has been with the firm since 1989.

VARIABLE FEES

We can help with all aspects of the administration of an Estate on your behalf and, if you wish, distribute the net Estate to the beneficiaries.

We anticipate this will take between 8 and 10 hours work at £270 per hour plus VAT at 20%.  Total costs are estimated at £2,160 and £2,700 (Plus  VAT at 20%).

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 4 bank or building society accounts
• There are no other intangible assets
• There are between 2 - 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 not included in the above fee (where applicable VAT is included at 20%)

• Probate application fee of £300. (There is NO VAT on Probate Fees)
• Bankruptcy-only Land Charges Department searches - £6 per beneficiary (There is NO VAT on Bankruptcy Search Fees)
• Posts in the London Gazette and a local newspaper - this helps to protect against unexpected claims from unknown creditors - approximately £250 including VAT at 20%
• Electronic money transfer fees of up to £24 INCLUDING VAT at 20% if the beneficiaries wish to receive any funds direct into their bank accounts.

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 there is no Will or the Estate consists of any share holdings (stocks and bonds) there is likely to be additional costs that could range significantly depending on the Estate and how it is to be dealt with.  We can give a more accurate quote once we have more information.

If any additional copies of the Grant are required they will cost £1.50 (1 per asset usually).

Dealing with the sale or transfer of any property in the Estate is not included and we will be happy to provide a no-obligation quote for conveyancing.

How long with this take?

On average, Estates that fall within this range are deal with within 2 - 4 months.  Typically, obtaining the Grant of Probate takes up to 16 weeks.  Collecting assets then follows, which can take between 2- 4 weeks.  Once this has been done, we can distribute the assets, which normally takes 2 - 4 weeks.