The following explains the legal costs we charge for probate work in relation to uncontested cases where all of the assets in the estate of the deceased are in the UK.

Our charging formula will depend on the value of the estate of the deceased.

In order to better understand the probate process following the death of an individual, you may find it of assistance to refer to the following link: Gov.UK – Probate

Whether or not inheritance tax is payable will depend on a number of factors including the size of the estate, exemptions, reliefs and allowances (e.g. spouse exemption, agricultural/business property relief and the nil rate band allowance for the deceased).

For more detailed information about inheritance tax the following online link may be helpful: Gov.UK – Inheritance Tax

Probate Work – Legal Costs

This service includes: obtaining the grant, collecting assets and distributing them and corresponding with HMRC regarding any Inheritance Tax Liability.

1. How much does this service cost?

We will charge a fixed fee which equates to 1% of the gross value of the estate plus VAT.

N.B. The value of the gross estate means the value of the estate before the deduction of debts.

2. This fee quote is for estates where:

  • There is a valid will.
  • The value of the gross estate is between £250,000 and £1.25 million.
  • There are no disputes between beneficiaries on division of assets.
  • There are no claims made by creditors against the estate.

3. Disbursements payable in addition to our fee:

  • Probate application fee of £157.
  • £7 Swearing of the oath (per executor).
  • Bankruptcy-only Land Charges Department searches (£2 per beneficiary).
  • £180 Statutory advert in The London Gazette and in a Local Newspaper – Protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors.

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.

4. As part of our fee we will:

  1. Provide you with a dedicated and experienced probate solicitor to work on your matter.
  2. Identify the legally appointed executors or administrators and beneficiaries.
  3. Accurately identify the type of Probate application you will require.
  4. Obtain the relevant documents required to make the application.
  5. Complete the Probate Application and the relevant HMRC Inheritance Tax forms.
  6. Draft the Oath for the Executors.
  7. Make arrangements for the payment of the Inheritance Tax to HMRC.
  8. Make the application for Probate to the Probate Registry on your behalf.
  9. Obtain the Grant of Probate.
  10. Collect and distribute all assets in the estate after payment of debts.

5. How long will this take?

  1. On average, estates that fall within this range are dealt with within 4 – 8 months.
  2. Typically, obtaining the grant of probate takes 3 – 6 months.
  3. Collecting assets then follows, which can take between 4 – 6 weeks.
  4. Once this has been done, we can distribute the assets, which normally takes 3 – 4 weeks.