Our charges for obtaining Grant of Probate/ Letters of Administration only, are fixed fees. We complete the application based on information provided by you. We do not contact any of the organisations and do not validate the information provided. When the Grant is received we forward it to you, for you to collect in the assets and distribute to the beneficiaries.

Following the issue of the Grant, if you wish to sell any property in the estate, or have it transferred into the names of beneficiaries, this work will be quoted for separately.

Our fees for full administration are on a time spent basis at our standard hourly rates; each hour is broken down into six minute units. Our work is carried out by the team at different levels. Hourly rates range from £135 to £300 depending on seniority and experience.

We will handle the full process for you. For estates where:

• There is a valid Will

• There is no more than one property

• There are no more than 3 bank or building society accounts

• There are no other investments

• There are 1-2 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

as a guide we would expect these type of estates to take between 15 to 25 hours of work with legal fees estimated at £4,000 to £8,000 (+VAT at 20%).

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, a property and multiple bank accounts, costs will be at the higher end.

If you are selling property from the estate, this would be dealt with by our conveyancing team and will be quoted for separately.

• Higher value estates worth over £1m

• Lifetime gifts

• Claims to transfer Inheritance Tax Nil Rate Band

• or Residence Nil Rate Band

• Business or agricultural property

• Multiple properties

• Multiple beneficiaries or missing beneficiaries

• Charitable beneficiaries

• Multiple bank accounts or shareholdings

• Operating or selling a business

• Private company shares

• Assets abroad

• Assets of a specialist nature i.e. fine art

• Complex tax issues including taxable estates

• An unclear Will

• Property issues i.e. missing title deeds

• Arranging/involvement with clearing property and preparing for sale

• Transfer of investments and other assets to beneficiaries

• Deeds of Variation, disclaimer or renunciation of executor

• DWP investigations or claims against the estate

• Engagement in litigation or a contested or disputed estate

• Any other duties of an unusual or complex nature

• A specialist solicitor dealing with your case

• Meetings with you

• Probate valuation of investments (not including property valuations, chattels valuations for jewellery and fine art etc or share valuations which may incur a separate charge - see disbursements)

• Preparing the probate application and any inheritance tax forms

• Postage and telephone costs as well as all correspondence received and sent out

• Arranging statutory notices

• Closing accounts, arranging the sale or transfer of investments and assets

• Arranging for income tax affairs to be dealt with.

• Preparation of Estate accounts to evidence the distribution of the estate.

• Distributing the Estate to beneficiaries

All fees quoted above are exclusive of disbursements, expenses and third party costs incurred e.g. estate agents, valuation fees and conveyancing costs, which will be charged in addition to the fees quoted above. The regular disbursements that may arise on the administration of an estate include but are not limited to the following:

• Land Registry Office Copies - £7 plus VAT@20% per title

• Bankruptcy searches- £6 plus VAT@20% per beneficiary/payment

• Statutory Notices Fee - £200 - £250 (approx)

• Dormant Asset Search Fee - £195 plus VAT@20%

• Probate Court Fee (payable to HM Courts & Tribunal Services) - £300 plus £16 for each official copy of the grant required

• If required, we will charge a fee of up to £15.00 plus VAT for each check to verify your identity.

Our Probate and Estate Administration Fees do not include:

• Accountant's Fees - this may be required if estate tax returns are needed for the estate administration period. For more information on estate tax returns and the necessary forms, you can visit gov.uk

• Conveyancing Fees on sale of a property - this can, however, be dealt with by our conveyancing department, which can be cost-effective and quicker due to having everything dealt with "under one roof". Obtain a quote for property sale or transfer here.

• Estate Agents' Fees - these would be agreed with whichever estate agent is instructed to deal with any property sale. For a full case-specific estimate, please contact us to discuss the specifics of your probate and administration of the estate needs.

Timescales will depend on the complexity of the Estate. In probate matters, it can take up to 6 months before probate is granted and it can be at least a further 6 months before the estate is finalised. Sometimes there are complications and the matter can become more protracted but we would seek to keep you updated with any unexpected delays in dealing with the administration. If appropriate we would make interim distributions prior to the administration being completed.