There are a wide range of duties that Executors/Administrators of an Estate have to carry out, including valuing the Estate, applying for the Grant of Probate, writing letters of administration, preparing Estate accounts, collecting in the assets, paying debts and taxes and making distributions to the beneficiaries.
Detailed advice can be given on all the above in order that the administration of the Estate is dealt with in a practical and efficient manner.
We offer a straight forward and clear approach. All probate work is undertaken by Liz Garratt, Partner with Rickards and Cleaver, who has well over 11 years experience in this field. She is ably assisted by her Personal Assistant, Sharon Croucher who has over 33 years experience in such a role.
Pricing
We anticipate that this work will typically take between 8 to 12 hours at an hourly rate of £198 per hour.
The exact cost will depend on the individual circumstances of the matter.
The fees quoted below are shown exclusive of VAT, unless otherwise stated.
Lower Range
- £2,000.00
Middle Range
- £3,000.00
Upper Range
- £5,000.00
The quote for the lower range above is for estates where:
- There is a valid Will
- There is no more than one property
- There are no more than 1 to 3 bank or building society accounts
- There are no other intangible assets
- There are 1 to 3 beneficiaries
- There are no disputes between beneficiaries on division of assets.
- If disputes arise this is likely to lead to an increase in costs
- There is no inheritance tax payable and the executors do not need to submit a full account to HMRC.
- There are no claims made against the estate
Potential additional costs
- If The estate consists of any share holdings there are likely to be additional costs.
- If any additional copies of the grant are required, they will cost £1.50 per copy.
- Dealing with the sale or transfer of any property in the estate is not included.
Probate – Fixed Fee
We can help you through this difficult process by obtaining the Grant of Probate on your behalf.
Fixed fee of £500.00 + disbursments of oath fee & court fee
This includes:
- obtaining the Grant with a time scale of approximately three weeks.
Disbursements
- Probate court fee - at £155.00
- Swearing of the oath - at £5.00 to £7.00 (per executor).
- Bankruptcy - only Land Charges Department searches - at £2.00 (per beneficiary).
- Post in the London Gazette and a Local Newspaper - at £450.00 – £500.00 ( to help protect against unexpected claims)
As part of our fixed fee we will:
- Provide you with a dedicated and experienced probate solicitor 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
- Draft a legal oath for you to swear
- Submit the application to the Probate Court on your behalf
- Obtain the Probate and securely send copies to you
Estates liable to Inheritance Tax
If the estate is liable for inheritance Tax, our fees could range between £3,000.00 to £6,000.00, plus any disbursements.
If an estate is has no liability for inheritance tax, but a redistribution of the assets is to be considered through a Deed of Variation, the costs would be £400.00