Probate Fees

Uncontested Probate Cases with all Assets in the UK

Applying for the grant, collecting and distributing the assets (straightforward estate)

This will take on average between 10 and 25 hours of work at £315.00 per hour ranging from £3,150.00-£7,875.00 plus VAT and disbursements.

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 or often less. If there are multiple beneficiaries, a property, stocks and shares and multiple bank accounts, costs will be at the higher end or possibly higher.

• We will handle the full process for you. This quote relates to estates where:
• There is a valid will.
• There is no more than one property.
• There are no more than 5 banks or building societies involved.
• There are no other intangible assets.
• There are 5 or fewer beneficiaries.
• There are no disputes between beneficiaries on the division of 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 or the full account is required to be substituted and there is no inheritance tax to pay or the inheritance tax position is straightforward.
• There are no claims made against the

Disbursements payable in addition to this fee would include

• Probate application fee of £300.00 (and £1.50 per extra sealed copy).
• Bankruptcy-only Land Charges Department searches (£6.00 plus VAT per beneficiary)
• Post in The London Gazette – Protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors (Usually under £250.00).
• Post in a Local Newspaper – This also helps to protect against unexpected claims (Usually under £200.00).

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

• If there is no will or the estate includes for example shareholdings (stocks and bonds) there are 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 £1.50 per copy if obtained with the Grant (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 6-12 months. Typically, obtaining the grant of probate takes 4-6 months on average. Collecting assets then follows, which can take between 4-8 weeks. Once this has been done, we can usually distribute the assets, which normally takes a few weeks. With timescales much often depends on for example the time it takes to sell a property or to sell and release certain assets.

Obtaining the Grant of Probate (Fixed Fee)

We can help you through this difficult process by obtaining the Grant of Probate on your behalf.

How much does this service cost?

Fixed fee of £950.00 plus VAT for shorter form of Inland Revenue accounts.

Fixed fee of £1950.00 plus VAT for longer form of Inland Revenue accounts (no inheritance tax payable).

Fixed fee of £2750.00 plus VAT for longer form of Inland Revenue accounts (inheritance tax payable).

This includes preparing the paperwork to obtain the Grant of Probate only and includes any attendances at the office and any telephone calls.

As part of our fixed fee 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
• Request from the client the relevant documents required to make the application
• Complete the Probate Application and the relevant HMRC forms
• Draft a legal oath for you to swear
• Make the application to the Probate Court on your behalf
• Obtain the Probate and securely send copies to you

There is also a mark up element of the value of the estate which may be applied as follows:-

Our charges are however calculated mainly by reference to the time spent dealing with the matter.  The mark-up element will only be applied in limited cases, following an assessment of the circumstances, including complexity and risk.

How long will this take?

On average, obtaining the grant of probate takes between 16 and 20 weeks once sent to the Probate registry. This very much depends on the Probate registry’s processing times.