Probate & Administration

Probate & Administration2023-10-31T13:34:48+00:00

Probate Fees Summary

Hunt and Hunt’s charges for obtaining the Grant of Probate are summarised here;

Probate Fixed Fees

Grant of Probate – if you provide all the information and the estate is under £325,000 our fee is £1,000 plus VAT and disbursements.

Total fee for obtaining the Grant of Probate consist of Legal fees: £1,000 plus VAT £200 and Disbursements: £282 (an estimated total for disbursements)

TOTAL: Fixed Fee of £1,482 (incl. VAT).

Grant of Probate – if you provide all the information and the estate is under £650,000 and no Inheritance Tax is payable due to the claim for transferable nil rate band between spouses and civil partners, our fee is £1,400 plus VAT and disbursements

Total fee for obtaining the Grant of Probate consist of Legal fees: £1,400 plus VAT £280 and Disbursements: £282 (an estimated total for disbursements)

TOTAL: Fixed Fee of £1,962 (incl. VAT).

Grant of Probate – if you provide all the information and the estate is over £650,000 and no Inheritance Tax is payable due to the claims for transferable nil rate band between spouses and civil partners and Residence Nil Rate Band our fee is £1,700 plus VAT and disbursements

Total fee for obtaining the Grant of Probate consist of Legal fees: £1,700 plus VAT £340 and Disbursements: £282 (an estimated total for disbursements)

TOTAL: Fixed Fee of £2,322 (incl. VAT).

Grant of Probate – if you provide all the information and the estate is over £650,000 and no Inheritance Tax is payable due to the claims for transferable nil rate band between spouses and civil partners plus residence nil rate band and transferable residence nil rate band our fee is £2,000 plus VAT and disbursements

Total fee for obtaining the Grant of Probate consist of Legal fees: £2,000 plus VAT £400 and Disbursements: £282 (an estimated total for disbursements)

TOTAL: Fixed Fee of £2,682 (incl. VAT).

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties which consist of the Probate Court fee which is currently £273 plus £1.50 for each sealed copy of the Grant required. We have estimated the fee of £282 which includes 6 sealed copies of the Grant (1 copy is usually required per asset of the estate).

Our fixed fees are for estates where:

  • There is a valid Will
  • There is no more than one property
  • There are no more than 6 bank or building society accounts
  • There are no other intangible assets
  • There are 1-4 beneficiaries
  • There are no claims made against the estate and no disputes arise between the Beneficiaries regarding the distribution of the estate. Should a claim be made this will lead to additional costs and a delay with the legal process
  • There is no Inheritance Tax payable

The prices shown are those quoted as standard but may be subject to amendment if the estate becomes more complex and/or there are additional client requirements.

Probate for estates where Inheritance Tax is chargeable

There are many factors that will determine the Inheritance Tax due on an estate. Charged at the hourly rate of £270 plus VAT and disbursements. Details of these charges, together with a further overview of the fees stated, are given below.

Administration following Grant of Probate

Additionally we are able to deal with the administration of the estate following receipt of the Grant of Probate which will include collecting the assets of the estate, discharging the liabilities and dealing with the distribution of the estate to the Beneficiaries.

Our costs for such instructions will be charged at the hourly rate of £270 plus VAT and disbursements. We can provide an estimate of likely cost of the administration based on the information supplied to us which will depend upon the number of beneficiaries, the type and number of assets (i.e. multiple bank accounts, shareholdings, and investment bonds) and the number of liabilities.

Should you wish to instruct the firm following the receipt of the Grant of Probate, your Probate solicitor will be able to advise of the likely costs which would depend upon your instructions.

The potential disbursements in acting in the administration of the estate following the receipt of the Grant of Probate would be;

  • Bankruptcy-only Land Charges Department searches (£2 per Beneficiary).
  • £260 Legal Notices placed in The London Gazette and Local Newspaper – Protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors.

Full Estate Administration

For estates where Inheritance Tax is chargeable or where more complicated or you us ask us to deal with additional work. We anticipate this will take between 8 to 16 hours work at £270 per hour. Total costs estimated at £2,160-£4,320 plus VAT plus disbursements (detailed below).

The exact cost will depend on the individual circumstances of the matter. For example if there is a valid Will naming yourself as the sole Executor with 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.

Likely disbursements would include:

  • Probate Court fee of £273 plus £1.50 for each sealed copy of the Grant (1 copy usually required per asset of the estate)
  • Bankruptcy-only Land Charges Department searches (£2 per beneficiary).
  • £260 Legal Notices placed in The London Gazette and Local Newspaper – Protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors.

The range of fees quoted above is for estates where:

  • There is a valid Will appointing you as the sole Executor
  • There is no more than one property
  • There are no more than 6 bank or building society accounts
  • There are no claims made against the estate and no disputes between the Beneficiaries regarding the distribution of the estate. Should a claim be made this will lead to additional costs and a delay with the legal process

If there is no valid Will, or if the valid Will appoints a partner at this firm as one of the Executors, the above fee scale will be subject to amendment. If we are Executors or Co-executors under a Will, we are responsible for marketing and selling the property and agreeing the sale price with the Beneficiaries which could lead to extended communication.

The prices shown are those quoted as standard but may be subject to amendment in the event that the estate becomes more complex and/or there are additional client requirements.

Probate Timescales – How long will this take?

On average, estates that fall within our fixed fees receive the Grant of Probate in 3-6 months.

Should the estate fall into a Full Estate Administration fee the matter will be dealt with, on average, between 8-12 months. Typically, obtaining the Grant of Probate takes 4-6 months, including dealing with the submitting of the Inheritance Tax Account to HMRC. Collecting assets then follows, which can take 2 months. Once this has been done, we can distribute the assets, which normally takes 2-4 months (distribution takes longer when there is Inheritance Tax payable as HMRC Clearance should be obtained before distribution).

Probate Service – what we will do for you

As part of our services we will:

  • Provide you with a dedicated and experienced Probate practitioner to work on your matter
  • Identify the legally appointed Executors and Beneficiaries
  • Accurately identify the type of application required for the Probate Court
  • Complete the Probate Application and the relevant HMRC forms
  • Make the application to the Probate Court on your behalf
  • Obtain the Probate and securely send sealed copies to you