How much does Probate cost?
We will provide you with initial advice free of charge by telephone.
Our fees for applying to the Probate Registry and administering an estate are calculated based on the time we spend dealing with the administration and are charged at £240 per hour (including VAT) starting from £720 to apply for a Grant of Probate.
If you also wish us to deal with gathering all of the necessary figures and distributing the estate, a straightforward estate would take in the region of 10-20 hours in total, amounting to £2,400 to £4,800 (including VAT). The final fee is dependent on the size and complexity of the estate, but we shall provide an estimate of our fees at the outset based on the information provided and will review this throughout the matter.
In addition, there will be payments to third parties such as:-
- Probate application fee of £300.
- £1.50 per copy of Grant.
- Fees paid to the Land Registry relating to property.
- Bankruptcy-only Land Charges Department searches
- Post in The London Gazette – Protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors.
- Post in a Local Newspaper – This also helps to protect against unexpected claims.
Our costs do not include:-
- Dealing with disputes about the terms of the Will or other claims against the estate.
- Inheritance tax might be payable on estates worth more than £325,000.
- Conveyancing costs associated with selling or transferring a property that forms part of the estate. These are charged on a fixed fee basis.
How long will probate and administration take?
Typically, obtaining the grant of probate or representation takes 10 to 12 weeks, after having gathered all of the necessary figures to prepare the application. Collecting assets then follows, which can take between 2 to 4 months. Once this has been done we can distribute the assets, which normally takes 2 to 4 weeks. This does not include the time it takes to sell any property that forms part of the estate.
Who will be dealing with my case?
Your case will be dealt with by Adele Baskerville and Emma Paxton.
