Grant of Probate & Letters of Administration - Our Fees & Service

This work is undertaken by our grant of probate and letters of administration team as set out to the right of this screen

All grant of probate and letters of administration work (including herself) is supervised by Julie Brown who is a solicitor and a Partner.

Applying for the grant, collecting and distributing the assets

We anticipate this will take between 12 and 19 hours work at £250 per hour plus vat (20%) Total £300.00. Total costs estimated at - £3000-£4500 + VAT (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 1 bank or building society accounts
• There are no other intangible assets
• There are 1-2 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 this fee:

• Probate application fee of £155 plus £1.50 for each additional copy
• Bankruptcy-only Land Charges Department searches (£2 +VAT (20%) per beneficiary)
• £250 + VAT (20%) Total £300.00 approximate to post in The London Gazette and the Local Newspaper– Protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors.

The services included in the full administration service follow these key stages:

• Ascertaining the assets and liabilities

• Preparing the relevant inheritance tax return and calculating any inheritance tax due

• Obtaining the grant of probate

• Collecting, selling or transferring the assets

• Ascertaining and paying debts, taxes and administration expenses

• Producing estate accounts, paying legacies and distributing the residuary estate

• Providing statements of income and income tax paid upon request

Services not included in the quoted estimate include the following:

• The conveyancing of any property in the estate

• Deeds of variation

• Estate disputes, including but not limited to Will validity and claims under the Inheritance Act 1975 • The setting up of any trusts contained in the Will

Additional expenses may be incurred if it is necessary to instruct experts to, for example, value sell or otherwise deal with assets, such as property, personal effects, business interests and shares.

Income Tax, Capital Gains Tax and possibly other taxes plus accountancy fees may need to be paid to finalise the deceased’s lifetime tax affairs and the estate administration tax position.

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 you a more accurate quote once we have more information.
• If any additional copies of the grant are required, they will cost £0.50 (1 per asset usually).
• Dealing with the sale or transfer of any property in the estate is not included.

How long will this take?

On average, estates that fall within this range are dealt with within 6-12 months.

Probate (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 distributing of assets.

How much does this service cost?

TOTAL: fixed fee of £1080.00 incl. vat (20%) (Disbursements not included)

This includes all work up to and including the issue of the grant of probate

Breakdown of costs:

Legal fees £900
VAT (20%) on legal fees £160
Disbursements
• Probate court fee of £155 plus £1.50 for each additional copy
• Bankruptcy-only Land Charges Department searches (£2 + VAT (20%) per executor).

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.

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 will require
• Obtain the relevant documents required to make the application
• Complete the Probate Application and the relevant HMRC forms
• Draft a legal statement
• Make the application to the Probate Court on your behalf
• Obtain the Probate and securely send two copies to you

On average, estates that fall within this range are dealt with within 2-3 months.