Anticipated Professional Fees on a time spent basis.
The current rate of VAT (payable where indicated) is 20%.
Fee Ranges by Estate Type
| Non-Contentious Estate 1 | Non-Contentious Estate 2 | Non-Contentious Estate 3 | Non-Contentious Estate 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fee range | £1,000 to £10,000 Plus VAT £200 to £2,000 & third party payments |
£2,500 to £15,000 Plus VAT £500 to £3,000 & third party payments |
£3,000 to £30,000 Plus VAT £600 to £6,000 & third party payments |
£10,000 to £50,000 Plus VAT £2,000 to £10,000 & third party payments |
| Will type or intestacy | Simple Will or Intestacy No Trusts set up |
Will or Intestacy No Trusts set up |
Will or Intestacy 0 to 2 Trusts set up |
Will or Intestacy 0 to 5 Trusts set up |
| Assets | ||||
| Bank / Building Society Accounts / NS&I assets (with different providers) | 0 to 5 | 0 to 10 | Any number | Any number |
| Property | 0 to 1 residential | 0 to 1 residential | 0 to 1 residential | 0 to 2 residential 0 to 1 commercial |
| Life policies (with different providers) | 0 to 2 | 0 to 5 | 0 to 10 | Any number |
| Stocks and shares | 0 to 5 individual holdings | 0 to 15 individual holdings and/or portfolios managed by fund manager | 0 to 30 individual holdings and/or portfolios managed by fund manager | Any number of individual holdings and/or portfolios managed by fund manager |
| Other business assets | No | No | No | Yes |
| Foreign assets | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Intangible assets | No | No | No | No |
| Beneficiaries & tax | ||||
| Beneficiaries | 1 to 5 (adult, non-charity) | 1 to 10 (adults and/or charities) | 1 to 20 (adults and/or minors and/or charities) | Any number (adults and/or minors and/or charities) |
| Inheritance Tax payable | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Tax returns | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Estate accounts | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Additional Third Party Fees / Disbursements
| Disbursement | Non-Contentious Estate 1 | Non-Contentious Estate 2 | Non-Contentious Estate 3 | Non-Contentious Estate 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Probate application fee | £300 Increasing to £526 from 13/7/26 |
£300 Increasing to £526 from 13/7/26 |
£300 Increasing to £526 from 13/7/26 |
£300 Increasing to £526 from 13/7/26 |
| Money Laundering checks (per executor / beneficiary) Fee dependent on level of check required |
£6.75 to £25 per person plus VAT (£1.35 to £5) | £6.75 to £25 per person plus VAT (£1.35 to £5) | £6.75 to £25 per person plus VAT (£1.35 to £5) | £6.75 to £25 per person plus VAT (£1.35 to £5) |
| Bankruptcy search fee (per UK beneficiary) Fee for non-UK resident beneficiaries will vary |
£6 plus VAT (£1.20) | £6 plus VAT (£1.20) | £6 plus VAT (£1.20) | £6 plus VAT (£1.20) |
| Trustee Act Notice In London Gazette & local newspaper |
£150 to £250 (usually plus VAT £30 to £50) | £150 to £250 (usually plus VAT £30 to £50) | £150 to £250 (usually plus VAT £30 to £50) | £150 to £250 (usually plus VAT £30 to £50) |
Our Anticipated Professional Fees
It is not possible to give an exact cost as this will depend on the individual circumstances of a particular matter. Our guidelines above are designed to give a range of potential costs covering the simplest to the most complex of estates.
Our final costs will be calculated on the time spent in dealing with your matter and will be charged at an hourly rate between £290 and £330 plus VAT (between £58 and £66). We do not charge a percentage of the value of the estate.
You will appreciate that the time that it can take to deal with the obtaining of the Grant of Probate to an estate and thereafter to administer the estate to its conclusion can vary considerably depending on the nature of the estate in question.
Factors That Can Make an Estate More Complex
- Where there is no valid will or a disputed will.
- Complex assets such as business property, farms, shares in private or overseas companies, or overseas property.
- Multiple beneficiaries, particularly in the case of an intestacy.
- Claims against the estate.
Estimated Timescale
Given the circumstances outlined above it could take anywhere between 1 and 12 months to obtain the Grant of Probate. Thereafter the collection of assets can take anything from a few weeks to months depending on the asset in question and its location. Overseas property, for example, could take many months.
Key Stages
Your fees will include:
- The provision of a dedicated and experienced probate practitioner to work on your matter.
- The identification of the legally appointed Executors or Administrators and beneficiaries.
- Accurately identifying the type of Probate application required.
- Obtaining all relevant information to enable the application to be made.
- Completing the probate application and the relevant HM Revenue and Customs forms.
- Drafting the appropriate Oath or Statement of Truth.
- Submitting the application on your behalf.
- Obtaining the Grant of Probate and supplying copies.
- Collecting the assets, paying liabilities and distributing the estate.
- Preparing accounts.
- Dealing with HM Revenue and Customs in connection with all relevant taxes, including inheritance tax, capital gains tax and income tax (where appropriate).
Profiles of our qualified and experienced probate specialists can be found in the “Our People” section of our website.
Please Note
- Your probate matter will be undertaken by our qualified and experienced probate specialists whose profiles may be found on the “Our People” pages of this site. Supervision is provided by our Head of Private Client who is a solicitor (qualified 2006) and a partner in the firm.
- Fees quoted are guidelines only. We would welcome the opportunity to discuss with you your particular circumstances and provide a more tailored estimate of the anticipated fees.