Our Charges for Uncontested UK Probate Work

Our Charges – uncontested probate cases with all assets in the UK

Basis of charging

We do not charge a fixed fee for probate work. Our hourly rates range from £100 to £345 per hour plus VAT (£120 to £414 in total), based on the level of qualification and experience.

Our fees are based upon the team member’s hourly rate and calculated on the basis of the time spent, taking into account the size and complexity of the estate. We will ensure that work is done at the appropriate and most cost effective level to mitigate costs.

Estimate of fees

At the outset of an estate administration we will provide a costs estimate, but by way of example, our costs for obtaining a Grant of Representation and administering a simple estate are likely to range from £2,000 to £7,500 plus VAT (£2,400 to £9,000 in total) plus disbursements.

A simple estate would be an estate where:

• • there is a valid Will with no more than 3 beneficiaries (who are all known to the executors and are not missing)
  • the deceased owned no more than one property
  • the deceased had up to 3 bank or building society accounts but no other intangible assets, such as investments and/or stocks and shares
  • there are no business or agricultural assets in the estate. The deceased did not have any foreign assets or have an interest in any trust
  • the deceased did not make any lifetime gifts that need to be reported to HM Revenue and Customs
  • no inheritance tax is payable and a full inheritance tax account does not need to be submitted to HM Revenue and Customs
  • no claims are made against the estate and there are no disputes
  • we are not required to register the death, arrange the funeral or search, clear or take responsibility for maintaining the deceased’s property

As explained above, the exact costs will depend on the specific circumstances of the estate. If the sole beneficiary is the deceased’s spouse and there are very few assets in the estate, the costs are likely to be at the lower end of the range.

If the estate is more complex than the simple estate outlined above, fees will be charged at the team member’s hourly rate and will be calculated on the basis of the time spent, taking into account the size and complexity of the estate. In our experience, likely costs on an estate consisting entirely of UK assets equate to between 1% and 3% of the gross estate (the total value of the assets of the estate before deducting any liabilities, costs, funeral costs or inheritance tax).

This is just an estimate of our fees to cover the work required to administer an estate and the exact costs will depend on the circumstances of the estate.

We will provide you with a costs estimate towards the outset of the estate administration and if the estate administration proves more complex than first envisaged, we will revise our costs estimate accordingly.

Our costs are usually settled from estate funds.

What is not covered?

Conveyancing

If it is necessary to transfer a residential property into the names of beneficiaries or trustees, or sell a property, this will be dealt with by our residential conveyancing team. Details of their charges can be found here.

Other professionals and potential costs

It may be more cost effective for other professionals or agencies to deal with aspects of the administration. We may instruct:

• • accountants to deal with tax compliance for income tax and capital gains tax
  • investment managers to deal with numerous shareholdings
  • property management businesses to search, inspect and clear property
  • agencies to find missing beneficiaries
  • insurance brokers to protect the executors

In these circumstance, the professional’s or agency’s costs will be charged separately. We can obtain a quote for these services when we have more information.

Disbursements

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf from estate funds. These may include:

• Trustee Act notices in the London Gazette and local newspaper to protect executors against unexpected claims from unknown creditors – approx. £250 – £300 plus VAT (£300 – £360 in total)
• Valuation fees for property, chattels, investments and stocks and shares
• Court fees – £273 for a grant of representation plus £1.50 per office copy
• HM Land Registry bankruptcy searches – £2 plus VAT (£2.40 in total) per name per search
• H M Land Registry office copies – £3 plus VAT (£3.60 in total) per property title search

Key stages – What will Raworths do for you?

The fees set out above cover all the work in relation to the following key stages of the administration of an estate:

• • Taking your initial instructions and providing advice
  • Identifying and advising the legally appointed executors or administrators
  • Identify the assets and liabilities of the estate
  • Drafting probate papers and the HMRC inheritance tax account and applying to the Probate Registry for the grant of representation
  • Advising on any inheritance tax liability, and possible exemptions or reliefs, and completing the necessary inheritance tax accounts
  • Collecting in the assets of the estate and settling the outstanding liabilities
  • Calculating and settling income tax and capital gains tax liabilities of the estate during the administration period
  • Preparing estate accounts and arranging for them to be signed by the personal representatives
  • Distributing the estate

This is an illustration only. The work carried out will be tailored to your specific needs and set out in the Confirmation of Instructions letter.

Timescales

The time taken from your initial instructions to obtaining the grant of representation will typically take approximately 3-6 months and up to 9 months to complete the administration thereafter. However, this timescale is just an estimate and in some circumstances, it can take much longer.

Our Team

Our Trusts, Wills and Estates team is led by Rachel Tunnicliffe.  The team dealing with probate comprises: Lucy Allen, Christopher Bayford, David Brown, Ryan Carter, Katie Davill, Peter Greswold, Caroline Hedges, Sam Jenner, Katie Johnston, Heather Laws, Rachel Mainwaring-Taylor, Kate Thornton, Jessica Toller, Leslie Tuck, Alison Walker, Katie Watts and Jessica Wilkinson.  Click here to view their individual profiles.