Probate Fees
This service is where you would like to instruct Convey Us to obtain the Grant of Probate only and afterwards, you would deal with the administration of the estate. This is dealt with on a fixed fee basis.
Grant Only. – From £1,200.00 plus VAT
We will require you to provide us with all the necessary details of the assets and liabilities of the estate, as at the date of death, to prepare the Probate Application papers.
What does this cost include?:
- Draft the paperwork required to apply for a Grant of Probate/Letters of Administration
- Attend on you to sign the Probate and Tax papers
- Advise you regarding your personal liability as an executor and take steps to mitigate your exposure to risk; implement searches/checks, as required or as instructed by you.
- Apply to the Probate Registry for a Grant of Probate/Letters of Administration
Timescales – Grant only
We expect that the overall time to obtain the Grant of Representation from instruction to finish, is between 3 and 6 months and maybe longer if the application is non-standard and can only be done by post.
This is if the estate is not complex or if there are no complications found within the estate.
Disbursements – Grant Only
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.
Listed below are the most common disbursements incurred in a probate matter. Some costs are required in all cases, other may not be applicable and other costs may vary depending on other circumstances.
Some disbursements will be based upon the legal advice given at the time and in addition to our legal fees.
| Disbursement | Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Probate Court Fee | £300 | (applications from 01/05/2024) |
| Further copies of the Grant | £16 | per copy |
| Office Copies of Property Title | £7 | Per property/ title |
Probate – Full Administration
Convey Us will deal with the full administration of the estate. We will liaise with the Executors on the day to day administration, liaise with Third parties on closing accounts, collate funds, inform creditors and distribute fuind to the beneficiaries.
This is dealt with on an hourly rate basis.
Where our Probate fee earners work on an hourly rate basis, this means that they will accurately record time spent on dealing with any matter. Invoices are prepared throughout the matter to keep you updated. These invoices will then be deducted from the estate assets meaning the executors do not pay these personally.
Although we work on an hourly rate, all Fee Earners provide a full costs estimate for the estate.
These prices assume that the estate is uncontested (not disputed) and where all assets are within the UK. Our estimated costs are below:
| Simple Estate Below Tax Threshold |
£3000 – £5000 plus VAT |
| Medium Estate Below Tax Threshold with several bank accounts and beneficiaries |
£4000 – £6000 plus VAT |
| Complex Estate IHT payable |
From £7000 plus VA |
What does this cost include?:
- Make initial enquiries to enable us to value the estate assets and collate liability information
- Conduct a Certainty Search for a Will or later Will (if instructed)
- Draft the paperwork required to apply for a Grant of Probate
- Deal with the Revenue in relation to the Inheritance Tax position
- Attend on you to sign the Probate and Tax papers
- Advise you regarding your personal liability as an executor and take steps to mitigate your exposure to risk; implement searches/checks, as required or as instructed by you.
- Apply to the Probate Registry for a Grant of Probate/Letters of Administration
- Collect in the Assets
- Settle liabilities
- Draft Estate Accounts
- Identify all named beneficiaries
- Distribute the Estate according to the Will
Timescale – Full Admin
On average, estates that fall within this range are dealt with within 8-12 months. The timescale from submission of your application to issue of the Grant of Representation is a minimum period of 3 months based on current waiting times at HMCTS Probate Registry. This may vary and sometimes be longer if the Probate Registry is experiencing delays.
Disbursements – Full Admin
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. Listed below are the most common disbursements, but depending on the circumstances, other costs may become due.
| Disbursement | Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Probate Court Fee | £300 | (applications from 01/05/2024) |
| Further copies of the Grant | £16 | per copy |
| Office Copies of Property Title | £7 | Per property/ title |
| Bankruptcy Searches | £6 | per beneficiary |
Hourly Rates
The hourly charging rates (excluding VAT) of the lawyers involved in your matter are:
| Senior Solicitor | £325 |
|---|---|
| Solicitor/Probate Practitioner | £300 |
| Legal Executive | £260 |
| Advanced Paralegal | £205 |
| Paralegal/fee earner | £195 |
| Legal Assistant | £175 |
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.
Dealing with the sale or transfer of any property in the estate is not included.