Whilst you do not have to use a solicitor to apply for the Grant of Probate when someone dies and has left a Will, in our experience most people prefer to instruct a qualified solicitor to wind up a loved one’s estate.
This could be because you do not want to have to deal directly with beneficiaries and prefer the formality of a solicitor who can deal with them and so avoid having to deal with their queries and calls. Or it may be because the thought of having to deal with estate creditors and debtors, the Probate Registry and HMRC is just too daunting a task.
If your loved one has not left a Will then you may need to apply for “Letters of Administration” before you can deal with their estate.
Because we are a relatively small practice with low overheads our fees are competitive and we are always happy to provide clients with a detailed estimate at the outset of the transaction.
If you wish to apply for the Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration please call one of our Solicitors today on 0191 22 1030 or complete our website enquiry form.
PROBATE CHARGES
We are required by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) to provide details on our website regarding our charges for dealing with the probate applications.
When someone dies having left a Will an application is made to the District Probate Registry for a Grant of Probate. This entitles the executors named in the Grant to wind up the deceased’s estate.
If someone dies without leaving a Will a similar application is made. However, this is then entitled an application for the Grant of Letters of Administration.
Every deceased’s estate is different. We can therefore only provide details of the average costs applicable to the winding up of an average estate.
Our charges are based on hourly rates plus VAT. These range from £150.00 to £220.00 per hour.
The work involved in winding up an average estate involves taking instructions from the Executors (where Probate is applied for) or Administrators (where Letters of Administration are applied for), reviewing all documentation relevant to the estate, correspondence with the creditors and debtors of the estate to establish the true value, completing the relevant HMRC forms, preparing the application for the Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration and submitting the same, dealing with the payment of any inheritance tax, liaising with the District Probate Registry, receiving the Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration, collecting in the assets of the estate and discharging any estate liabilities, making interim distributions of funds as received and preparing detailed Estate Accounts.
For an average estate, the value of which falls below the current inheritance tax threshold of £325,000.00 where there is no residential or commercial property forming part of the estate and no more than 2 beneficiaries, the time taken to deal with the above ranges between 10 to 100 hours.
For estates where there is a residential or commercial property involved, we would have a half percent of the value of that property in addition to the charges detailed above.
There are disbursements that would be paid which normally include the following:-
1. Probate Application fee – £155.00
2. Statutory Advertisement in the press, where applicable £200.00 to £450.00 plus VAT.
3. Bankruptcy Search in relation to the beneficiaries – £2.00 each.
