Get in touch 0333 323 2649 HOME WHO WE ARE OUR SERVICES OUR TEAM NEWS CAREERS PRICING PAY ONLINE OUR OFFICES CATALYST PRICING Home Pricing Probate Pricing Probate Pricing Thank you for looking at our probate services. Coping with the death of a person can bring a mixture of emotions and the legal side of dealing with a person’s death can often be overwhelming and confusing. Having compassionate, experienced legal advice can make this difficult situation much easier on you and your loved ones. Whether the deceased person left a Will or whether there is substantial wealth and property involved, the sense of burden can increase. Where a Will is in existence, the Executors will need to apply for the grant of probate, which will give them the legal right to administer the estate. Where there is no Will in existence, or the Will is invalid, or it does not specify who the Executors are, an Administrator will need to be appointed. Why Us We have an experienced team who can assist you with every aspect of the probate process, reducing the administrative burden and advising sensitively on key decisions that need to be made when managing an estate. We are aware that administering an estate comes at a time of grief and high emotion, and that most people do not know the processes and legal requirements involved. We will give you a clear time frame of how long probate should take and will keep you and any beneficiaries advised throughout. You will have the confidence that you are our priority, with our aim being that any member of the team is available to speak with you when you need some clarity and certainty at any stage in the process. We feel this provides reassurance and gives you an outlet for any concerns that you may have. Fees are generally paid out of the estate, so in the vast majority of cases, there will not be a need for you to fund the administration. We are proud to hold the WIQS (Wills & Inheritance Quality Scheme) Accreditation, issued by the Law Society. This involves the firm undergoing a rigorous audit process, which ensures we maintain high levels of client care. Pricing The fees involved in a probate matter can vary and this will depend on the individual circumstances involved. We offer both fixed fees and an hourly charging rate, whereby you will be charged for each hour of work undertaken. Range of Costs Our fees will range between £120 to £225 per hour plus VAT. We may use two elements when calculating our charges for dealing with an estate, based on the time we spend and the value of the estate. If a value element is applied (which will depend on the individual circumstances of each estate) it is calculated as, up to 1% of the gross cash value of the estate and 0.5% of the gross value of the deceased’s interest in any private residence when we act for lay executors (not acting in a professional capacity). When we act as executor in the administration of estates this element may be up to 1.5% of the gross cash value of the estate and 0.75% of the gross value of the deceased’s interest in any private residence (where a partner is an executor). The fees will vary and are dependent upon individual circumstances. We can help you through this difficult process by obtaining the Grant of Representation on your behalf. We will also undertake the collecting and distribution of assets on your behalf. The range of fees will depend on issues such as the number of beneficiaries and whether the estate includes any property. Probate fees will also typically increase, depending on whether there are multiple bank accounts, shares and based on the number and value of any property. We will handle the full process for you and the estimate below is for the straightforward administration of estates where: There is a valid Will There is no more than one property There are no more than ten bank or building society accounts There are no other intangible assets There are one to three beneficiaries There are no disputes between beneficiaries on the division of assets. If disputes arise this will lead to an increase of costs and may need to be referred to our specialist Contentious Probate team. This will incur an additional cost There is no inheritance tax payable and the executors do not need to submit a full account to HMRC in form IHT400 There are no claims made against the estate Item Amount VAT Subtotal Legal Fees for Estate administration £1500 - £6000 £300 - £1200 £1800 - £7200 Potential additional costs could arise in circumstances such as, by way example being - Where any executors have died or refuse to act Where any beneficiaries lack capacity or are minors Where there are any trusts in the Will Where there are any missing beneficiaries Where any disputes arise Any Income Tax returns are required Fixed Fee We can help you through this difficult process by obtaining the Grant of Representation on your behalf. As part of the service offered for the fixed fee we will: Provide you with a dedicated and experienced Probate practitioner to work on your matter Identify the legally appointed executors, administrators and beneficiaries Accurately identify the type of Probate application you will require Obtain relevant documents required to make the application Complete the Probate Application and relevant HMRC Forms Draft a Legal Oath for you to swear Make the application to the Probate Court on your behalf Obtain the Probate and securely send two copies to you Item Amount VAT Subtotal Fixed Legal Fees to include the obtaining of the grant where the IHT205 form is required £495 £99 £594 Occasionally, obtaining a Grant of Representation may not be straightforward, such as dealing with resealing a foreign Grant. Disbursements (For Both Options) Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as Land Registry fees or court fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process. Anticipated Disbursements Item Amount VAT Subtotal Probate Fee £155 £155 Office Copies for the Grant of Probate – per copy £0.50 £0.50 Commissioners fees for Swearing Oath £5 per person plus £2 per person per Will & per codicil £7.00 Bankruptcy Search fee (per beneficiary) £2 per name searched £2.00 Post in the Local Newspaper From £60 - £150 £12.00 £76.46 Post in the London Gazette £68.50 £13.70 £82.20 Estimated Total £296.72 £26.44 £323.16 Inheritance Tax Any Inheritance Tax payable is in addition to our fees. There are various factors that will affect any Inheritance Tax due on an estate, including the size of the estate and any measures that were put in place by the deceased to limit the Inheritance tax liability of the estate. We do not believe that it would be sensible to attempt to provide at this stage an estimate of any tax that may be payable, as the calculations can be complex. We would advise you to look on the HMRC Website to calculate an estimate of the Inheritance Tax which may be due. The calculators can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/hmrc-tools-and-calculators#inheritance-tax-and-bereavement Additional Costs In the event that there is no Will or the estate consists of any share holdings (Stocks and Bonds), there is likely to be an additional cost that could range significantly depending on the estate and how it is to be handled. We will discuss this with you in detail and advise of any additional fees. The cost of selling or transferring a property is not included in this price, if you require this service, please let us know and we will provide you with an estimate in that regard. Exclusions Our fees are fixed and include items detailed above, however there may be factors which would typically increase the cost of the fees involved. Where there is likely to be any additional cost, we will make sure you are informed of this at the earliest opportunity and a clear estimate of those extra costs will be provided. Additional services that will require the assistance of a third party at additional cost include: Tax advice Valuations for property, savings, investments or other assets Time Scales On average, the issue of a Grant of Representation will take between 3 - 6 months, followed by the collection of assets and distribution of the assets which can take on average between 4 -12 months thereafter. This is dependent upon the assets comprised in the estate, as houses can take some while to sell. The range takes into account handling everything from straightforward estate through to more complex estates. Key Milestones With every transaction, there are key milestones, which may vary according to individual circumstances. They may be as follows: Applying for Grant of Probate Obtaining Grant of Probate Settling Liabilities Collecting funds Producing Estate accounts Distributing funds BACK TO TOP Motoring Offences Pricing Licensing Application Pricing in Relation to Businesses Probate Pricing Conveyancing Calculator Debt Recovery Pricing Employment Pricing BROWSE HOME WHO WE ARE OUR SERVICES OUR TEAM NEWS CAREERS PRICING PAY ONLINE OUR OFFICES CATALYST NEWSLETTER SIGN UP ACCESSIBILITY COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE TERMS & CONDITIONS PRIVACY POLICY COOKIE POLICY SITEMAP HEAD OFFICE Limited Liability Partnership Registered in England Number OC315000 VAT Number: 159 4523 87 Registered Office: York Chambers York Road Hartlepool TS26 9DP The term partner is used to refer to a member of Tilly Bailey & Irvine LLP or an employee with equivalent standing and qualifications. INFORMATION © 2018 Tilly Bailey & Irvine Tilly Bailey & Irvine LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in England (number OC315000) and is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. The Legal Ombudsman is an independent and impartial scheme set up to help resolve legal service disputes. Their website can be viewed at WWW.LEGALOMBUDSMAN.ORG.UK Your choice regarding cookies on this site Clicking the Accept All button means you are accepting analytics and third-party cookies (check the full list). We use cookies to optimise site functionality and give you the best possible experience. To control which cookies are set, click Settings. Accept All Settings