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Wills and Probate: our fees explained

What fees will I pay?

The fees you pay for your wills and probate service depend on your circumstances and the work we do for you. Below is a list of common scenarios, please find the one that reflects your needs to see the work involved and how the fees are calculated. If you still have questions about our pricing, please get in touch with our wills and probate team.

Costs for some very complex or high net worth estates will be over the estimates noted below, but will be clearly explained following the initial meeting and confirmed in writing.

Applications for grant of representation only (where we do not administer the full estate)

  • This work is fixed fee.

Applications for a grant of representation where the estate doesn’t exceed £325,000 or is an excepted estate (meaning we do not need to complete any inheritance tax forms for the HMRC):

  • £1,000 plus VAT
  • Disbursements – a Land Registry fee of £3.00 plus VAT
  • Probate fee - £273 (including VAT) plus £1.50 for every sealed copy of the grant required

For applications for a grant of representation where we need to complete and submit form IHT400 and the various schedules to the HMRC the costs are:

  • £2500 plus VAT
  • Disbursements - a Land Registry fee of £3.00 plus VAT
  • Probate fee - £273 plus £1.50 for every sealed copy of the grant required

If any additional supplementary forms are needed, for example a deed of renunciation, notice of power reserved or a Power of Attorney to obtain the Grant additional charges may apply.

Below is a summary of the work involved in applying for a grant of representation only:

  • An interview with you to discuss the terms of the deceased’s will/intestacy and go through the assets and liabilities in the estate. You’ll need to give us details of all assets in the estate. We won’t contact any of the financial institutions ourselves
  • Draft a legal statement and in some cases the inheritance tax forms. Calculate any inheritance tax payable.  Send the grant to you in draft form
  • Submit the application to the probate registry (and HMRC if applicable) to obtain the grant of representation
  • Once the grant of representation is received, we send the grants to you for you to deal with the administration of the estate

Administration of estates - general fees and summary of work

Our costs are calculated by the hour, by estimating how many hours it will take to administer the estate. This is based on the assets in the estate, the value of the estate and the beneficiaries. The work will be handled by one of our solicitors Sharon Woodward at £300 an hour or Catrin Lloyd at £325 per hour. They may be assisted by a trainee at £200 an hour or a paralegal at £120 an hour. Once we’ve established how many hours we think it may take to administer the estate we will then quote you. This is either based on time spent and the hourly rate or a fixed fee alternative so you can choose which option you prefer.

Below is a summary of the work we do when handling a full administration of an estate:

  • An interview with you to discuss the terms of the deceased’s will/intestacy provisions and discuss the duties of the executors
  • If the Directors of Switalskis are appointed as Executors we may need to, register the death, arrange the funeral, check the property is secured, deal with personal belongings and clearance of the property if applicable
  • Go through the assets and liabilities and write the initial letters to banks, building societies, utilities (including council tax) and insurance
  • Draft a legal statement and inheritance tax forms.  Calculate if there is inheritance tax to pay. Send to you in draft form
  • Submit application to the probate registry (and HMRC if applicable) to obtain a grant of representation
  • Submit statutory notices if applicable
  • Once the grant of representation is received, collect in the assets, and pay outstanding liabilities
  • Pay any liabilities, any legacies, or interim distributions to the residuary beneficiaries
  • Submit bankruptcy checks
  • Prepare estate accounts for approval by the executors.
  • Finalise the income tax position of the deceased
  • Pay out balance to residuary beneficiaries
  • VAT is charged at a rate of 20% on our costs

Administration of Estates under £325,000

Applying for the grant, collecting and distributing the assets

We expect this will take between 12 and 16 hours work at an estimated average rate of £250 per hour plus VAT. Total costs are estimated at £4,000 plus VAT at 20% and disbursements.

The exact cost depends 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’ll handle the full process for you. This is for estates where:

  • There is a valid will
  • There is only one property
  • There are no more than two bank or building society accounts
  • There are no other intangible assets
  • There are no more than three 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 is no capital gains tax or income tax
  • There are no claims made against the estate

Disbursements included in this fee:

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as court fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf for a smoother process. 

  • A probate application fee of £273 (including VAT) plus £1.50 for every sealed copy
  • Bankruptcy-only land charges department searches (£2 per beneficiary plus VAT)
  • £200 post in the London Gazette – this protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors
  • £150 post in a local newspaper – this also helps protect against unexpected claims
  • Land Registry search fee of £3.00 plus VAT

Services not included in the cost:

  • If there is no will or the estate consists of any share holdings (stocks and bonds) there are likely to be additional costs. These costs 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 £1.50 (one per asset usually)
  • Estate agents may need to be instructed to give a valuation for the property
  • Dealing with the sale or transfer of any property in the estate is not included

 How long will this take?

On average, estates that fall within this range are dealt with within 8-12 months, depending on when the property is sold. Typically, obtaining the grant of probate takes 12 weeks from the date when we receive our signed and approved client care letter back. Collecting cash assets then follows after the grant is obtained, which can take between 3-6 weeks. Once this has been done, we can then, depending on circumstances, make an interim distribution, which normally takes 2 to 3 weeks.  

 Once the property is sold we can then finalise the administration of the estate.

Administration of estates above £325,000 with no inheritance tax to pay

Applying for the grant, collecting, and distributing the assets

We estimate this will take between 22 – 28 hours work at £250 per hour. Total costs estimated at £7,000 (+VAT and disbursements).

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 quote is for estates where:

  • There is a valid will
  • There is no more than one property
  • There are no more than five bank or building society accounts
  • There are no other intangible assets
  • There are no more than five 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, but a claim needs to be made to request a deceased’s spouse’s unused nil rate band. The executors will need to submit a full account to HMRC to claim the residence nil rate band and unused residence nil rate band from the deceased spouse’s estate
  • There are no claims made against the estate

Disbursements included in this fee:

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as court fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.

  • Probate application fee of £273 (including VAT) plus £1.50 for every sealed copy
  • Bankruptcy-only land charges department searches (£2 per beneficiary plus VAT)
  • £200 post in the London Gazette – protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors
  • £150 post in a local newspaper – this also helps to protect against unexpected claims
  • Land registry search fee of £3.00 plus VAT

Services not included in the costs:

  • If there is no will or the estate consists of any share holdings (stocks and bonds) there are likely to be additional costs. These costs 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 £1.50 (one per asset usually)
  • Estate agents may need to be instructed to give a valuation for the property
  • Dealing with the sale or transfer of any property in the estate is not included
  • Dealing with a tax return on behalf of the estate

How long will this take?

On average, estates that fall within this range are dealt with within eight to twelve months, depending on when the property is sold. Typically, obtaining the grant of probate takes four to six months from the date on which we receive a signed and approved client care letter back. Collecting cash assets then follows after the grant is obtained, which can take between three to six weeks. Once this has been done, we can then depending on circumstances, make an interim distribution, which normally takes two weeks.

 Once the property is sold we can then finalise the administration of the estate.

Administration of estates over £1,000,000 and where there is inheritance tax to pay

Applying for the grant, collecting, and distributing the assets

We anticipate this will take between 48 and 60 hours work at £250 plus VAT per hour. Total costs estimated at £15,000 (+VAT) and disbursements.

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 quote is for estates where:

  • There is a valid will
  • There is no more than one property
  • There are no more than eight bank or building society accounts
  • There are other intangible assets
  • There are no more than 10 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 inheritance tax payable, and the executors need to submit a full account to HMRC and we are required to calculate the inheritance tax due
  • There are no claims made against the estate

Disbursements included in this fee:

 Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as court fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.

  • Probate application fee of £273 plus £1.50 for every sealed copy
  • £7 swearing of the oath (per executor)
  • Bankruptcy-only land charges department searches (£2 per beneficiary plus VAT)
  • £200 post in the London Gazette – this protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors
  • £150 post in a local newspaper – this also helps to protect against unexpected claims
  • Land registry search fee of £3.00 plus VAT

Services not included in the 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 £1.50 (one per asset usually)
  • Estate agents may need to be instructed to give a valuation for the property
  • Dealing with the sale or transfer of any property in the estate is not included

How long will this take?

On average, estates that fall within this range are dealt with within 12 -18 months, depending on when the property is sold. Typically, obtaining the grant of probate takes six to eight months from the date we receive a signed and approved client care letter. Collecting cash assets then follows once the grant is obtained, which can take six weeks. Once this has been done, we can then, depending on circumstances make an interim distribution, which normally takes two weeks.

 Once the property is sold we can then finalise the administration of the estate.

Find out how Switalskis can help you

Contact us today to find out more about our fees. Call us today on 0800 1380 458  , or get in touch via our form.

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