Procedure
- Registering the death – must be done within 5 days
- Valuing the estate – the assets and liabilities of the deceased need to be calculated (usually takes up to 4 weeks)
- Preparation for Inheritance tax return (IHT). Preparing IHT205 document for less complex estates or a IHT 400 document for more detailed and complex estates. (typically takes 4-6 weeks)
- Applying for a grant. This gives the applicant legal authority to deal with the deceased’s assets. (this can take up to 2 months)
Fees
Our fees for Probate (£1500 fixed fee)Hourly charging rate of our probate department personal is as follows:
- Grade A solicitor (Solicitors and Fellows with 8+ years of experience) - £217
- Grade B solicitor (Solicitors and Fellows with 4+ years of experience) - £192
- Grade C solicitor (Solicitors, Fellows and fee earners with less than 4 years of experience) - £161
All above fees are exclusive of VAT however we do not charge VAT for our services. Although, if your matter does need to be referred to a barrister in chambers, they will charge you a fee at 20% of the value of their services.
We will, as part of our set price:
- Give you a devoted and knowledgeable probate lawyer to work on your case
- Determine the beneficiaries and administrators who were appointed by law.
- Determine the precise form of Probate application you'll need.
- Obtain the necessary paperwork to submit the application.
- Fill out the required HMRC forms and the Probate Application.
- Create a formal oath that you may swear by.
- Make the application for you to the Probate Court.
- Obtain the Probate and email you two copies in a secure manner.
- Gather and distribute all estate assets
The particulars of the situation will determine the actual cost. Costs will be at the lower end of the spectrum, for instance, if there is only one beneficiary and no property. Costs will be on the higher end if there are several beneficiaries, a property, and multiple bank accounts.
Disbursements
We'll take care of the whole thing for you. This quote applies to properties/estates where:- There's a legitimate will.
- There is only a single property.
- Only a certain number of bank or building society accounts present.
- There are no additional intangibles.
- There are a certain number of recipients.
- Beneficiaries have no disagreements over how to divide the estate's assets. Disputes are likely to increase costs if they occur.
- There is no inheritance tax due, and the executors are not required to give HMRC a complete account.
- No claims have been made against the estate.
- Probate application fee of £273.00 and a further £1.50 per copy of the grant (you will need one copy per asset)
- The cost of post in The London Gazette – Protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors./li>
- The cost of swearing of the oath (per executor)
- Bankruptcy-only Land Charges Department searches (cost per beneficiary)
- Land Registry office copies £3;under Disbursements not included in this fee
- Land Registry office copies £3.00 plus VAT per property
Disbursements are expenses associated with your case that must be paid to third parties, including court costs, counsel’s fees, fees for medical or other experts in preparing reports and carrying out your instructions and any other actions made on your behalf for the advancement of your case. To make the procedure go more smoothly, we take care of paying the disbursements on your behalf.
Other additional costs that could arise: There may be additional charges that vary greatly depending on the estate and how it is to be handled if there is no will or if the estate has any stock or bond assets. Once we have additional information, we can provide you with a price that is more precise. The cost of any additional copies of the grant, if any, will be vary (1 per asset usually). dealing with the transfer or sale of any estate-related property is excluded.
Additional costs that may arise
- There may be additional charges that vary greatly depending on the estate and how it is to be handled if there is no will or if the estate has any stock or bond assets. Once we have additional information, we can provide you with a price that is more precise.
- Dealing with the transfer or sale of any estate-related property is excluded.
- If any Executor want to resign from their role
- If any of the Executors are incompetent.
- If any beneficiary wants to use a Deed of Variation or a Deed of Disclaimer to reroute their entitlement.
- if any assets are located abroad, there is likely to be additional cost
Duration
- After applying, the grant for probate typically takes between 4-12 weeks.
- After this, we must collect assets if your case requires us to do so. this can take between 2-6 weeks.
- Then comes the distribution of assets process. This typically takes 2-4 weeks