Thank you for looking at our probate services. The legal aspect of dealing with a person’s death can often be overwhelming and confusing, we pride ourselves on providing compassionate, experienced legal advice which can make a difficult situation much easier for you.
We have an experienced team who can assist you with every aspect of the probate process, reducing the administrative burden and advising sensitively on key decisions which need to be made when managing an estate.
We offer both fixed fees and an hourly rate charging rate, whereby you will be charged for each hour of work undertaken.
Fixed fee
Our fee: £850.00 plus VAT. VAT is charged at 20%.
Probate Registry fee: £300.00 plus copies £1.50 each, HM Land Registry Official copy entry £3.90
We can help you through this difficult process by obtaining the Grant of Probate on your behalf.
As part of the fixed fee we will:
- Provide you with a dedicated and experienced Probate Solicitor to work on your matter
- Identify the legally appointed executors, administrators and beneficiaries
- Accurately identify the type of Probate application you will require
- Obtain relevant documents required to make the application
- Complete the online Probate Application and relevant HMRC Forms
- Review the Legal Statement which you as Executor are required to sign as part of the application process
- Make the application to the Probate Court on your behalf
- Obtain the Probate and securely send two copies to you
Full Estate Administration
The fees involved in a probate matter can vary and this will depend on the individual circumstances involved.
We undertake work at hourly rates ranging from £126.00 – £255.00 plus VAT (VAT is charged at 20%) per hour of work dependent upon the seniority of the fee earner acting. An average estate administration will usually take between 10-30 hours of work and our costs can therefore range between £2,500.00 and £8,000.00 plus VAT (VAT is charged at 20%) and disbursements. The fees will vary and are dependent upon individual circumstances and a written estimate will be provided upon receipt of the details of the estate..
The range of fees will depend on issues such as the number of beneficiaries and whether the estate includes any property. Probate fees will also typically increase, depending on whether there are multiple bank accounts, shares and based on the number and value of any property. 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.
We will handle the full process for you and this estimate is for estates where:
- There is a valid Will
- Whether or not any executors have died or refuse to act
- There is no more than one property
- There are no more than 5 bank or building society accounts
- There are no other intangible assets
- There are between 1 and 5 beneficiaries
- Where there are no beneficiaries who do not have capacity or under the Mental Health Act or are a minor
- Where there are no trusts in the Will
- Where there are no missing beneficiaries
- There is no inheritance tax payable and the executors do not need to submit a full account to HMRC
- There are no claims made against the estate
- There are no disputes between beneficiaries on the vision of assets. If disputes arise this will lead to an increase of costs
Disbursements included in this fee:
- Probate application fee of £273 plus £1.50 each for any additional copies (we would generally advise asking for 5 additional copies)
- Bankruptcy fee £2.90
- HM Land Registry Official copy entry £3.90
- s27 Advertisements in the London Gazette and in a local newspaper between approximately £200.00 – £300.00
Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as court fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.
Potential additional costs
There may be factors which would typically increase the cost of the fees involved. Where there is likely to be any additional cost, we will make sure you are informed of this at the earliest opportunity and a clear estimate of those extra costs will be provided.
Additional services that will require either additional advice from us or the assistance of a third party at additional cost include:-
- Tax advice
- Valuations for property, savings, investments or other assets
- Advice on the variation of the terms of the Will
- Correspondence with HM Revenue and Customs where queries to the value of assets returned for Probate are raised
- Foreign assets
- Collection and distribution of the assets in accordance with the terms of the Will
How long will this take?
On average, probate for the typical estate will take between 6 – 18 months. Generally, the time taken to obtain the Grant of Probate will take between 6 – 9 months, followed by the collection of assets and distribution of the assets which can take between 4 -12 months. The range takes into account handling everything from straightforward estates through to more complex estates but would not take into account estates where agricultural business assets are included or where we are dependent on third parties for the disposal of certain assets such as those based in other jurisdictions.
Inheritance tax:
Inheritance tax is payable on large estates. HMRC provides an Inheritance tax calculator on the following link, but we will assist you in calculating the tax when you instruct us:
https://www.gov.uk/inheritance-tax-reduced-rate-calculator
Who will deal with my case?
GGP can handle Probate and Estate Administration matters serviced by a team of experienced and capable solicitors. Cumulatively, they have over 80 years’ experience and are supported by experienced and well trained Support Staff. Our firm is Lexcel accredited and are audited annually. Lexcel is The Law Society’s quality assurance standard for client care, compliance and practice management.
You will find biographies for all our Probate practitioners on our “People” page – https://www.ggplaw.co.uk/our-people/
For your information those carrying out Probate work are:
Emily Clarke a Solicitor, Director and the Head of Department, Judith Morris a Solicitor, Rhian Lineham a Solicitor and Esther Trevelyan Chartered Legal Executive (FCILEx). The Solicitors are assisted by a dedicated team including Trainee Solicitors, Paralegals and Legal Secretaries.
