Probate - Our Fee

Collectively, our team has over 140 years’ experience working in all areas relating to wills and estate administration. Typically we will work as a team to administer an estate – you will be assigned a dedicated solicitor to deal with your matter with the help of one of our experienced assistants. Their work will be supervised by one of the partners in the team. 

Solicitors

Over 25 years’ experience, £350 per hour (+20% VAT)

Full member of Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) member of the Association of Taxation Technicians, full member of Association of Lifetime Lawyers

Over 30 years’ experience, £350 per hour (+ 20% VAT)

Full member of STEP
Notary Public

20 years’ experience, £350 per hour (+ 20% VAT)

Full member of STEP
Full member of Association of Lifetime Lawyers

Over 15 years’ experience, £325 per hour (+ 20% VAT)

Full member of STEP
Full member of Association of Lifetime Lawyers

Over 7 years’ experience, £300 per hour (+ 20% VAT)

Full member of STEP
Full member of Association of Lifetime Lawyers

Over 5 years’ experience, £270 per hour (+ 20% VAT)

Chartered Accountant Bath Office £325 per hour (+ 20% VAT)

Professional accreditations and memberships:

Full member of STEP

Associate Chartered Legal Executive 

6 years' experience, £300 per hour (+ 20% VAT)

Member of Association of Lifetime Lawyers

5 years' experience, £285 per hour (+ 20% VAT)

Chartered Legal Executive - £250 per hour (+ 20% VAT)

Apprentice Solicitor - £170 (+20% VAT)

Paralegals - £170 per hour (+ 20% VAT)

Trusts Administrator - £150 (+20% VAT)

Factors increasing time and costs

• Registering the death, arranging the funeral, clearing the house

• Hunting for details of the assets and liabilities in the estate

• Tracing beneficiaries

• Dealing with a high number of beneficiaries

• Dealing with assets held abroad (often necessary to refer to our Cross-Border team)

• Dealing with lots of individually certificated shareholdings

• Negotiating and settling tax liabilities

• Agreeing values of assets with HM Revenue & Customs

• Selling assets such as land or houses

• Disputes over the estate

• Dealing with pension fund and insurance policy death benefits

• Setting up trusts in the will - e.g. for infant children

• Dealing with creditors

• Dealing with claims by family and dependents

Disbursements

• Probate registry fee of £300 plus £1.50 (Not Subject to VAT) each for official office copies of the grant of probate

• Bankruptcy searches - £2 per beneficiary and not subject to VAT

• Creditors’ notice in The London Gazette and a local newspaper to protect against unexpected claims from unknown creditors – around £300 (+20% VAT) 

Normal basis for our charges

• It is difficult to give general guidance on how much it will cost to deal with the administration of an estate. Cases which look similar may in fact differ wildly because of their particular quirks. Because of this, it is important that you give us as much information as you can about the estate at the outset, so that in return we can be as clear as possible about our costs.

• We aim, of course, to be as transparent on our costs as possible, both at the outset and by regular updates as the matter progresses. We need to be very clear so that you understand what work we are doing for the fee, and also what work we will not be doing.

• Where we are instructed to deal with the full administration of the estate, our normal approach is to give you two choices. You can either pay us for the time spent doing the job, on the basis of our usual hourly rates, or we can give you a fixed fee. If you pay on a time spent basis, we will give you guidance as to the likely band of costs we think will be incurred.

• If you choose the fixed fee option, this will be based upon the information provided at the time and we will provide full details of the work covered (and excluded) from the quote. The fixed fee will only be increased if we are required to carry out work which was excluded from the fixed fee at the outset. 

• Where we are only instructed to prepare the inheritance tax papers and apply for the grant of probate (‘grant only’), our fees will be charged on a fixed fee basis. These fees will vary depending upon the complexity of the case. The minimum fixed fee charged will be £2,500 plus VAT.

• Probate registry fee of £300 plus £1.50 (Not Subject to VAT) each for official office copies of the grant of probate

• Bankruptcy searches - £2 per beneficiary and not subject to VAT

• Creditors’ notice in The London Gazette and a local newspaper to protect against unexpected claims from unknown creditors – around £300 (+20% VAT) 

An example of an ‘average’ case

Here is an example of a quote for dealing with a probate case.

This quote is for estates where:

• There is a valid will

• There is no more than one property

• There are no more than five bank or building society accounts

• There is an investment portfolio

• There are no other intangible assets

• There are less than five beneficiaries

• There are no disputes between beneficiaries on division of assets

• There is no inheritance tax payable and the executors do not need to submit a full account to HMRC or negotiate the final tax bill

• There are no claims made against the estate

Our costs for such a case

Please note:

• 20% VAT will need to be added to all figures given, and disbursements (see above) will be payable on top.

• These costs do not include the costs of selling the property.

Hourly rate option

If you select the hourly rate basis of charge, we anticipate the time costs at or current rates would fall within the overall band £6,000 to £12,000 (+ 20% VAT), and in all likelihood within the band £7,000 to £9,000 (+ 20% VAT).

Fixed price option

If you select the fixed price option, we would set a fixed fee. This could be increased if circumstances arise which require extra work (see above for examples of when this might be necessary).

Timescale for such a case

Getting figures for assets and liabilities, drafting inheritance tax return, obtaining the grant of probate - 5 to 6 months.

Selling all assets, closing accounts - 3 to 7 months depending on timescale to sell the property.

Paying all tax and liabilities, drafting estate accounts, final payments to beneficiaries - 1 to 2 months.

See above for examples of circumstances where time scales need to be extended.