Our approach to fees
Our fees will be priced according to the level of service you require. We will give you clear guidance on fees at the outset and we will only update our original quotation if, during the estate administration, it becomes necessary to carry out further work on your behalf.
You can find information below on the estimated cost of dealing with your case assuming that the work is within our standard scope of work. VAT will apply to these fees.
Applying for the Grant only
In certain circumstances we offer a fixed fee to obtain a Grant only. This is based on drafting the application using the information that you provide to us by the Executor(s). This can be between £1,000 - £3,000. More complex Estate especially involving Inheritance Tax will attract a higher fee and will generally be undertaken on a time only basis. If any further investigative work is required, we can assist you with this and give you clear guidance on the additional fees involved.
Administration of estates
In most cases these can be prepared on a time basis of:
£4,000 - £10,000 plus VAT where the estate is under £1,000,000. If it is necessary to apply for the transferable nil rate band allowance and/or residence nil rate band allowances an additional fee may be added.
The transferable nil rate band allowance can be claimed if one spouse who predeceases the other leaves their entire estate to the remaining spouse.
Estates above £1,000,000 will generally attract a minimum fee of £10,000 plus VAT.
Please note that dealing with transfers of stock market based investments may give rise to additional fees.
Disbursements not included in the fees
Disbursements are costs that are related to your matter and payable to third parties and usually include:
Probate application fee which will depend on the value of the estate. An additional fee of £1.50 is charged per sealed copy required.
Other disbursements may be applicable depending on the circumstances, for example advertisements for creditors – usually in the region of £250.
How long will this take?
Typically 4 - 6 weeks to obtain a Grant for an excepted estate and between 7 - 10 weeks for taxable and non-taxable estates if you provide us with accurate values for the assets and liabilities of the estate at the initial meeting. Time periods can vary because we rely on third parties during the application process (for example HMRC to settle the inheritance tax).
Our fees will depend on the circumstances in each individual 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 and investments, costs will be at the higher end.
We will handle the complete administration for you. Before we begin, we will give you clarity on costs, explaining the work that will be covered.
We anticipate this will take between 8 - 20 hours’ work. We estimate that the total cost will be as mentioned above. The hourly rate of the person dealing with your matter will depend on their experience.
When calculating fees, we will take into account the following factors:
Disbursements such as Probate application fees are additional to our costs.
Potential additional costs:
How long will this take?
On average, estates are dealt with within 6 months. Typically, obtaining the Grant of Probate takes generally at least 16 weeks and often longer if the Estate is subject to Inheritance Tax. Liquidating assets then follows, which can take up to the remainder of the time estimate. Once this has been done, we can distribute the assets, which normally takes between 1 - 2 weeks and provide Estate Accounts for the executors and beneficiaries.
As part of our fee we will: