When these fees apply
The information on this page is for estates where:
- the administration of the estate is relatively straightforward and is not contested;
- the person who has died had their permanent home (domicile) in the UK; and
- everything the estate owns is in England or Wales.
Extra charges may apply if we are appointed as executors and no close family member is available to handle the practical arrangements, because of the additional work involved.
How we charge
Our probate charges are based on the time spent working on your matter, charged at the hourly rate of the people working on it. We do not charge a percentage of the value of the estate in addition to our standard charges.
The hourly rate depends on who carries out the work and on the type of matter, and is always agreed with you before work starts. Our current hourly rates are set out on our costs page.
Estimates:
- you receive a first fee estimate at an early stage;
- we confirm it when we know what the estate contains, who the beneficiaries are and which documents exist;
- if unexpected extra work becomes necessary, we write to you with a revised estimate before we do it.
Approximate fees
Our approximate fees are set out below. Estate values and percentages refer to the gross value of the estate, that is, its value before debts are deducted. VAT is added on top at 20%, as shown.
| Estate | Approximate fee |
|---|---|
| Gross estate value up to £5,000 | £1,500 plus VAT |
| Grant of probate or letters of administration needed to bring or continue a personal injury or fatal accident claim for the estate ("PI grant") | £1,500 plus VAT |
| Gross estate value £5,000 to £1 million, no inheritance tax | From 1.5% of the gross estate plus VAT |
| Gross estate value over £1 million, no inheritance tax because exempt | From 0.5% of the gross estate plus VAT |
| Estate | Approximate fee |
|---|---|
| Estate subject to inheritance tax: towards the lower end where the administration is straightforward (for example, a property and a bank account); towards the higher end where it is more complicated (for example, several shareholdings, several bank accounts and a property) | £12,000 – £18,000 plus VAT |
These approximate fees show what our time-based charges typically come to for an estate of that kind. They are a guide, not a percentage charged on top of our time: your bill is based on the time spent, and we give you a written estimate at the start and update it if the work changes.
To find out whether an estate is subject to inheritance tax, see Inheritance Tax on GOV.UK (opens in a new tab).
What our fees include
- taking your instructions and reviewing the deceased's papers and documents;
- notifying banks and other asset holders and obtaining date-of-death valuations, including any formal valuations needed for HMRC;
- checking the beneficiaries' details and addresses;
- preparing the inheritance tax account, where needed, for your approval, and arranging payment of any inheritance tax;
- preparing the application for the grant of representation for you to sign, and submitting it;
- registering the grant with asset holders and collecting in the estate;
- placing Trustee Act notices where required;
- closing or transferring the deceased's accounts and arranging the sale or transfer of any shares;
- paying the estate's debts, legacies and any interim distributions;
- dealing with the deceased's tax affairs for the administration period, including registering the estate with HMRC where appropriate;
- preparing estate accounts for your approval, obtaining tax clearance and making the final distributions to beneficiaries.
What is not included
Our fees do not include disbursements (see below), or dealing with the sale of any property in the estate. If a property needs to be sold, our conveyancing team can act on the sale. That work is charged separately, at our conveyancing sale fees.
Likely disbursements
Disbursements are costs paid to third parties on your behalf. The likely disbursements are:
- Probate application fee charged by HM Courts & Tribunals Service: £526 where the estate is worth more than £5,000; there is no fee where it is worth £5,000 or less.
- Additional official copies of the grant: £2 each if ordered with the application, or £16 each if ordered later.
- Notices under section 27 of the Trustee Act 1925, which protect the personal representatives against unknown creditors: approximately £400 to £450 (optional).
- Bankruptcy searches against beneficiaries: £6 per beneficiary through HM Land Registry's portal, or no fee if the Individual Insolvency Register is used.
- Where needed: copy documents from HM Land Registry, identity, anti-money-laundering and bankruptcy checks for beneficiaries abroad, surveyors' valuations, genealogists to trace missing beneficiaries, and accountants' fees for estate income tax returns.
How long it takes
- Getting the grant of representation: typically around 12 weeks.
- Collecting in and distributing the estate after the grant: typically a further 3 to 6 months.
- Final tax matters can run on beyond that, because they follow the tax year.
These timings depend on banks, HMRC and other third parties replying promptly and on nothing unexpected arising. If a delay looks likely to add to the work, we will let you know in writing with an updated estimate.
Who will carry out the work
Our probate work is carried out by a member of our team with over ten years' experience. When you instruct us, we will tell you who will carry out and supervise the work on your matter, with their qualifications.
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