Professional advice to give you peace of mind with Wills & Probate
Whether you need advice on wills, trusts and inheritance tax, or help with the administration of an estate after someone has passed away, you want a lawyer who will guide you through the process with sensitivity and in a clear, jargon-free way.
We aim to fully understand your circumstances and give you tailored advice so you can be confident that your needs and wishes will be taken care of, whatever the future brings.
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Call Us: 0800 138 0458
Getting started with Wills & Probate
When you contact our wills & probate team, they will arrange a consultation with you where they will discuss your circumstances and advise you on the best course of action. You can make an appointment at your local Switalskis office, or depending on your needs, our lawyers can offer home visits.
Our highly experienced team includes two full members of the Society of Trusts and Estates Practitioners (STEP). This means that they have undergone a rigorous assessment of their skills and experience in advising clients on trusts and estates matters.
Combining in-depth knowledge with a friendly, professional approach, our wills team are relied upon to deal with sensitive legal issues around trusts and inheritance tax planning, probate and administration of estates, as well as handling contested probate and wills disputes.
Why should I get advice on planning for the future?
Deciding to make a will or set up a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) can sometimes feel like “tempting fate”, but preparing for the future needn’t be daunting. Our lawyers will guide you through the process step-by-step, ensuring that the final document accurately and clearly reflects your wishes.
By seeking advice from a specialist wills and trusts solicitor, nothing is left to chance, and if anything were to happen to you, your estate will be dealt with exactly as planned. Your legacy is important and getting expert assistance will bring peace of mind and reassurance that your loved ones will be looked after according to your wishes.
I'm worried about my elderly parents - can you help?
As we reach later life, it is important to think not just about protecting your property and assets, but to also think about what would happen if you are no longer able to make decisions for yourself.
Our wills & probate team understand the specific issues that can arise in cases involving elderly people, particularly those who lack mental capacity due to a condition such as dementia. They can advise on care fee planning and provide clear, practical advice on setting up LPAs. In the event of someone losing mental capacity without a will or LPA in place, they can also assist with deputyships and statutory wills.
Alongside offering practical legal advice in the event of loss of mental capacity, our wills & probate team have undergone training with the Alzheimer’s Society as part of the “Dementia Friends” initiative, to better understand issues around dementia and learn how to improve our services for clients with the condition.
I'm an executor of a will - can you help?
Our team deals with the full range of wills and probate services, and can help with all aspects of probate and the administration of an estate after someone has died.
Offering a completely flexible service based on your needs and the complexity of the estate, they can provide basic services from completing the Grant of Probate application, to a fully comprehensive service including paying creditors and notifying beneficiaries. Whatever service you need, you will always be treated with the utmost compassion and understanding.
Our Wills, Probate & Estates specialists
What fees will I pay?
The fees you pay for your Wills & Probate work will depend on your circumstances and the work we need to carry out for you. Please click on the boxes below, which most closely reflect your requirements, for a detailed explanation of the work involved and how the fees will be calculated. If you still have any queries after reading this information, you can call us on 0800 138 0458 or contact us through the website.
This work is dealt with on a fixed fee basis.
For applications for Grant of Representation where the Estate does not exceed £325,000 and we are able to submit form IHT205 (or under £1 million and exempt of inheritance tax as the Estate is passing to spouse or charity and we are able to submit form IHT205) the costs will be £800 plus VAT at 20% and disbursements being Land Registry fee of £3.00 plus VAT at 20% (£3.60) and and Probate Fee of £273 plus £1.50 for every sealed copy of the Grant required.
For applications for Grant of Representation where we are able to submit and IHT205, but we also need to complete form IHT217 to transfer a late spouse’s unused inheritance nil rate band allowance the costs will be £1,000 plus VAT at 20% and disbursements being Land Registry fee of £3.00 plus VAT at 20% (£3.60) and and Probate Fee of £273 plus £1.50 for every sealed copy of the Grant required.
For applications for Grant of Representation where it is necessary to complete and submit form IHT400 and the various schedules to the HMRC the costs will be £2500 plus VAT at 20% and disbursements being Land Registry fee of £3.00 plus VAT at 20% (£3.60) and Probate Fee of £273 plus £1.50 for every sealed copy of the Grant required.
The following is a summary of the work involved in applying for a Grant of Representation only:
- Interview with you to discuss the terms of the deceased’s Will/intestacy and to through the assets and liabilities in the estate. You will be required to provide us with details of all assets in the estate. We will not be contacting any of the financial institutions directly ourselves.
- Draft Legal Statement and Inheritance Tax forms. Calculate if there is Inheritance Tax to pay. Send to the client in draft form.
- Submit application to the Probate Registry (and HMRC if applicable) to obtain Grant of representation
- Once Grant of representation is received, we will send the Grants to you for you to deal with the administration of the estate.
We calculate our costs an hourly spent basis by estimating how many hours it will take to administer the Estate, based on the assets in the Estate, the value of the Estate and the beneficiaries. The work will be dealt with by one of our solicitors Sharon Woodward or Catrin Lloyd at a rate of £250 per hour. They may be assisted by a trainee or a paralegal at an hourly rate of £120 or £150 per hour. Once we have established how many hours we believe it may take to administer the Estate we then provide clients with a quote based on time spent and the hourly rate or a fixed fee alternative so that clients can choose which option they prefer.
The following is a summary of all work when we deal with a full administration of an estate:
- Interview with you to advise on the terms of the deceased’s Will/intestacy provisions and discuss the duties of the executors.
- 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.
- Submit statutory notices if applicable.
- Draft Legal Statement and Inheritance Tax forms. Calculate if there is Inheritance Tax to pay. Send to the client in draft form.
- Submit application to the Probate Registry (and HMRC if applicable) to obtain Grant of Representation.
- Once 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.
Applying for the grant, collecting and distributing the assets
We anticipate this will take between 12 and 16 hours work at a rate of £250 per hour plus VAT. Total costs estimated at £3,000 (+VAT at 20%) 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 2 bank or building society accounts
- There are no other intangible assets
- There are 3 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:
- Probate application fee of £273 plus £1.50 for every sealed copy
- Bankruptcy-only Land Charges Department searches (£2 per beneficiary plus VAT at 20%)
- £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 at 20%
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.
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 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 (1 per asset usually)
- Estate Agents may need to be instructed to provide 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 on which we receive our Client Care Letter back duly signed and approved. 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 weeks.
Once the Property is sold we will then be able to finalise the administration of the estate.
Applying for the grant, collecting and distributing the assets
We anticipate this will take between 22- 28 hours work at £250 per hour. Total costs estimated at £5,500 (+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 5 bank or building society accounts
- There are no other intangible assets
- There are no more than 5 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 claim a deceased’s spouse’s unused Nil Rate Band and the executors need to submit a full account to HMRC in order to claim the Residence Nil Rate Band and unused Residence Nil Rate Band from deceased spouse’s estate
- There are no claims made against the estate
Disbursements included in this fee:
- Probate application fee of £273 plus £1.50 for every sealed copy
- Bankruptcy-only Land Charges Department searches (£2 per beneficiary plus VAT at 20%)
- £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 at 20%
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.
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 (1 per asset usually)
- Estate Agents may need to be instructed to provide 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 8-12 months, depending on when the Property is sold. Typically, obtaining the grant of probate takes 4-6 months from the date on which we receive our Client Care Letter back duly signed and approved. 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 weeks.
Once the Property is sold we will then be able to finalise the administration of the estate.
Applying for the grant, collecting and distributing the assets
We anticipate this will take between 48 hours work at £250 plus VAT per hour. Total costs estimated at £12,000 (+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 8 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:
- 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 at 20%)
- £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 at 20%
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.
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 £0.50 (1 per asset usually)
- Estate Agents may need to be instructed to provide 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 6-8 months from the date on which we receive our Client Care Letter back duly signed and approved. Collecting cash assets then follows once the Grant is obtained, which can take 6 weeks. Once this has been done, we can then depending on circumstances make an interim distribution, which normally takes 2 weeks.
Once the Property is sold we will then be able to finalise the administration of the estate.
Call us now on 0800 138 0458 to talk to our wills and probate team, or contact us through our website.