Costs and Key Stages for Probate

Probate Fees

Why pay more?

Our quality legal probate services are fixed at a great price you will struggle to beat in Thanet.

At Robinson Allfree, we appreciate that dealing with the affairs of a loved one in Thanet at this difficult time in your life is a daunting task.  To help you better understand your next steps, we offer a free initial 40-minute private consultation (in either our Ramsgate or Broadstairs offices) to assess whether you need a grant of probate or not; this will be a helpful experience when putting you on the right path from there.  

You may have thought you could proceed without our legal input, but that journey can be an arduous one, and our compassionate lawyers have tons of knowledge to assist you if you need our help at any time.

All members of our Wills & Probate Team are specialists who are experienced in dealing with both simple and complex estates.  Your case will be dealt with by a named contact at the firm, and this will be one of the Probate specialist fee earners employed by Robinson Allfree.   The same person will deal with your matter from the time the file is opened, until its closed.

Most people ask us to deal with the full administration process for them in place of doing it themselves. However, a few people would like us to deal with obtaining only the grant of probate, and they then prefer to complete the administration of the estate themselves thereafter.

Therefore, we make things very simple at this confusing time by providing two great value fixed price probate packages – one option is the full administration service, or the second option is for us to only obtain the grant of probate for you.

Option 1. Full Administration Service – fixed fee.

This fixed fee is based on probate work in relation to uncontested cases where all the assets and beneficiaries are in the UK and there is only one estate involved with the deceased. 

Our fixed fee for this package is calculated as follows –

TOTAL: fixed fee of 1.7% of the gross estate (plus 20% VAT), or minimum fixed fee of £4,000.00 (plus 20% VAT), whichever is the greater of the two options.

Breakdown of costs: 

Legal fees 1.7% of gross estate.

VAT on legal fees 20% of 1.7% of gross estate, or £4,000 (plus 20% VAT), whichever is the greater of the two options.

As part of our fixed fee we will:

• Provide you with a dedicated and experienced probate fee earner to work on your matter
• Identify the legally appointed executors or administrators and beneficiaries
• Accurately identify the type of Probate application you will require
• Obtain the relevant documents required to make the application
• 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 two copies to you
• Collect and distribute all assets in the estate

Our Full Administration Service includes the following:

• Meet with you to take instructions with regard to the estate.
• Write to all asset and liability holders to gather the required information about the estate.
• Arrange valuations of any properties, businesses, shares and investments.
• Arrange valuation of the contents of the house and any other personal effects such as motor vehicles.
• Arranging the payment of funeral expenses from the estate funds.
• Contact all beneficiaries to verify their details and ID and notify them of their entitlement.
• Placing Trustee Act Notices in the necessary papers so as to protect the executors from personal liability against third party creditors (e.g. if the deceased had any debts in their name of which you were unaware).
• Notify buildings and contents insurers of the death of the deceased and liaise with you over the renewal of insurance and comply with any additional requirements imposed by them.
• Notify utilities and Council Tax and arrange for their transfer or closure.
• Keep creditors informed of the progress of the estate throughout.
• Arranging for the raising of any Tax that is required to be paid before Probate is issued and liaising with you and the relevant banks etc in connection with that.
• Submitting all papers to the Probate Registry and HMRC
• On receipt of the Grant of Probate completing all claim, withdrawal, transfer and indemnity forms.
• Obtaining your execution of them and submitting them to the relevant asset holders so as to gather in the assets.
• On receipt of sufficient monies to discharging any outstanding Inheritance Tax and other debts of the estate.
• Arranging for updated valuations of the house where required.
• To arranging the property to be placed on the market.
• To liaising with estate agents throughout the marketing of the property.
• To liaising with the conveyancing department looking after the eventual sale of the property.
• Once all funds are gathered in and liabilities discharged preparing Estate Accounts, getting your and other beneficiaries’ approval and distributing funds to the entitled beneficiaries.
• This service includes 5 hours of your fee earners time to deal with your general enquiries (or updates) as the matter progresses either via email, telephone or personal appointments during the administration process. (NB this should be more than sufficient time to help you during our journey together).

What work & other costs are not included in our Full Administration Service Fee.

1. Conveyancing work.

If the deceased owns a residential or commercial property that will need to be sold/transferred any fees and charges relating to the sale/transfer of the Property are not included in our Full Administration Services fee. A separate fee will be chargeable for the work on the sale/transfer of the Property (conveyancing) and a separate fixed fee estimate can be provided for this.

2. Deeds of variation.

If a Deed of Variation is required by the executors for tax or variation of beneficiary purposes, then a separate charge will apply.

3. Inheritance tax planning.

If separate inheritance tax planning is required including any Deed of Variation, a separate charge will apply.

4. Trusts or appointments of replacement executors.

If separate advice or work is required in respect of the setting up, administration or advice upon trusts (or appointments of replacement executors) a separate charge will apply.

5. Claims and contentious probate.

If a claim is made against the estate or the estate becomes a contested estate then additional charges will apply.

6. Expenses

The estimated disbursements payable by the estate in addition to our fees, are:

• Probate application fee – £526 plus £2.00 for each official copy of the Grant of Probate.
• AML search fee – £15 plus VAT per person.
• Will Search fee – £114 plus VAT.
• Bankruptcy searches – £6 plus VAT (per beneficiary).
• Statutory notices – £160 plus VAT.
• If there is a property in the estate, there will be Land Registry fees of £7.00 plus VAT per property.
• If the estate includes any shareholdings additional costs for dealing with the sale of those and additional costs if share certificates are lost.

7. Ancillary Services

During the administration, there will be times when it is appropriate to instruct third party specialists to assist in areas outside the remit of our legal expertise. These services include:

• Valuations for property, shares or other items etc.
• Missing Beneficiary Searches.
• Address Checks.
• Share transfer/sale of shares.

How long does our Full-Service probate usually take?

Every probate estate will differ according to the following factors:

• The number of assets and liabilities of the estate, and any stocks and shares.
• The time taken by the asset holders in dealing with requests for information and providing account closure forms.
• Co-operation and prompt return of paperwork by executors and beneficiaries.
• The time taken by HMRC in dealing with any application/calculation of Inheritance TAX.
• The time taken by the Probate registry in dealing with the application for Grant of Probate and any requisitions raised by the Probate Registry.

On average, estates that fall within our Full Administration service are dealt with within 12 -18 months, which is a common turnaround time. Typically, obtaining the Grant of Probate takes 8 – 11 months. Collecting assets then follows, which can take between 1 – 2 months. Once this has been done, we can distribute the assets, which normally takes 1 – 2 months.

These are the stages of our full administration service:

1. Making initial request for information necessary to apply for the grant of probate and obtaining valuations.
2. Preparing the probate application papers, including the HM Revenue and Customs forms and accounts and legal statement.
3. Paying inheritance tax if due.
4. Submitting the inheritance tax account, applying for the grant of probate and receiving the grant of probate.
5. Collecting in the assets including closing accounts and selling or transferring investments and other assets as required.
6. Settling liabilities and payment of legacies.
7. Preparation of estate accounts and distribution of the estate.

Option 2. Obtaining the grant of probate only service – fixed fee

These fixed fees are based on probate work in relation to uncontested cases where all the assets and beneficiaries are in the UK and there is only one estate involved with the deceased. 

If you are happy dealing with the administration of the estate yourself, but not the probate application itself, there are 3 scenarios where we can help you obtain the grant of probate you need to administer the estate from this point; provided at a fixed fee!

With our grant only service, you would need to make all the initial enquiries to obtain all of the accurate financial information required, provide that information to us clearly and in full, and we would then just complete and submit any relevant HMRC inheritance tax return and relevant probate application. 

In all 3 scenarios, you need to deal with the administration (& any income tax or capital gains tax) yourself but would like our help to complete the probate application itself.

Our Fixed Fee for the relevant scenario

Each scenario has 1.5 hours of your fee earners time to deal with your general enquiries as the matter progresses either via email, telephone or personal appointments during the grant only process. (NB this should be more than sufficient time to help you during our journey together).

A.  Where there is a valid Will, no inheritance tax to pay, and the executors do not need to submit a full account to HMRC – £1,500 plus 20% VAT.

Plus, the following disbursements you would also need to pay:

Probate court fee of £526 plus £2.00 for each official copy of the Grant of Probate.

B.  Where there is a valid Will, no inheritance tax to pay but the executors do need to submit a full inheritance tax account to HMRC – £2,450 plus 20% VAT.

Plus, the following disbursements you would also need to pay:

Court application fee of £526 plus £2.00 for each official copy of the Grant of Probate.

C.  Where there is a valid Will, inheritance tax to pay and a full inheritance tax account is required – £2,700 plus 20% VAT.

Plus, the following disbursements you would also need to pay:

Court application fee of £526 plus £2.00 for each official copy of the Grant of Probate.

Our fixed fees do not include work relating to:

• Disputes between beneficiaries or claims against the estate.
• Conveyancing charges.
• Deeds of Variation or appointments of replacement executors.
• Winding up of related Trusts.

How long does our grant only probate service usually take?

When a full inheritance tax account is not required; after we have received all of the accurate information clearly presented by you, it will normally take two months to prepare the HMRC forms and probate statement of truth, and about two months for the Probate registry to produce the grant of probate.

Or

When a full inheritance tax account is required; after we have received all of the accurate information clearly presented by you, we will apply for an inheritance tax reference number on your behalf, it will normally take 2 months to prepare the HMRC forms and probate statement of truth. After you have returned the signed HMRC papers, a further 20 working days to receive an authorisation code to enable the payment of inheritance tax to the HMRC.  Once the inheritance tax has been paid about two months to obtain the grant of probate.

Our Terms of Business and Terms and Conditions

All of the above information is designed to give you a fair and reasonable assessment of our fixed fees. An individual quotation will be given to you at the outset of your case, and this may be adjusted according to the circumstances of the estate if our fixed fee is not applicable to your matter.  All of the above information is given by way of guidance and is not binding in terms of the individual case or quotation.