Solicitor Fees

Cost of Applying for the grant, collecting and distributing the assets

Estates below the threshold for Inheritance Tax

We will handle the full process for you.  The work will be carried out by Lucy Jackson a qualified solicitor with over twenty years’ experience in this area. This quote is for estates where:

• All the assets are in the UK
• There is a valid will
• There is no more than one property
• There are no more than 10 bank or building society accounts
• There are no other intangible assets
• There are up to 10 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 account to HMRC
• There are no claims made against the estate

We anticipate the process will take between 4 and 30 hours work at £175 per hour. Total costs are therefore estimated at between £700 and £5250 (+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 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 payable in addition may include

• Probate application fee of £155
• Office copies of the Grant of Probate -50p each
• £5 Swearing of the oath (per executor) plus £2.00 if there is an exhibit such as the Will
• Bankruptcy-only Land Charges Department searches (£2 per beneficiary)
• £64.25 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 – price varies according to Paper.

Potential additional costs

• If there is no will
• If there are complications in identifying the beneficiaries
• The estate consists of any share holdings (stocks and bonds) 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.
• Dealing with the sale or transfer of any property in the estate is not included.
• Preparation of income tax returns
• Preparation of Deed of Variation

How long will this take?

On average, estates that fall within this range are dealt with within 3-12 months. Typically, obtaining the grant of probate takes 8-12  weeks. Collecting assets then follows, which can take between 4-12 weeks. Once this has been done, we can distribute the assets, which normally takes 4-6 weeks.

Larger Estates

We also deal with larger estates which are above the threshold for Inheritance Tax (and therefore require more detailed IHT returns) and/or are complex and must be registered with HMRC as such. Our hourly charge in dealing with these estates is £195.

The process is likely to be longer, usually between 30 and 100 hours. Costs are between £5,850 and £19,500. The exact cost will depend on the individual circumstances of the matter, such as number of different assets and beneficiaries.

The disbursements will be as above.

Complex estates take longer to wind up, usually between one and two years.