Probate Fees
Pricing Structure
- Grant of Probate Only (Fixed Fee): £1,000 plus VAT (total £1,080 including VAT) for obtaining the Grant of Probate (or Letters of Administration) on your behalf. This covers preparing the necessary inheritance tax forms for a non-taxable estate, completing the probate application, and submitting it to the Probate Registry to obtain the Grant.
- Full Estate Administration (Hourly Rate): If you instruct us to administer the entire estate (from applying for the Grant through to distributing assets), our fees are charged at an hourly rate of £295 plus VAT. We will provide a tailored estimate after an initial consultation, once we understand the details of the estate. As a general guide, straightforward estates with one beneficiary and no property tend to be at the lower end of the range (around £2,500–£4,000 + VAT in legal fees). More complex estates with multiple beneficiaries, a property, or numerous assets will fall toward the higher end (perhaps £4,000–£8,000 + VAT or more). We will always handle your matter efficiently and keep you updated on costs as the work progresses.
Key Stages of the Probate Service
- Initial Consultation & Information Gathering: We meet with you to identify the executors or administrators and collect all relevant information on the estate’s assets and liabilities.
- Estate Valuation & Tax Compliance: We obtain valuations for the estate’s assets (such as property, bank accounts, and investments) and determine if any inheritance tax is due. We complete the required HMRC inheritance tax forms.
- Applying for the Grant of Probate: We prepare the probate application (including a legal statement for the executors/administrators to sign) and submit it to the Probate Registry, along with the inheritance tax forms and the court fee.
- Collecting Assets & Settling Debts: Once the Grant is issued, we collect in the estate’s assets (for example, closing bank accounts and encashing investments, and if required, assisting with the sale or transfer of any property) and settle any outstanding debts or bills of the estate.
- Distributing the Estate: We prepare full estate accounts for approval. After all assets are collected and liabilities paid, we distribute the remaining assets to the beneficiaries in accordance with the will (or the intestacy rules if there is no will).
Typical Timescales
How long will this take? The timeframe for probate can vary depending on the circumstances. Obtaining the Grant of Probate usually takes around 16-24 weeks from the date of application. Collecting assets and settling debts typically adds another 3–4 weeks (this may be longer if, for example, a property needs to be sold). Once everything has been collected and any taxes or debts are dealt with, distributing the assets to beneficiaries normally takes an additional 4–8 weeks. In many straightforward cases, the entire process is completed within approximately 6-8 months. However, more complex estates or any unexpected delays (such as awaiting final tax clearance or dealing with property sales) can extend the timeline. We will keep you informed of likely timescales as the matter progresses.
Disbursements (Third-Party Costs)
In addition to our fees, there are certain disbursements (costs payable to third parties) associated with probate. We handle the payment of these on your behalf and will only charge you the exact amount paid to the third party. Likely disbursements include:
- Probate application fee: £300 (for estates in England & Wales valued over £5,000) + £16 for each official copy of the Grant of Probate.
- Bankruptcy searches: Approximately £6 per beneficiary (to ensure no beneficiary is bankrupt, as required before distribution).
- Statutory advertisement notices: Usually between £180–£300 (this can vary) for placing notices in the London Gazette and a local newspaper. These notices (optional but recommended) protect executors by alerting any unknown creditors to come forward. (Prices for notices may be subject to VAT, depending on the publisher.)
Other disbursements may apply in specific cases, such as: fees for professional asset valuations (for example, property or jewelry valuations), Land Registry office copy fees (around £3 per title if we need to obtain title documents), or postage/courier charges. We will advise you in advance of any such costs before they are incurred.
Assumptions and Potential Additional Costs
Our fee estimates above are based on a standard uncontested probate matter. They assume: there is a valid will, no significant complications, and all information needed is provided promptly. Additional costs may arise if the matter involves extra work or complexities outside a typical estate administration. For example:
- If Inheritance Tax is payable and a full inheritance tax account must be submitted to HMRC (involving more extensive tax work).
- If any disputes or claims arise between beneficiaries, or someone contests the estate (contentious probate work is not included in the above pricing).
- If the estate includes unusual or high-volume assets – for instance, numerous bank accounts, investments, assets located abroad, or items requiring specialist valuation.
- If the estate administration involves managing or setting up any trusts as directed by the will.
- If we need to handle the sale or transfer of property in the estate (our probate service does not cover conveyancing fees for property transactions).
- Any other unexpected complexity (such as tracing missing beneficiaries or dealing with legal challenges).
We will always let you know as soon as possible if any of these factors come up. Before incurring additional charges, we will explain the reason and give you a clear revised estimate or fee arrangement so you can decide how to proceed. Our aim is to be transparent at every stage, so you won’t face any surprises on costs.
