Starting The Process
In most cases, we would like an initial meeting whether personally or virtually so we can establish which of the services we offer would be most appropriate for you and and your circumstances. Our trusted advisors are on hand to advise and guide you.
Our Services
A Grant of Representation is a legal document issued by the Probate Registry, by ‘proving’ the will of a deceased. Before 1858 the Probate Registry’s functions were conducted by the ecclesiastical courts, under the administration of the Church of England.
The Court of Probate Act 1857 created the Principal Probate Registry in London and 40 district probate registries.
The Probate Registry post 1858 is part of the Family Division of HM Courts & Tribunal Service, however, all proven wills are still deposited with the Principal Probate Registry. A Grant of Representation from the Probate Registry gives the person named on it the authority to handle the money, property and personal possessions, generally called ‘the estate’ of the individual who has deceased.
Whether it is a Grant of Probate you need or a Grant of Letters of Administration you require depends on your particular set of circumstance. We can advise you in detail of this when we consider the legal implications of your case.
Whether or not there is a will, we advise you should apply for a Grant of Representation.
Please note: if a person has power of attorney for someone, this ends at the time of death. From death onwards, it is the will, or the Grant of Representation, that becomes the empowering legal document for the person who has deceased.
Solicitor’s costs are government by statute, meaning an Act of Parliament. This is how something becomes the law. The act government solicitor’s costs is the Solicitors Act 1957, Part III ‘Remuneration of Solicitors’. You can find a link to that act here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1974/47/part/III
Section 57 of the Solicitors Act 1974 deals with non-contentious business agreements between a solicitor and their client. It allows for agreements on how the solicitor will be paid for their services. These agreements must be in writing and signed by the client or their agent or attorney. This is why we send out what we call a ‘client care letter’. When you receive our, we kindly ask that you please read it carefully. It is to be read in conjunction with our more detailed ‘Terms of Business’.
In addition to this, there is the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) Transparency Rules to consider. Under Rule 1.5, the SRA requires solicitors to give the total cost of the service or, where not practicable, the average cost or range of costs. This we attempt to achieve here in this section. Is this always practicable? Not really, since every estate is different in terms of assets, circumstances and especially, if it is testate or intestate.
The SRA Transparency Rules can be viewed using this following link:
https://www.sra.org.uk/solicitors/standards-regulations/transparency-rules/
For a straightforward estate where there is no need to complete a full inheritance tax account, we would usually expect an average estate administration to take between 8-12 months.
This service is for clients who provide us with all necessary financial information, including:
• Date-of-death balances for accounts and investments
• Property valuations
• Details of liabilities
We will:
1. Draft and submit Inheritance Tax forms
2. Submit the probate application
3. Provide you with the Grant of Probate
Full Estate Administration
Our full probate and estate administration service includes:
1. Reviewing the Will and advice upon the same
2. Obtaining date of death as well as market valuations of all estate assets and liabilities
3. Having Inheritance Tax forms completed and assisting with any tax payments
4. Drafting the required legal statements
5. Liaising with all institutions and parties involved
6. Closing or transferring estate assets
7. Settling all liabilities
8. Preparing detailed estate accounts
9. Distributing funds to beneficiaries
Fees
Our fees for full estate administration are typically based on a percentage of the gross value of the estate, which is typical of the legal industry, with an additional hourly rate applied in some cases depending on the complexity of the matter.
Grant Only Service:
2.5% of the gross estate value, or, minimum £3,000 plus VAT.
Where it is necessary to calculate inheritance tax (IHT) as part of the estate administration the fee will be as follows:
2.5% of the gross estate value or, minimum £4,000 plus VAT.
Our hourly rate range from £200 to £410 (+VAT at 20%)
These rates reflect the complexity of the case, including:
1. Type and number of assets
2. Straightforward valuation of assets and liabilities
3. Property is registered land and no title reconstruction is required
4. The deceased had a business or agricultural interests (like livestock and equipment)
5. Complexity of inheritance tax matters
6. Number of beneficiaries
7. Acting alongside the Public Trustee (government official)
8. Any cross-border or trust issues
9. Claims against the estate by beneficiaries or would be beneficiaries
10. Lifetime gifts which were made by the deceased which are reportable to HMRC
11. Expected delays with European estates, especially those outside the EU
12. Intestacy
13. Genealogy research
14. Family tree construction
15. Executor search
16. Beneficiary search
17. International beneficiary search
18. International assets search
19. Travel abroad
20. Additional drafting of deeds and affidavits, all of which is charged separately
21. Will it be an online or paper and postal application to the Probate Registry
22. Executors & beneficiaries waiting for 6 months post Grant to distribute or not
You will receive a cost estimate before any work begins. We will always inform you of any changes to our estimated fees before additional work is undertaken. There will be no work carried without the authority of the executor(s).
Disbursements
Disbursements are incidental costs payable to third parties, such as:
Probate application fee is currently £300 with additional copies of the Grant of Representation at £1.50, including those for use abroad
Unoccupied property insurance-QOA
Bankruptcy-only Land Charges Department searches £2 per beneficiary, per distribution
International bankruptcies depend on the location so it is POA
Section 27 notices, which range from £200-£400 (London Gazette and local paper)
Financial asset search ranged from £160-£250
Share valuations range from £6.00 each
Gold Medalion Stamp -POA
Car valuation and sales-QOA
Will search ranges from £50-£100
Official copies of the Land Registry Title to any property (£3 per copy title and £3 per copy of the plan, if required)
Probate valuations for property, chattels (personal possessions) and shareholdings are as required, with cost varying depending on the asset involved
Dealing with income and capital gains tax reporting for the estate, including filing pre-death and administration period tax returns, where relevant
VAT may be applicable on some of the prices quoted above. If and when our rates and terms change, we will send out a new client care letter to the executor informing them of the changes.
Timescales
Post Covid19 there have been dreadful delays with the issuing of Grants from the Probate Registry. Although the online submitted application timescales have improved, the paper-based applications are still taking a long time to issue.
The same is true of dealing with the HMRC where tax is payable. We cannot say how long the HMRC will take to deal with a matter however, on present experience in 2025, this stage of dealing with the HMRC can take up to 3 months if not more. If tax is payable we need the HMRC to give us their calculation figures and then pay that tax, otherwise there is a wait of 20 days from when we have submitted the tax paperwork.
Dealing with a relatively straightforward taxable estate will usually take between 12 – 24 months, but more complex estates (for example, those which may involve protracted negotiations with HMRC, involve multiple trust, have international aspects like properties abroad to sell, can take several years to resolve.
