SIMPLE PROBATE FEE ESTIMATE

Applying for the grant, collecting and distributing the assets

We anticipate this will take between 8 and 12 hours work at £200 per hour for an uncomplicated estate. Therefore, we estimate total costs to be £1600-£2400 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.

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 1 or 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
• No IHT or CGT planning is required for the beneficiary/beneficiaries

Disbursements excluded from the above fee:

• Probate application fee of £155 plus £15 for extra copies of the Grant of Probate/ Letters of Administration
• Bankruptcy-only Land Charges Department searches (£2 per beneficiary)
• £114.60 Notice in the London Gazette – Protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors.
• £TBC Post in a Local Newspaper – This also helps to protect against unexpected claims.
• Land registry fee for AS1 – £20-£125

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.
• If a full account needs to be given to HMRC in form IHT 400.

How long will this take?

On average, estates that fall within this range are dealt with within 6-12 months. Typically, obtaining the grant of probate takes 6-8 weeks. Collecting assets then follows, which can take a further 8-12 weeks. Once this has been done, we can distribute the assets, which normally takes 4-6 weeks if there is no dispute between the beneficiaries.