Probate - our fees explained

These costs apply for an estate where there is a valid Will; no disputes between beneficiaries on division of assets and no claims against the estate; and where there is no inheritance tax payable and the executors do not need to submit a full account to HMRC.

We anticipate this will take between 20 and 40 hours work at between £170 and £315 per hour. Total estimated costs could therefore be between  £3,900 and £12,000 (+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.

Disbursements not included in this fee may include:

• Probate application fee of £300.00 (plus £1.50 per additional copy)
• Bankruptcy-only Land Charges Department searches (£2+VAT per beneficiary)
• Post in The London Gazette and a local newspaper – Protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors.

In some circumstances 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.

This includes but is not restricted to:

• If there is no Will;
• If the estate consists of any share holdings (stocks and bonds);
• If there are a large amount beneficiaries or any beneficiaries are uncertain or missing
• If there is more than one property or assets abroad;

Dealing with the sale or transfer of any property in the estate is not included.

On average, estates that fall within this range are dealt with within 12-24 months.

• Typically, obtaining the grant of probate takes 12-24 weeks.
• Collecting assets then follows, which can take between 12-24 weeks – this can be a lot longer if there is a property to sell.
• Once this has been done, we can distribute the assets, which normally takes 6-12 weeks to include preparing final accounts.