Probate Solicitors Fees
The team at Paul Crowley & Co Solicitors Limited has over 15 years of collective experience in delivering high quality work in all matters relating to wills and estate administration. They have particular expertise in Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney, Court of Protection and Estate Administration.
Our Private Client Team consists of a solicitor and two paralegals / legal assistants who may work on your matter. Regardless of who works on your matter, they will be supervised by Directors Daniel Griffiths and Paul Lowry, who head up the Private Client Team.
Paul Crowley & Co Solicitors Limited have experience in Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney, Estate Administration and Trusts. All members of staff are supported and supervised appropriately so that the quality of advice is not affected, regardless of who is working on your case.
Probate Fees and Costs
We offer two levels of service for Probate matters:
- Probate: Grant Only
- Probate: Estate Administration
Please see below for a guide to legal fees under each level of service:
Probate – Grant Only
We can assist with obtaining the Grant of Probate on behalf of the Estate.
Once the Grant is issued by the Probate Registry, you will then be able to deal with the administration of the Estate yourself.
We offer a fixed fee for Grant only applications.
Gross Estate up to £325,000
| Fixed Fee | VAT @ prevailing rate (currently 20%) | Disbursements | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| £800.00 | £160.00 | Court Fee £273.00 | £1,233.00 |
| Additional variable expenses | |||
| Copy Grant £1.50 each | |||
| AML Check £9.00 per Executor | |||
| Bankruptcy check £2.00 per Executor |
Gross Estate above £325,000
| Fixed Fee | VAT @ prevailing rate (currently 20%) | Disbursements | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| £1200.00 | £240.00 | Court Fee £273.00 | £1,713.00 |
| Additional variable expenses | |||
| Copy Grant £1.50 each | |||
| AML Check £9.00 per Executor | |||
| Bankruptcy check £2.00 per Executor |
As part of our fixed fee will:
- Provide you with a dedicated and experienced lawyer to work on your matter.
- Identify the legally appointed executors or administrators.
- Accurately identify the type of Probate application you will require.
- Obtain the relevant documents required to make the application.
- Complete the Probate Application and the relevant HMRC forms.
- Prepare a legal statement for you to sign.
- Make the application to the District Probate Registry on your behalf.
- Obtain the Grant of Probate and securely send the same with any additional copies to you.
For Grant only matters we do not contact the asset holders and will prepare the application based on the valuations you provide for the Estate. Generally it will take 2-4 months for the Grant to be issued from receipt of details of the assets and liabilities from you.
Probate – Estate Administration
We can assist with the full administration of the Estate.
Where we are instructed to deal with the full administration of an Estate we will:
- Obtain date of death valuations for all assets and liabilities
- Establish a full list of beneficiaries and verify the identification of each beneficiary
- Extract the Grant of Probate on your behalf
- Collect in the assets of the Estate
- Settle the liabilities of the Estate
- Prepare Estate accounts for approval by the Executors and therefore distribute too beneficiaries.
These matters are dealt with on a time and cost basis and our hourly rate is £275 plus VAT per hour. We anticipate most full administration matters will involve 10 – 25 hours work. As such total costs will be between £2,750 and £6,875 plus VAT and disbursements.
The exact cost will vary depending on the complexities of the matter and we will provide you with a quote at our initial meeting once the details of the Estate are known.
The above estimate is based on the following factors:
- There is no more than one property.
- There are no more than 5 – 7 bank or building society accounts.
- There are no business assets.
- There are no foreign assets.
- There are no trusts arising under the Will and no associated trusts.
- There are no more than 6 – 8 beneficiaries.
- 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 Inheritance Tax account to HM Revenue & Customs.
- There are no claims made against the estate by third parties such as a disappointed beneficiary, creditor or the Department for Work and Pensions.
Possible additional costs
- If there is no will and beneficiaries need to be traced or a genealogist instructed.
- Dealing with the sale or transfer of any property in the estate is not included.
- If the deceased’s income tax affairs up to date of death and for the period of administration need to be finalised there may be accountancy fees for undertaking completion of the tax returns.
- Advising in relation to any trusts arising under the Will or any associated trusts.
- Maintenance of the property and garden until the property is sold.
Timescales
Typically estates that fall within the above criteria take between 9 – 18 months to be finalised (subject to the sale of property).
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