Costs and timescales

We can help you through this difficult process by obtaining the Grant of Probate on your behalf. We will also undertake the collecting and distributing of assets.

How much does this service cost?

Our minimum cost to apply for a Grant when the asset information has been provided by the personal administrators is £1100 plus VAT at 20%. For any other matters we charge on an hourly rate. The hourly rate ranges from £100 plus VAT at 20% for the work carried out by a Trainee Solicitor to £305 plus VAT at 20% for a Director. The fee earner dealing with the matter will depend on the complexity of the case. The administration of a basic estate is likely to be in the region of £4,000 plus VAT at 20% whilst complex estates may be £15,000 plus VAT at 20% or above.

The exact cost will depend on the individual circumstances of the 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, multiple assets and Inheritance Tax is payable, the costs will be at the higher end.

It is difficult to assess at the start of a matter the total time that will be taken in the administration of this estate, because we do not yet have details of all the assets in it and the issues that might arise. However, in our experience, a reasonable charge for the winding up an average estate is 2% of the gross value of the assets in it plus VAT at 20%. We will normally, within two months, give you a more accurate estimate,

We will handle the full process for you. This quote for a basic estate is where:

• There is a valid Will
• There is no more than one property
• There are no more than five bank or building society accounts
• There no more than five beneficiaries
• There are no disputes between beneficiaries on division of assets. If disputes arise this is likely to lead to an increase in costs
• 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

Disbursements included in this fee:

• Probate application fee of £273
• Bankruptcy-only Land Charges Department searches (£2 per beneficiary). An overseas bankruptcy search will cost in the region of £99 plus VAT at 20%
• Approx £250 for Statutory Notices in The London Gazette and a Local Newspaper – Protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors or unexpected claims

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:

• If there is no will or the estate consists of any share holdings (stocks and bonds) there is likely to be additional costs that could range significantly depending on the estate and how it is to be dealt with. We can give you a more accurate quote once we have more information.
• If any additional copies of the grant are required, they will cost 50p per copy (1 per asset usually).
• Dealing with the sale or transfer of any property in the estate is not included.

How long will this take?

On average, estates that fall within this range are dealt with within 9-12 months. Typically, obtaining the grant of probate takes 8-10 weeks. Collecting assets then follows, which can take between 6-8 weeks. Once this has been done, we can distribute the assets, which normally takes 4-6 weeks. If there is a property to be sold, the distribution of the estate may be longer depending on how long the property takes to sell.