Probate: Range of costs (with fixed fee for additional work) and fixed fee

Range of costs with fixed fee for additional work, applying for the grant, collecting and distributing the assets.

We anticipate this will take between 4 and 20 hours work at £250 per hour. Total costs estimated at – £1,000-£5,000 (+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.

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 is no more than 1 bank or building society accounts.

• There are no other intangible assets.

• 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.

In addition to our fees the following Disbursements are also payable:

• Probate application fee of £155 (as of 7^thDecember 2018)

• £10 Swearing of the oath (per executor)

• Bankruptcy-only Land Charges Department searches (£2 per beneficiary)

• £62.15 Post in The London Gazette – Protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors (as of 7^thDecember 2018)

• £50 Post in a Local Newspaper – This also helps to protect against unexpected claims (estimated and depends on locality)

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 50 pence each (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 3-6 months. Typically, obtaining the grant of probate takes 4-5 weeks. Collecting assets then follows, which can take between 3-4 weeks. We can distribute the assets after this and it normally takes 2-3 weeks.