Probate Services and Prices

Introduction

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), requires all regulated firms to publish transparent pricing in certain areas of law in which we deliver legal services to members of the public.

In all cases our preference is to provide our potential clients with a bespoke quote for our bespoke service. If you would like a “no obligation” tailor-made fee estimate please contact us by email info@unsworthrose.co.uk or call us on 020 7483 4411 to discuss further.

As with all services, should any unforeseen complications arise which will impact on our fees, we will inform you immediately to discuss the potential consequences before you incurring any fees in addition to those set out in our initial estimate.

Experience and qualification of our partners and staff

Please visit:- https://www.unsworthrose.co.uk/our-people.php

Legal Fees Legal Fees are the amount you will be required to pay for all the work performed by us in actioning your instructions from commencement of your case to conclusion.

VAT will be payable on our fees and some disbursements, currently 20%, and we will clearly confirm which disbursements carry VAT in our formal quotation or as we advise you to incur them.

If your matter becomes complex (see below) our fees may increase further and we will notify you in advance of any increased costs.

PROBATE / ESTATE ADMINISTRATION

Legal Fees

Our fees in these matters typically range from £3,000 to £20,000 plus VAT (where applicable) (£3,600.00 - £24,000.00 Inc. VAT) depending on the circumstances and complexity of your matter. The guide below applies in a typical probate matter and we have listed examples of situations which may complicate or delay the work.

Our hourly rate for probate cases is £250 plus VAT (£300.00 Inc. VAT) depending on the experience and qualification of the appropriate fee earner, as follows: –

• Partner – £350 plus VAT (£420 inc VAT)
• Solicitor £250 plus VAT (£300 inc VAT)
• Paralegal £150 – £190 plus VAT (£180 – £228 inc VAT)
• Trainee Solicitor £150 plus VAT (£180 inc VAT)

If at any stage our fees change, we will notify you and discuss the reason for any changes. This would typically occur if you change your instructions or your case involves an unforeseen complexity.

Our average fees assume that:
a) The transaction is concluded in a timely manner and no unforeseen complication arise.
b) All parties to the transaction are co-operative and there is no unreasonable delay from any parties providing documentation.

Typical probate disbursements

“Disbursements” are costs and expenses related to the probate which are payable to third parties, such as taxes, court fees, etc. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.

• Probate Court Fees of £155 plus £0.50 per additional copies of the Grant (VAT not applicable).

• Placing Notices in the London Gazette and local newspaper to protect against unexpected claims from unknown creditors and claims – approximately £200 including VAT

• Bankruptcy only searches – £2.00 per beneficiary

• Search of Certainty the National Will Register to ensure that there are no other wills – £90 plus VAT (£108.00 inc. VAT)

Other Costs

• To comply with anti-money laundering legislation and satisfy our regulatory commitments, we carry out online identity checks on all clients and, in probate matters, on each beneficiary. Our fee for this is £30.00 plus VAT per check (£36.00 Inc. VAT). This fee is payable on all cases and is in addition to the fees quoted above.
• We will charge the sum of £30.00 plus VAT (a total of £36.00 Inc. VAT) for electronic money transfers.

Stages of the Process

The precise stages involved in an uncontested probate vary according to the circumstances. We have set out the key stages of a standard transaction: -

• Providing you with a dedicated and experienced probate solicitor to work on your matter.
• Undertaking regulatory checks.
• Identifying the legally appointed executors or administrators and beneficiaries.
• Accurately identifying the type of Probate application you will require.
• Obtaining the relevant documents required to make the application.
• Completing the Probate Application and the relevant HMRC forms.
• Drafting a legal oath for you to swear.
• Making the application to the Probate Court on your behalf.
• Obtaining the Probate and securely send two copies to you.
• Collecting and distributing all assets in the estate.

We Will Not

• Dealing with the sale or transfer of any property in the estate is not included*.

How long will this take?

• Identifying estate property, establishing a summary of the deceased’s assets as at the date of death including a valuation of the deceased’s assets and liabilities for estate and tax purposes and preparing the appropriate HMRC inheritance tax account: 3-6 months from instruction.
• Establishing the basis for testamentary or other dispositions, preparing the relevant Oath for the personal representatives and submitting the application for the Grant to the Probate Registry of the High Court: 3-6 months.
• Collection of estate assets, payment of estate liabilities and testamentary legacies and distribution of residuary estate: 6-9 months.
• Estate accounts and income tax reports and returns: 6-12 months.

Potential additional costs Unfortunately, it isn’t always possible for us to identify any issues that may increase your costs when you first instruct us to act for you.  However, our many years of experience means that we know that if the following issues arise, they are likely to increase the legal fees payable and the time the matter will take: –

• Whether there is a will and if it has been located
• 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,
• Where there is Inheritance Tax (IHT) to pay**
• Whether any executors have died or refused to act
• Whether the grant of probate is likely to be contested
• Estimated total value of assets
• Number and value of properties and whether they are outside England and Wales
• Number and value of actual assets/liabilities apart from properties
• Number of beneficiaries and if any do not have capacity under the Mental Health Act or a minor
• Whether there are any trusts in the Will
• Whether there are any missing beneficiaries
• Whether any gifts were made in lifetime
• Whether any forensic work is needed to create family tree under intestacy

NB: This list is not intended to be exhaustive.

*Additional charges will be incurred if there is a property to transfer or dispose of. We will be happy to offer a fixed fee for any conveyancing transaction.

**Estates over £325,000 may be subject to Inheritance Tax at the prevailing rates. To help you decide whether any Inheritance Tax is likely to be due or not, you can visit: https://www.gov.uk/valuing-estate-of-someone-who-died/estimate-estate-value

Our Team

Regardless of who works on your case they will be supervised by Mark Unsworth.

Our Services