Probate Pricing Guidance

Our pricing for uncontested probate work depends on the complexity of the matter. The price range for dealing with various cases are as follows:

A straightforward application for the Grant of Representation (Probate): £500-£700 (excluding VAT or disbursements)

Grant and transfer of the property (£1,000 plus the court fee plus land registry fees depending on the value of the property)

Medium complexity administration of the entire estate: £2,000-£6,000 (excluding VAT or disbursements)

High complexity administration of the entire estate: £6,000-£10,000 (excluding VAT or disbursements)

We also charge an additional fee to reflect the complexity and value of the matter.  This is 0.75% of the value of the property held by the estate and 1.5% of the value of other assets in accordance with Law Society guidelines.

Factors that could make a case more complex and increase the costs:

• Where we are appointed executors or given power of attorney to deal with the estate;

• Substantive collection of paperwork, investigations at the deceased persons property or of significant volume of documents;

• Completing inheritance tax accounts for submission and arranging payment of the inheritance tax due to HMRC;

• Dealing with utility bills or substantive liabilities, placement of s27 notice to creditor adverts;

• Defending any claims brought against the estate;

• The number of beneficiaries and the increased compliance necessary to identify and settle payment.

Disbursements

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

Disbursements can include but are not limited to payments to advertisers for s27 notice to creditor adverts, land registry applications where necessary to ensure ownership of property and also identification and anti money laundering searches.

• Probate fee is £273 plus £1.50 per copy of the grant
• Bankruptcy searches are £2 per client
• Land Registry office copy entries - £3

How long does it take? 

The average process takes between 4-6 months if this is a standard probate matter however if this becomes more complex this can increase the time  to up to 3 years and this will increase the cost.

Your instructions

The work we are instructed to do often varies from case to case. We are often asked to simply extract the Grant of Representation/Probate and assist with the legalities involved. There is a fixed fee detailed above for that which involves completing tax and legal documents necessary to apply for Probate.

Where we asked to assist in the administration of the estate the work involved can differ. Our solicitors charge an hourly rate, depending on experience of between £185 and £275 excluding VAT. They will often estimate the hours involved and multiply this by their hourly rate to provide an estimate at the outset. A change in instructions or a request to prepare additional documents such as a deed of variation or a deed of assignment from within a trust may increase the work quoted for previously.

VAT will be charged at 20%.