Our fees are keenly priced to ensure that you receive maximum value from the work we do for you.
We provide a range of different estate administration services depending on the requirements of the particular client or estate – these can vary enormously. In the course of our work we may be simply obtaining the grant for one client while administering a complex estate for another.
We are always upfront about costs and will always provide as much information as we can. Please give us a call for an initial no-obligation discussion regarding your specific circumstances.
We have set out below an idea of what costs might be involved in administering a relatively “normal” estate. These will be payable from the estate.
As always, the exact cost will depend on the particular circumstances of the estate. 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.
In this example, we will handle the full process for you, including applying for the grant and collecting and distributing the assets.
This example is for an estate where there:
- is a Will
- is no more than one property
- are between 1 and 5 UK bank or building society accounts
- are no shareholdings nor intangible assets (eg intellectual property rights)
- are no more than a handful of debts to be discharged from the estate (other than funeral related expenses)
- are between 1 and 5 beneficiaries
- are no disputes between beneficiaries or between executors
- is no inheritance tax payable and the executors do not need to submit a full account to HMRC
- are no claims made against the estate
Fees for our services:
For estates falling within this range, we would usually charge for our time on an hourly rate basis of £275 plus VAT and our legal fee would typically total between £1,100 and £5,500 plus VAT.
We are required to comply with anti-money-laundering (AML) regulations and to carry out identity checks of clients. We charge a fee of £30 plus VAT per executor to contribute to the costs involved.
Disbursements (inc VAT at 20% where applicable):
Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as court fees. We handle the payment of disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.
- probate application fee of £300
- Identity & Insolvency Check, per beneficiary £8.40
- £220 (approx) Trustee Act Notices in the London Gazette & local newspaper (to protect you against unexpected claims from unknown creditors)
- £108 National Wills Register Will Search Service to check for other Wills, to help prove that the Will is the last Will
Total costs, including VAT and likely disbursements in these example circumstances:
| Our legal fee: | £1,100 to £5,500 |
| Our AML ID fee* (per executor): | £30 |
| Total of our fees: | £1,130 to £5,130 |
| Total disbursements**: | £636.40 |
| VAT on our fees: | £226 to £1,106 |
| Total: | £1,992.40 to £7,272.40 |
*AML ID fee on the basis of one executor
** Disbursements on the basis of one beneficiary and assuming Trustee Act Notices fee is £220.
Potential additional costs:
No-one likes hidden surprises, especially when it comes to costs, so we will always let you know as soon as we are aware of potential additional costs that may apply.
These are some common circumstances that occur where additional costs may arise:
- Dealing with the sale or transfer of any property in the estate is not included. Our Property Team will be able to assist with this work and we will obtain their fees information for you in that case.
- If any beneficiary is no longer living, additional work may be required to correctly trace/check the identity and entitlement of their heirs depending on the “class” of beneficiary.
- If any beneficiaries are not UK residents additional work and costs will usually be required.
- In certain circumstances we may be obliged to carry out identity checks of beneficiaries, which may incur additional disbursements.
Potential additional disbursements:
As with costs, we will always let you know as soon as we are aware of potential additional disbursements that may apply. Many of these will depend on the circumstances of the estate and may be optional to give Executors greater protection or where using external providers is likely to be more cost-effective.
| Probate Registry additional copy of the grant (per copy): | £1.50 |
| Land Registry Title Documents (per property): | £4.80 |
| Assets & Liabilities search: | £235.00 |
| Digital Assets search: | £42.00 |
| Share Verification (per holding): | £7.20 |
| Share Valuation (per holding): | £7.20 |
| Share Sale (per holding): | £60.00 |
| Schedule of Dividends (per holding): | £7.20 |
| Vehicle Valuation (per vehicle): | £12.00 |
How long will this take?
The time taken to complete the administration of an estate that falls within this range largely depends on factors that are outside our control (such as HMRC and the Probate Registry).
Assuming that we receive all of the information we need promptly, administration of estates that fall within this range are usually completed in 6 to 12 months.
What’s included?
Our fixed fee will usually include:
- Providing you with a dedicated and experienced probate solicitor to work on your matter
- Identifying the legally appointed executors or administrators and beneficiaries
- Accurately identifing the type of Probate application you will require
- Obtaining the relevant documents required to make the application
- Completing the Probate Application and the relevant HMRC forms
- Drafting a legal oath for you to swear
- Making the application to the Probate Court on your behalf
- Obtaining the Probate and securely send two copies to you
- Collecting and distribute all assets in the estate
The above is an example only and we’ll be very happy to give you a full quote based on your circumstances – please just give us a call!