Guide to probate and/or letters of administration costs and timescales
We anticipate the period typically incurred to extract a Grant of Probate will take between 3 and 5 hours work at the rate of £165.00 – £225.00 per hour dependent upon the experience of the fee earner involved. Total costs estimated would therefore be from £495.00 together with VAT. The administration of the estate would incur the same hourly rate but the number of hours of work incurred can vary enormously dependent upon the amount of work involved.
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.
We will handle the full process for you. This quote is for estates where:
- There is a valid will
- There is no more than one property
- There are no more than 2 bank or building society accounts
- There are no other intangible assets
- There are between 2 and 8 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 £155
- £7 Swearing of the oath (per executor)
- Bankruptcy-only Land Charges Department searches (£2 per beneficiary)
- £90 Post in The London Gazette – Protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors.
- £90 Post in a Local Newspaper – This also helps to protect against 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 £1 (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 3 and 9 months. Typically, obtaining the grant of probate takes between 4 and 6 weeks. Collecting assets then follows, which can take between 8 and 12 weeks. Once this has been done, we can distribute the assets, which normally takes between 4 and 6 weeks.
Probate
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?
TOTAL: fixed fee of £950 together with VAT.
Breakdown of costs:
Legal fees £650
VAT on legal fees £130
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.
As part of our fixed fee we will:
- Provide you with a dedicated and experienced probate practitioner 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 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 two copies to you
On average, estates that fall within this range are dealt with within 3 and 6 months. Typically, obtaining the grant of probate takes between 6 and 8 weeks. Collecting assets then follows, which can take between 4 and 6 weeks. Once this has been done, we can distribute the assets, which normally takes 2 and 4 weeks.
In respect of collecting and distributing the assets of an estate this work attracts an additional fee which will be discussed and agreed with you at the start of the case. The fee depends upon he additional work to be carried out which is specific to each case.
