Probate Fees & Expenses

Applying for the grant, collecting and distributing the assets

We anticipate this will take between 7 and 9 hours work at the hourly rate of the individual lawyer instructed to work on the matter. Total costs estimated at £2,500-£3,000 (+VAT).

Please Note: The exact probate fees and expenses 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.

Probate Fees & Expenses. The Law Society Accredited - Wills and Inheritance Quality

Handling the Entire Process

We will handle the full process for you. This estimate is a guide for estates where:

There is a valid will
There is no more than one property
There are no more than 5 or so bank or building society accounts
There are no other intangible assets
There are no more than 3 or 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 £273.00 (no VAT). A further £5-10 (no VAT) is usually payable to obtain copies of the Grant.
Bankruptcy-only Land Charges Department searches (£2 per beneficiary)
Approx £80.00 Post in The London Gazette – Protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors.

Approx £60 Post in a Local Newspaper – This also helps to protect against unexpected claims. These fees vary from paper to paper however and we have no control over them.

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 8-12 months. Typically, obtaining the grant of probate takes 3 months.

If a full account is required by HMRC then we estimate total costs of obtaining the grant would be in the region of £4,500 -£5,500 plus VAT. The disbursements detailed above would also apply. In such cases it usually takes 5-6 months to obtain the Grant.

If we were to administer the estate following the issue of the Grant we estimate fees would be similar to those for obtaining the Grant.

Please note:

These estimates are not fixed, our actual fees are based on hourly rates and therefore reflect the actual amount of time spent on a matter and therefore its complexity. We do not operate on a fixed fee basis nor do we charge an uplift based on the value of the estate.

Contact probate solicitor directly

Probate fees and expenses, rhw Solicitors in Guildford, Surrey. Please contact the Wills, Trusts and Estates team directly. Contact Jessica Pope or Helen Barker