Probate Fees

Probate

When we undertake a full administration for our clients, this means that we deal with every aspect of an estate administration, both legal and practical. Our service includes:

  • Confirming the existence and validity of a will
  • Corresponding with all asset and liability holders in the estate
  • Arranging house insurance where necessary
  • Arranging property valuations
  • Preparing the inheritance tax return and applying for additional relief where appropriate
  • Preparing the probate application
  • Arranging payment of inheritance tax
  • Registering the grant of probate and arranging closure of accounts
  • Finalising income tax and capital gains tax where appropriate
  • Drafting estate accounts
  • Confirming the identity of and distributing to beneficiaries
  • Conducting bankruptcy searches
  • Preparing certificates of deduction of income tax where required

Type of fee arrangements offered

We charge on fixed basis rates,

Value Added Tax (VAT) 

VAT @ 20% has to be added to our fees and some expenses or disbursements.

Who provides the service?

This work is undertaken by Sundeep Singh Bamrah

Supervision of the probate team is handled by Davinder Singh Sehmi who is a solicitor and Member.

Key Stages

  • Valuing and collating the estate
  • Paying Inheritance Tax, if applicable
  • Applying for Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration if there is no Will
  • Informing interested parties
  • Gathering the estate assets and then paying any debts from the estate
  • Distributing the estate in line with the Will or rules of intestacy if there is no Will

Our Fees

Value of estate £500,000+ = approximately £5,000+VAT

Smaller estates i.e. below £500,000 = between £2,500-£3,500+VAT

An average administration costs about 1% of the gross value of the estate plus VAT for larger estates ranging from £1,000,000 and above.

We also provide a limited service which is covers obtaining the grant, collecting assets and distributing them and should you choose this service then our fees for this will be as follows:

Obtaining the grant.

TOTAL: fixed fee of £1500.00 plus vat.

This includes: obtaining the grant of probate.

Breakdown of costs:

Legal fees £1500.00

VAT on legal fees £300.00

– Disbursements to be paid in addition to the above fees include:

  • Swearing Oath = £10
  • Probate Fee = £155
  • Additional Copies of the Grant = 50p each

Dealing with the administration of the estate

TOTAL: fixed fee of £1000.00 plus vat.

This includes: collecting assets and distributing them.

Breakdown of costs:

Legal fees £1000.00

VAT on legal fees £200.00

– Disbursements to be paid in addition to the above fees include:

  • CHAPS fee = £12 per transfer no vat is applicable.

Potential additional costs

  • 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.
  • If any additional copies of the grant are required, they will cost £50p (1 per asset usually).
  • Dealing with the sale or transfer of any property in the estate is not included.

Likely Timescales

Dealing with the winding up of the affairs of someone who has died can between 6 to 12 months. Winding up an estate involves dealing with many organisations, for example banks, building societies, insurance companies, share registrars and HM Revenue and Customs.