Probate Charges

If you instruct our firm to apply for the grant collect in and distribute the assets we charge both a time and value element. 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 lower. If there are multiple beneficiaries, a property and multiple bank accounts, costs will be higher.

As a guide for the following example Estate our fees would be in the region of £3000.00 – £3500.00 plus VAT.

• There is a valid will with two Executors.
  
• There is only one residential property.
  
• There are a total of 5 bank or building society accounts.
  
• There are no other intangible assets.
  
• There are 2–4 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
  

There are also the following disbursements:

• Probate application fee in the region of £155 – £165
  
• £7.00 Swearing of the oath (per executor)
• Bankruptcy searches (£2 per beneficiary)
• Post in The London Gazette and local newspaper – approx £180. This protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors and is optional.

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.

If there is no will or 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.

Please note that dealing with the sale of any property in the estate is not included in the above estimate and would be on the basis of our usual conveyancing charges.