• Cost of a basic will – Fixed  set price -£130 for standard Will and £180 for mirrored Will (inclusive of VAT)
  • Costs of a more complicated will – A will with anything non standard, with more than 2 specific gifts mentioned, will be on our  hourly  rates-set out below
  • Power of Attorney – Fixed  price-  £895 + VAT

Our Team

Our probate team are here to handle your matter and have over 20 years of legal experience in a team run by Sarah Smyth, an Associate member of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives supervised by Partner, Tim Allen.

Prices and key stages for Probate

In this situation we would generally be handling the estate of a family member, and confirm the stages of that process are as follows:-

  1. Identify the legally appointed executors or administrators and beneficiaries.
  2. Accurately identify the type of Probate application you will require.
  3. Obtain the relevant documents required to make the application.
  4. Complete the Probate application and the relevant HMRC forms.
  5. Draft a legal oath for you to have independently sworn.
  6. Make the application to the Probate Registry on your behalf.
  7. Obtain the Probate and securely copies to you.
  8. Collect and distribute all assets in the estate once the death has been advertised, and advise on Inheritance Tax accordingly.
  9. Produce a formal statement of the monies coming in and going out.

Sometimes people only need us to obtain the Court Order, rather than deal with the estate itself, and in this case our fixed fee would be £750 plus VAT and any additional disbursements which would typically include the Probate application fee of £273.00, Also £1.50 per copy of the Grant of Probate/Administration, which the court charge and a fee of £5.00 or so to have the oath independently sworn. With these types of instruction we would not advise on tax matters or the handling of the estate. This quote is on the basis of no tax being due for payment.

Other than that, we work on an hourly basis as we cannot know exactly what is involved in your case until we are going through the process itself. Each case would need to be assessed on its own merits. We would calculate the tax due, and provide advice accordingly. There may also be additional fees for the independent valuation of assets, such as by a stockbroker or auction house. A home valuation is likely to cost approximately £350.00 plus VAT. Clearly we can only estimate such costs on a case by case basis once the assets have been identified.

We charge for the legal work we do on a time recorded basis based on hourly rates. Our charging rate is based upon the seniority and experience of the file handler working on your case as follows:

  • £272.00 per hour plus VAT – Solicitors or CILEX with at least 8 years post-qualification experience (PQE);
  • £233.00 per hour plus VAT – Solicitors, CILEX or Costs Lawyers with at least 4 years PQE;
  • £189.00 per hour plus VAT – Solicitors, CILEX or Costs Lawyers with up to 4 years PQE and other staff of equivalent experience;
  • £134.00 per hour plus VAT – Paralegals, trainees or equivalent

 

This rate is reviewed periodically and you will be informed of any changes.  The rate does not include VAT, which will be added to the bill.

Our charges will also contain an element based on the value of the estate.  This is because the value is a reflection of the importance of the matter and, consequently, the responsibility of the firm.  This is as per the Law Society’s recommendation.  The usual rate is 0.75% of the deceased’s house and 1.50% of the gross value of the other assets.

On occasion we may be able to agree a fixed fee for larger estates, however again this would be on a case-specific basis. Please contact us to discuss your case further.

All disbursements attract VAT at 20% in addition, with the exception of Court fees.