Fees for Uncontested Probate and Administration of Estates

For estates with gross values below £325,000.00, we charge between 1.5% – 2% of the gross value of the estate depending on the complexity of the estate plus an hourly rate for work carried out on your behalf.

For estates with gross values above this amount we charge between 2% – 3% of the gross value of the estate, depending on the complexity of the estate, plus an hourly rate for work carried out on your behalf. For example, if the estate includes substantial assets other than bank or building society accounts, such as bonds, stocks and shares or real property then the legal work involved will be much more substantial and costs could be significantly higher. Where possible, we will endeavour to provide you with a comprehensive costs estimate once we have an informed idea of the size and complexity of the estate before commencing work for you.

Disbursements additional to our legal fees:

• Certainty Will Search and S27 Notice £238.80 – Checks to ensure that the Will you are relying upon is the Last Will and has not been superseded by a later Will / that there is no other Will of which you are not aware. A Notice is entered in the London Gazette and a local paper to put creditors on notice that the Estate will be distributed. This protects you as the Personal Representative against unexpected claims from unknown creditors. [Both of these disbursements are recommended, but are optional]
• Deceased Credit Report File £24.00 to assist in ascertaining the assets/liabilities [optional]
• Probate application fee of £276.00 – for the Grant and two sealed copies
• Bankruptcy-only Land Charges Department searches (£2.00 per beneficiary) [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, the costs usually come from the Estate.

Potential additional fees

• 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 quote once we have more information.
• If any additional copies of the grant are required, they will cost £1.50 per copy
• If the estate includes substantial assets other than bank or building society accounts, such as bonds, stocks and shares or real property then the legal work involved will be much more substantial and costs could be significantly higher so we would always provide you with a comprehensive costs quote once we had an informed idea of the size and complexity of the estate before commencing work for you.