Probate law fees

Probate:

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Probate law fees

Probate – Obtaining the Grant

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

How much does this service cost?

If Personal Representatives only require assistance with papers required for obtaining the Grant of Representation a fixed fee will be agreed:

This is typically between £950 – £1,500 plus VAT if the estate is not chargeable to inheritance tax.
If the estate is subject to inheritance tax and the HMRC full account is required, a fixed fee to obtain the Grant will be between £1,750 – £3,500 plus VAT, depending on the number of estate assets involved.

Disbursements

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.

A Probate Court fee of £155
Oath fees of £7 (per executor)

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
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

How long will my matter take?

Typically, obtaining the grant of probate takes 8-16 weeks.

Probate – Administering the Estate (once the Grant is obtained)

To provide further assistance in administering the estate following issue of the Grant we charge on an hourly basis. Please note that these fees are in addition to the fixed fees noted above. Fees are discussed and agreed before we proceed to this next stage.

Hourly rates range from £175 – £240 plus VAT dependent on the experience of the lawyer instructed. On average, fees to complete the estate administration are between £1,000 – £2,500 plus VAT unless the estate is highly complex. We do not charge a percentage of the estate value.

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 investments, costs will be at the higher end. If an estate becomes contentious then further legal costs will arise.

Disbursements

Further disbursements (in addition to those already noted above) may be payable to third parties such as:

Land Registry fees £3 – £30
Advertisements to comply with the Trustee Act £150 +vat
Bankruptcy searches (£2 per beneficiary).

Key Stages/Services

We will handle the full process for you including registering the Probate with the financial institutions, collect or transfer all assets in the estate.

Potential additional costs

If any additional copies of the grant are required, they will cost £0.50 (1 per asset usually).
Dealing with the sale or transfer of any property in the estate is not included.

We have a Conveyancing department to enable probate properties to be sold by this firm to streamline the process.

How long will my matter take?

On average, estates that fall within this range are dealt with within 4-6 months. As advised above, obtaining the grant of probate takes 8-16 weeks. Collecting assets then follows, which can take between 4-12 weeks. Once this has been done, we can distribute the assets, which normally takes 2-4 weeks.

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Registration Office. Thorneycroft Solicitors Ltd, Bridge Street Mills, Bridge Street, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK11 6QA. Registered in England No. 4932249 The term `director`, denotes a shareholder or director of the company or an employee or consultant who is a lawyer with equivalent standing and qualifications. Authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, SRA ID: 406439. Calls may be recorded for security & training purposes.