WILLS AND PROBATE

We can administer the estate from the beginning, taking the stress out of your hands or we can provide whatever assistance and advice you require if you have decided to take the task on personally.

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We believe that everyone should take proper care of their estate planning by ensuring that they have a will in place and we are committed to helping our clients achieve that at very competitive, fixed prices.

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Probate

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Key stages

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• Meeting with you to discuss the terms of the deceased’s Will or the intestacy provisions and discuss the duties of the personal representatives 

• Investigating the value of the assets and liabilities within the estate 

•  Drafting the inheritance tax forms, the Legal Statement and advising details payment of any inheritance tax due 

• Corresponding with HMRC to deal with any queries they have about the estate 

• Making the application to the Probate Court 

• Providing you with a sealed copy of the Grant of Representation 

• Providing the Grant of Representation and closure/transfer forms to the various institutions the deceased had assets with

• Drafting estate accounts for the Personal Representatives 

 

Approximate timescales for full administration

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• 2–4 months to prepare probate application

• 2–8 weeks to obtain grant after submission

• 3–9 months to complete estate administration after grant 

 

Pricing time-based 

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Typical overall cost: 1%–3% of estate value (+ VAT AT 20% + disbursements)

Hourly rates (examples): Partners/consultants: £300 + VAT at 20%

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Final quote depends on estate complexity and scope of work required and we do not usually offer fixed fee services for this work but are happy to consider that option in more straightforward estate, such as those where no IHT400 is required and the issues are not complex. 

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Disbursements which are likely to be paid in addition are: 

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1. Probate application fee of (currently) £300.00 but this could be subject to change; 

2. If any additional sealed copies of the Grant are required this will currently cost £1.50 per copy. 

3. Section 27 Trustee Act Notices of between £200 - £300 plus VAT (currently at 20%); 

4. Bankruptcy searches of around £3 per search; 

 

Inheritance tax may also be payable – please see HMRC’s website for more information: https://www.gov.uk/topic/personal-tax/inheritance-tax

 

Potential additional costs

 

1. Dealing with the sale or transfer of any property in the estate is not included. We are not conveyancers and do not offer this service. If a transfer or sale of a property is required as part of the probate process we will advise you and can work with any conveyancer you choose or we can suggest some that we have worked with in the past. Please note that we do not offer or take and referral fees with respect to any work we undertake. 

2. If there is no Will or the Will is in the possession of another person or business there are likely to be additional costs that could range significantly depending upon the circumstances and the work required to retrieve the Will or else to advise and consider the intestacy rules where the deceased did not make a Will. 

3. If any additional work or advice is required over and above what has been agreed as part of our estimated costs, costs could increase. We will discuss these with you at the relevant time.