Probate & Estate Administration Solicitors Fees

Pricing information

  • 1-2% of estate value +VAT
    Prices typically range from 2% of the gross value of an estate valued at £500,000 or less, to 1% of an estate valued at over £3 million.
  • 2-4 months
    Estimated time to obtain a grant of representation from the date we are instructed.
  • Meet the team

We think it is essential for clients to have a choice about the amount of support and advice they receive from us. Our probate costs will depend on the amount of that support.

Why choose VWV?

We have a large Probate and Estate Administration team, led by five partners. We can advise on a wide range of estates. Our team includes probate specialists who deal with international estates and probate disputes. We ensure that your needs are met by lawyers with the most appropriate level of expertise and experience. Most of our lawyers are members of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP).

Clients have a dedicated lawyer who is fully involved in every stage of dealing with an estate. He or she is supported by paralegals and other administrative staff. All work carried out by the team is closely supervised by a partner.

We collectively have many years of experience in dealing with all aspects of estate administration work, from the straightforward to the highly complex. Our expertise covers heritage property, copyrights and royalties, agricultural property, domicile issues, business assets and assets held in trust. Please see further details of our Probate and Estate Administration team.

Our approach to pricing

No two estates are the same. Each will comprise specific assets and have its own qualities. Because of this, we can't give you a reliable estimate of the cost to do the work until we have more details, however we can give you a guide.

Our prices for estate administration range from 2% of the gross value of an estate valued at £500,000 or less, to 1% for an estate valued at over £3 million. In each case VAT at 20% is charged on our fees in addition to the agreed fee.

We will usually offer a choice of costs charged on a time-spent basis, or a fixed fee. We will always give you individual costs information at the start of the work, taking into account the details of the estate. We will always advise you about any complications that may arise.

Hourly rates

We will usually offer a choice of costs charged on a time-spent basis, or a fixed fee. Our hourly rates are as follows:

  • Partner, Consultant and Legal Director - £460 to £505
  • Senior Associate, Senior Legal Executive and Trusts Manager - £400 to £440
  • Associate - £370 to £405
  • Solicitor - £310 to £340
  • Legal Executive and Senior Paralegal - £260 to £285
  • Paralegal - £205 to £225
  • Trainee Solicitor - £195 to £215
  • Apprentice Solicitor - £95

Complicating factors

When setting the pricing options, we take into account the complexity of the estate. For example, an estate with one beneficiary and no property will be more straightforward that an estate with multiple beneficiaries and many different assets.

Other complicating factors include:

  • Estates with charities and individuals receiving shares of residue
  • Estates with shareholdings held in certificate form
  • Estates with missing beneficiaries.

Disbursements (not included in fee estimates)

In addition to our fees, other costs will arise during the administration, which are payable to third parties. These costs are called 'disbursements' and include the probate fee (currently £273 for the Grant, plus £1.50 per copy), a fee for swearing the oath by the personal representatives (minimum £7 per person), a Land Registry fee for obtaining copies of the title of the property (currently £3) and statutory notices (expected to be in the region of £175 to £275), if required. We will keep you updated on these expenses throughout the matter and let you know in advance before they are incurred. We will also inform you if additional exceptional expenses are required.

Our costs are an estate administration expense. They need to be approved by the executors or administrators before they are deducted from the estate.

Timescales

At the start of an administration it can be difficult to predict a timescale, because it often depends on how quickly third parties (e.g. HMRC and the Probate Registry) are able to respond to us and provide information.

To obtain a grant of representation usually takes between four to six months from the date we are instructed, depending on the complexity of the estate and the availability of information.

We also advise on the timescale and steps for the second stage of the estate administration work, following issue of a grant. The post-grant work may take six months or more, depending on the complexity of the estate.

Our expertise

We can advise on:

  • Interpreting the Will
  • The scope of executors' duties and responsibilities immediately following death, and any limitations
  • The law of intestacy in the absence of a Will, including the rules of distribution of the estate and who is entitled to apply for a grant of representation
  • Any trusts arising under the Will or on intestacy, including advising the trustees on their on-going fiduciary duties
  • What happens if specific items given in the Will no longer exist or have changed in description
  • How to deal with personal belongings including if there is a letter of wishes, and immediate steps to be taken to preserve any property in the estate (including maintaining insurance cover)
  • Dealing with investment properties and any tenants in occupation working in conjunction with our property lawyers
  • The deceased's tax position, particularly if the estate includes any business assets working alongside our corporate and tax lawyers
  • The disputes that can arise out of wills and estates. Our contentious probate lawyers provide this specialist legal advice and guidance
  • Issues of domicile, liaising with lawyers in other jurisdictions, should additional grants of representation be required to deal with assets held overseas
  • Drafting deeds of variation to enable beneficiaries to divert an inheritance from their own estate, to others.

Our services

The administration of an estate consists of two stages:

  1. obtaining the grant of representation
  2. post grant work.

Our work to obtain the grant of representation is likely to include the following steps:

  • Meeting with you to go through the terms of the Will, or explain the intestacy provisions if there is no Will
  • Identifying the extent of the estate, the assets and liabilities and ascertaining their value in accordance with HMRC's requirements, for inheritance tax purposes (including any charges on properties)
  • Arranging for personal belongings to be valued
  • Corresponding with HMRC to confirm the income tax position up to the date of death and computing final lifetime tax returns, if required
  • Investigating and considering any available inheritance tax reliefs that may be applied to the estate
  • Preparing the appropriate oath for executors/administrators
  • Securing the property and ensuring that buildings insurance is maintained
  • Drafting the appropriate inheritance tax return forms
  • Arranging for payment of inheritance tax
  • Submitting statutory notices to notify creditors of the death
  • Submitting the application to the Probate Registry and receiving the grant.

The post-Grant work is likely to include:

  • Selling or collecting in all assets
  • Settling all liabilities
  • Finalising the inheritance tax liability and advising on any instalments of tax to be paid
  • Completing administration income tax/capital gains tax returns
  • Registering an estate as a 'complex estate' with HMRC
  • Producing full estate accounts for approval
  • Advising on the distribution of the estate, including on interim distributions.

Additional services

The costs set out above do not include the following services, and we can provide a separate fee estimate for these services, if required:

  • Selling any flat or house in the estate
  • Administering a trust arising out of the will
  • Any contentious aspects of the administration
  • Advising on any deed of variation to vary the terms of the Will
  • Assisting with any 'compliance check' (audit) of the estate by HMRC.