Probate Fees

Probate – obtaining a grant of probate only (fixed fee) We can help you through this difficult process by obtaining the Grant of Probate on your behalf. The executors will remain responsible for collecting the assets, finalising any tax due, payment of all liabilities, and distribution to the beneficiaries

What we will do:

• Provide you with a dedicated and experienced probate solicitor/chartered legal executive to work on your matter;
• Identify the legally appointed executors or administrators;
• Accurately identify the type of Probate application you will require;
• Complete the Probate Application and the relevant HMRC forms;
• Draft a legal oath for you to swear
• Make the application to the Probate Court on your behalf;
• Obtain the Probate and securely send two sealed copies to you

How much does this service cost?

A total fee of £872 (including VAT @ 20% and additional third party costs)

Breakdown of costs:

On average, this type of matter is dealt with within 3-4 months. It may be faster or slower depending on the circumstances. Typically, once the application is made to the Probate Court, obtaining the grant of probate takes around 8 weeks.

Probate – full administration (small estate)

We will handle the full process for you. This estimate is for estates where:

• There is a valid will
• There are no more than 2 bank or building society accounts
• There are no other assets
• There are no more than 2 beneficiaries
• There are no disputes between beneficiaries on division of assets
• 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

How much will this service cost?

We anticipate this will take between 4 and 5 hours work at £210 per hour. Total fees are therefore estimated at between £1008.00 – £1260.00. These figures include VAT calculated at 20%.

However, the exact cost will depend on the individual circumstances of the matter.

Additional costs (those paid to third parties) may include:

• Probate application fee of £273.00 (plus £1.50 for each sealed copy of the grant)
• Bankruptcy searches at £2 per beneficiary
• Search of the title register at the Land Registry at £3 per title

Potential additional costs:

• If there is no will or the estate consists of any shareholdings (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 estimate once we have more information.
• If there is a property to be sold, the costs of transferring the property to the new owners will be additional.
• If any additional copies of the grant are required, they will cost £1.50 each.
• Statutory advertisements pursuant to section 27 of the Trustee Act 1925 will be additional. The cost of this will depend upon exactly what advertisements are required.
• If beneficiaries are missing and need to be traced there will be an additional cost to the estate.
• Disputes between beneficiaries are likely to lead to an increase in costs.

How long will this take?

On average, estates that fall within this range are dealt with within around 6 months. We are unable to say exactly how long it will take to gather the information necessary to allow us to apply for the Grant of Probate as this is largely dependent upon other organisations providing that information to us. Typically, we would expect to have received all of the necessary information within 6-8 weeks.

Once we are in a position to make the application for the grant of probate, the application will usually take 8 weeks. Collecting assets then follows, which can take between 3-4 weeks. Any estate liabilities will then need to be paid and, once this has been done, we can distribute the assets, which normally takes 3-4 weeks.

Some types of assets mean that the estate administration will take longer, for example if the estate contains a property that needs to be sold.

Our expertise

Our highly trained and experienced Wills, Trusts & Probate team are on hand to assist you, include the following individuals:

Annaliese Barber – Head of Department, Solicitor & Notary Public

[email protected]

Annaliese joined Richard Reed in December 2022 and is a Solicitor, Notary Public and Head of our Wills, Trusts, Probate & Court of Protection Department.

During the course of carrying out Notarial work, Annaliese is regulated through the office of the Faculty Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Having qualified as a Solicitor in April 2002, Annaliese has vast experience in all aspects of Private Client law including the preparation of Wills, administration of estates, powers of attorney and Court of protection matters.

Annaliese is a member of the following organisations: Law Society, Notaries Society, Full Member of the Solicitors for the Elderley (SFE), Full member of The Society of Trust & Estate Practitioners (STEP) and is also a Trustee of Alice House Hospice in Hartlepool.

Annaliese is supervised by Sarah Reid, Solicitor & Managing Director.

Jonny Cockayne

[email protected]

Having gained a law degree at Sheffield Hallam University, completed the Legal Practice Course, and acquired over 5 years’ experience of handling private client work, Jonny joined our firm in July 2022 as a Trainee Solicitor.

Jonny is now a qualified solicitor and supports our clients with their Will, Lasting Power of Attorney and Probate matters.

Jonny is supervised by Annaliese Barber, Solicitor and Head of Department.