Probate/Estate Administration

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

We charge a fixed fee of 1.5% of the gross value of the Estate for inheritance tax purposes, plus VAT plus disbursements (subject to a minimum fee of £3,500 plus VAT plus disbursements).

This includes obtaining the grant, collecting assets and distributing them.

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

The typical disbursements in an Estate Administration case include (but are not limited to) the following:

Probate Fee
£273.00

Swearing of any affidavits that are required in connection with the application
£5.00 per Executor plus £2.00 for each exhibit

Bankruptcy only Land Charges department search
£2.00 per beneficiary

Trustee Act Notice in the London Gazette and local newspaper
Between £230 and £350. This helps against any unknown creditors

There may also be other administration expenses payable by the Estate, for example, property clearance fees, estate agents' fees, valuation fees/auctioneers' fees, etc.

Inheritance tax may also be payable as well as other taxes, for example, capital gains tax.

As part of our fees, we will:

• Provide you with a dedicated and experienced probate solicitor to work on your matter;
• Identify the legally appointed executors or administrators and beneficiaries;
• Accurately identify the type of probate application you will require;
• Obtain the relevant documents required to make the application;
• Complete the probate application and relevant HMRC forms;
• Draft the legal statement for you to sign;
• Make the application to the Probate Registry on your behalf;
• Obtain the Probate and securely send two copies to you;
• Collect and distribute all assets in the Estate.

On average, Estates are dealt with in around 12 months. Typically, obtaining the Grant of Probate takes 12-16 weeks, collecting assets can then take between 2-6 months.

Once this has been done, we can distribute the assets. The timescale may be longer than this due to factors outside of our control.

Probate only

We also offer a service where we will obtain the Grant of Probate on your behalf and allow you to proceed with the remainder of the Estate administration yourself.

We charge a fixed fee of £2,500.00 plus VAT plus disbursements.

This includes obtaining the Grant of Probate only. We do not collect the assets and distribute them on your behalf.

The disbursements applicable to this service are likely to include the following:

Probate Fee
£273.00

Swearing of any affidavits that are required in connection with the application
£5.00 per Executor plus £2.00 for each exhibit