Probate: Administration of Estates

Our fees for dealing with the administration of an estate where the assets are in the UK and where matters are not contested are based on hourly rates. The hourly rates of the team who may deal with your matter range from £120 to £275 plus VAT (£144 to £330 inclusive of VAT).

We anticipate that our fees for dealing with the whole matter will be in the following ranges, if we are instructed to deal with the whole of the administration:

A small estate will cost between £2,500 to £4,500 plus VAT (£3,000 to £5,400 inclusive of VAT).

A medium estate will cost between £4,500 to £12,000 plus VAT (£5,400 to £14,400 inclusive of VAT).

A high value estate will cost between £12,000 to £70,000 plus VAT (£14,400 to £84,000 inclusive of VAT).

Factors that could make the matter more complex include:

  • The overall value of the estate
  • The number and type of assets
  • The number and ages of the beneficiaries
  • The complexity and validity of the Will
  • If the deceased died intestate (without a Will)
  • Trust creation and administration
  • Missing beneficiaries
  • Disputes involving the executors and beneficiaries
  • Tax planning advice
  • Claims by beneficiaries and non beneficiaries for provision/ further provision under the terms of the Will
  • Foreign property and assets
  • Beneficiaries based overseas
  • Executors based overseas

Example costs for a small estate where the Will leaves all assets to the husband/ wife:

This includes applying for the Grant of Probate, collecting and distributing the assets as well as completing the tax return for each beneficiary (if relevant) based on the following assumptions:

There is a valid Will
There is no more than one building / house
There is no more than one bank or building society account
There are no other intangible assets
There is one beneficiary
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

Total costs estimated at £2,500 to £4,500 plus VAT at 20% (£3,000 to £5,400 inclusive of VAT). *

We will handle the full process for you. This estimate is for a small estate where the Will leaves all assets to the husband/ wife.

Disbursements

*where applicable, disbursements are subject to VAT charged at 20%.

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.

Disbursements that you have to pay as part of the Probate expenses that are not included in the above fee:

Item Cost VAT Amount (20%) Total
Probate application fee to the court £155.00-£160.00 (No VAT) N/A £155.00-£160.00
Bankruptcy – only Land Charges Department searches £2.00 per name + VAT £0.40 £2.40
Post in The London Gazette – Protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors £77.00 + VAT £15.40 £92.40*
*Please note prices may vary
Post in a Local Newspaper – The exact fee is dependent upon the size of the advertisement placed. This also helps to protect against unexpected claims. £250.00-£350.00 + VAT £50.00-£70.00 £300.00-£420.00

If there is no Will or the estate consists of any share holdings (stocks and bonds) there will 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 estimate once we have more information.

If any additional copies of the grant are required, they will cost £1.50 for each additional copy (1 per asset usually). Dealing with the sale or transfer of any property in the estate is not included. We will give you a separate quote for this.

How long will this take?

On average, estates that fall within this range are dealt with within 6 to 12 months.

Typically, obtaining the Grant of Probate takes 3 months. Collecting assets then follows, which can take between 3-6 months. Once this has been done, we can distribute the assets.

* Any costs estimate we give at any time is a guide to assist you in budgeting. It is not intended to be fixed, unless that is specifically agreed in writing.

Any fixed fee, capped fee or other fee arrangement we agree with you, or any costs estimate we give you, is based on the scope of the work anticipated and our assumptions about the matter at the time it is agreed or given. If the scope of the work changes or the assumptions change it will no longer apply. In that case we will discuss a revised fee arrangement or estimate with you.

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