Obtaining Grant of Representation only (simple estate with a few assets and no inheritance tax) from £600 + Court fee

Obtaining Grant of Representation only (complex estate) from £1,000 + Court fee

Estate administration Quote to be provided based upon work required

Please note that the Court fee payable on making an application to the Probate Registry is currently set at £300 with additional copies of the Grant charged at £16.

Other 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.

  • Bankruptcy-only Land Charges Department searches (£6 per beneficiary)
  • Post in The London Gazette – Protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors. Current prices range from £96.55 - £113.70 + vat
  • Post in a Local Newspaper – This also helps to protect against unexpected claims- costs vary depending upon the newspaper selected.

What is included in the fixed fee?

As part of the fixed fee I 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 (where applicable)
  • Draft a legal statement for you to sign
  • Make the application to the Probate Court on your behalf
  • Obtain the Probate and securely send copies to you as requested

 

How I can help you.

Navigating the legal and tax complexities of obtaining a Grant of Representation and administering an estate, often whilst also grieving the passing of a loved one, can be overwhelming, time consuming and simply confusing.

If you require advice/assistance dealing with probate and estate administration, then please do not hesitate to get in touch to discuss how I can help. I am always happy to have a no obligation conversation, answering any questions you may have with a view to helping you understand what work is required and how I may help you, with a tailored quote being provided at this stage.

A simple estate would be one where all of the assets are in the United Kingdom, there is no inheritance tax to pay and the assets are known and not more than 5 or 6. For example, a few bank accounts, a property and some investments.

Where the estate is more complex, for example with assets held in other jurisdictions and where inheritance tax is payable, the cost quoted above also includes completing a full inheritance tax return (where necessary), calculating the inheritance tax payable and obtaining the Grant of Representation. In addition to these costs, any inheritance tax will usually need to be paid to HMRC before the Court will issue the Grant.

The costs quoted above do not include the costs for the administration of the estate following receipt of the Grant of Representation, which usually includes collecting in the various assets, the preparation of full Estate Accounts and distribution of the estate in accordance with the terms of any will or intestacy. This work will be charged at an hourly rate of £200 and a quotation can be provided based upon the nature of the work required.

For a simple estate, I anticipate that dealing with the administration of the estate following receipt of the Grant of Probate will take between 3 and 4 hours work at £200 per hour. Total costs estimated are therefore £600 to £800.

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.

I 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 4 bank or building society accounts
  • There are no other intangible assets
  • There are 3-4 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

 

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. I can give you a more accurate quote once I have more information.
  • Dealing with the sale or transfer of any property in the estate is not included. Please note that I do not deal with conveyancing and you will need to instruct a separate conveyancing solicitor to deal with any property transactions.

 

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 up to 16 weeks. Collecting assets then follows, which can take between 4-8 weeks. Once this has been done, we can distribute the assets, which normally takes 2-4 weeks.

You may wish to refer to Legal Choices which provides helpful information about the probate process.