Probate Range of Costs

Probate Range of Costs (No Fixed Fee)

Grant of Probate – Applying for the grant, collecting and distributing the assets (Not fixed fee)

• The information provided below is a guide to approximate costs and timescales. We would always advise you to contact the office and speak to a member of our team to obtain a more detailed costs estimate and timescale tailored to your individual circumstances.
• We anticipate this will take between 10 and 15 hours work, work will be charged on an hourly basis and the level of fees will depend on the solicitor instructed. As an example our senior solicitors will charge at a rate of £275 per hour plus VAT and costs will be in the range of £2,200 to £3,300 plus VAT.
• 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. More complex matters will take more time and costs will therefore increase accordingly.
• 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 3 bank or building society accounts
• There are no other intangible assets
• There are no more than 4 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 not included in this fee:

• Probate application fee of £273 plus £1.50p per copy
• Bankruptcy-only Land Charges Department searches (£2 per beneficiary)
• £250 to £350 to post a notice in The London Gazette and 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.

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.
• 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 to 6 months. Typically, obtaining the grant of probate takes 8 weeks. Collecting assets then follows, which can take between 2 to 4 weeks. Once this has been done, we can distribute the assets, which normally takes 2 to 4 weeks.