Probation Fees
How Much Does Probate Cost?
Probate is the legal right granted to a person (or more than one person) to deal with someone else's property, money and possessions after they die. This is also sometimes referred to as dealing with someone's estate.
It can be a particularly difficult time following someone's death. However our legal experts are on hand to represent you in obtaining the grant of probate. Our experts can also collect and distribute assets that form part of someone's estate on your behalf.
At Yates Legal, we offer a fixed fee for the majority of transactions that we undertake. We believe in offering clear, transparent pricing and options to allow you to choose the product that suits your own circumstances. This is offered where the amount of work required can be determined from the outset, such as when we are preparing documents such as a Will or Lasting Power of Attorney.
For work that is not carried out on a fixed fee basis, we charge an hourly rate, so the total amount you’ll pay will depend on who works on your matter and how long it takes. We provide an estimate of total charges from the outset, as well as regular costs updates, so that there are no surprises.
We can represent you in obtaining a grant of probate for a fixed price. That price will be dependent on specific circumstances but below are examples of our fixed prices.
To obtain a tailored quotation please contact us.
Following a bereavement, we know it can be difficult to deal with practicalities.
With many years of experience in dealing with probate and estate administration, we can help you through the probate process, and remove some of the worry and confusion.
We will help you to clarify what needs to be done. There may be elements that you feel comfortable dealing with yourself, but it can be a daunting and often complicated process, and it must be dealt with correctly. If the deceased died without making a Will (intestate) then different rules apply. We assist you through the process, including applying for a Grant of Letters of Administration.
Applying for the grant
We provide a number of services on a fixed fee basis in order to provide as much flexibility as possible.
There are two stages to the administration process;
Stage 1: The work required to obtain the grant of probate (where there is a Will) or the grant of letters of administration (where there is no Will)
Stage 2: The work required after a grant is obtained.
The amount of work involved in both stages will depend on whether the estate is taxable.
All services provided by Yates Legal are subject to VAT at the current rate of 20%
Grant Only – all costs exclusive of VAT and disbursements
Some clients feel comfortable dealing with the majority of the estate themselves, but just require help with the Court application and the forms to be completed to obtain the Grant of Representation.
Our Grant only service may be beneficial for you as, once the grant is obtained, our involvement ceases and we hand back over you to deal with finalising the rest of the estate.
Package 1. Estate Less than £325,000 and you are providing all the information – £850
Package 2.Estate less than £325,000 and we are required to liaise with 3rd parties to obtain details of assets – £1,850 – £2,500
Package 3. Estate more than £325,000 and claim for IHT reliefs such as residential relief and you are providing all of the information. This does not include claims for Agricultural or Business Property relief. – £1,000 – £2,000
Package 4. Estate more than £325,000 and claim for IHT reliefs such as residential relief and we are required to liaise with 3rd parties to obtain details of assets. This does not include claims for Agricultural or Business Property relief. – £2,500 – £4,500
Package 5. HMRC IHT400 forms required, no inheritance tax payable but you are providing the estate information – £1,500 to £2,500
Package 6. HMRC IHT400 required, no inheritance tax payable but we are required to obtain estate information – £3,500 to £5,000
Package 7. HMRC IHT400 required, inheritance tax is payable but you are providing all information – £2,000 to £4,000
Package 8. HMRC IHT400 required, inheritance tax payable and we are required to obtain estate information – £4,500 to £7,000
Where Inheritance tax is due, this is in addition to our fees and is not included in our estimate of fees and disbursements.
In some circumstances a fixed price is not always possible to provide, and particularly where there are complex stages or considerations. This might include where an original copy of a will has been lost. In those circumstances we will be happy to talk to you about the specific work we will need to undertake if we represent you, and the charges for that work.
How long does it take?
It depends on a number of factors. Obtaining the Grant of Probate can take up to 8 weeks from the point at which your application is submitted to the Probate Court.
What work would you be doing for me?
Our expert team will represent you during every step. This includes:
- meeting with you - either through a video call or in person - to discuss your matter and in detail
- advising you about the identify the type of application you need
- preparing and submitting the documents you need, including the application to the Probate Court and any HM Revenue & Customs inheritance tax forms
- monitoring those applications, chasing where required, and handling enquires that may be received back
- supplying the grant of probate to you
Online Inheritance Tax calculator
There are online tax calculators is available at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/hmrc-tools-and-calculators#inheritance-tax these calculations are not binding and require a large amount of information. We will be happy to provide a bespoke Inheritance Tax calculation for an agreed fee.
Stage 2 – Estate Administration
Once the grant has been issued, the assets can be collected in and distributed to the beneficiaries. You can do this yourself, or you can instruct us to do this on your behalf.
The time this will take will depend on the complexity of the estate and the number of beneficiaries. For a simple estate, we anticipate this will take between 10 and 20 hours work at £300 per hour plus VAT at 20%. Total costs estimated at £3,000 – £6,000 (+VAT at 20%).
The exact cost will depend on the individual circumstances of the matter. For example, if there is one beneficiary and no property, costs will be at the lower end of the range. If there are multiple beneficiaries, a property and multiple bank accounts, costs will be at the higher end.
We will handle the full process for you. This estimate is for estates where:
- There is a valid will
- There is no more than one property
- There are no more than 3 bank or building society accounts
- There are no other intangible assets
- There are 1-4 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
Specific Charges (except where stated, disbursements do not usually attract VAT)
As part of our service, we may be required to make payments to third parties (disbursements). Likely disbursements in relation to applications to the Probate Registry are below. They do not cover disbursements in relation to transfers of land as these are set by the Land Registry and are subject to change.
Probate Registry Court Fee – £300.00
Additional sealed copies of Registry documents – £1.50 per copy
Probate Registry search – £10.00
Certainty Will Search – £105.00
Bankruptcy searches – £2.00 per person
Identification verification – £20 per person plus VAT
S27 Trustee Notice – price ranges from £175-£350 exclusive of VAT
Potential additional costs
- If there is no will or the estate consists of any share holdings (stocks and bonds) there are likely to be additional costs, depending on the estate and how it is to be dealt with. We can provide a more accurate quote once we have more information.
- Dealing with the sale or transfer of any property in the estate is not included.
How long will it take?
On average, estates that fall within this range are dealt with within 6-12 months. Typically, obtaining the grant of probate takes 6-12 weeks.
Contact us for more information or to request a callback.
Alternatively, book an appointment by clicking the box above.
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Yates Legal is a trading name of Yates Legal Limited, a private company limited by shares, registered in England and Wales (number 13936912). Yates Legal Limited is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority SRA ID Number 8004732. Our professional rules can be found at https://www.sra.org.uk/solicitors/standards-regulations/ A list of the company's directors is available from the company's registered office.