At Longlands Solicitors, we understand the process of dealing with the estate of a family member or friend may be a difficult experience as we are here to offer you support and assistance during the administration of an estate and the application for probate or letters of administration. Mr Burton-Baddeley who would deal with your matter in this sad time is a licenced lay reader as well as a solicitor so can deal with your matter with compassion as well as efficiency

When an estate is straightforward we can help by “extracting” the Grant for you. This would typically involve you providing the information about the estate, typically the assets and liabilities at the date of death, so that we may prepare and submit the application for the Grant on your behalf.

Once the Grant has been obtained this will be handed to the executor/personal representative who can then proceed to collect in the assets, settle debts of the estate and distribute the remaining estate in accordance with the Will or intestacy rules.

Our fees for Probate are based upon an hourly charge of 300 plus VAT

At the beginning of your case, we will always provide you with a quote for the expected number of hours we would expect an estate to take and the proposed overall cost at the outset and before you instruct us to proceed and will ensure you are updated on the fees as the matter progresses. Our costs are deducted from these estate assets meaning the executors do not pay these personally.

We will also advise you of the disbursements that will be incurred, for example:

Court Fee for Probate Application	£155.00
Additional copies of Grant of Probate	£1.50
Section 27 Trustee Act Notices	£200.00
Beneficiary Bankruptcy Search	£2.00
Electronic Money Bank Transfer	£35.00 (plus VAT)
Oath Swear Fees	£7.00 (may vary)

Some probate firms and other solicitors may charge a percentage basis or a combination of an hourly rate and percentage which may result in significantly higher fees than an hourly rate alone. At Longlands we do not do this We believe that working on an hourly rate basis is the most cost-effective, uncomplicated and the best way of providing this service to our clients We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process

Standard Service – applying for the grant, collecting and distributing the assets

We anticipate that the total estimated costs for administering a simple straightforward estate would be between £4,500 and £9,000 plus VAT and disbursements. 

The exact cost will depend on the individual circumstances of the matter.

In reference to the quote above, this would be based on the following:

• There is a valid will
• There is no more than one property
• There are no more than 5 bank or building society accounts
• There are no other intangible assets
• There are 2-4 beneficiaries
• There are no disputes between beneficiaries on the 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

These days, certain clients affairs are far from simple and require extensive work and research when dealing with numerous beneficiaries, local and distant, many bank accounts, numerous shares, bonds, ISAs and other investments and the consequences of inheritance tax. In those circumstances, a cost estimate will be given to you at the first initial meeting with you on what the likely range of costs are going to be and this will be confirmed in writing in our client care letter, which will be sent to you in duplicate and which, we will require to be signed by you before any work is formally undertaken on the file. This includes identification and money laundering documentation.

Potential additional costs

If there is no will, then the estate falls to be dealt with under the laws of intestacy, and a cost estimate will be given to you once we have ascertained from interview who the beneficiaries are likely to be. In our professional experience, costs dealing with matters of intestacy tend to be higher than a matter where a will exists, again this will depend upon the complexity of the matter, assets of the estate, debts and time that is likely to be involved.

• If there is no will or the estate consists of any shareholdings (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 estimate once we have more information.
• If any additional copies of the grant are required, they will cost £1.50 each (1 per asset usually).
• Dealing with conveyancing matters is not included in the quotation for probate or administration of estate matters

What does this cost include?:

• Make initial enquiries to enable me to value the estate assets and collate liability information
• Draft the paperwork required to apply for a Grant of Probate
• Deal with the Revenue in relation to the Inheritance Tax position
• Attend on you to sign the Probate and Tax papers
• Advise you regarding your personal liability as an executor and take steps to mitigate your exposure to risk; implement searches/checks, as required or as instructed by you.
• Apply to the Probate Registry for a Grant of Probate/Letters of Administration
• Collect in the Assets
• Settle liabilities
• Draft Estate Accounts
• Finalise the Income Tax position up to date of death
• Deal with any income tax arising during the administration period
• Identify all named beneficiaries
• Distribute the Estate according to the Will

How long will this take?

On average, estates that fall within this range are dealt with within 6-12 months. Typically, obtaining the grant of probate takes 8-12 weeks.

Here in Longlands Solicitors, we are very transparent and before we undertake any work on behalf of the estate, you would have been given an estimate of the likely costs, which will be set out in our client care letter with the possible range of costs that may be incurred. Should that estimate change due to the nature of the matter, then you would be advised accordingly and a fresh client care retainer would be issued for signature before further work was undertaken.

As a firm, we have been established since 1896 and deal with a significant amount of probate and estate work. We are Accredited Members of Wills and Inheritance Quality Scheme (WIQS) and, in many cases, are appointed by clients as professional executors.