Probate Fees

Example Scenarios 

Non-taxable Estates 

Applying for a grant of probate in a non-taxable estate (which includes a property and various other assets including bank accounts, some investments and other tangible assets), dealing with payment of any debts and estate administration expenses and then dealing with distribution of the estate to less than 10 beneficiaries. 
 
We anticipate that a case like this will generally take between 15 and 25 hours of our time to complete spread over a period of months. The fees to deal with the administration of a non-taxable estate like this will generally be somewhere in the region of £3,000 – £5,000 plus VAT. In addition to our fees a range of disbursements would also be payable. 
 
The exact cost will depend on the individual circumstances of the case. For example, if there is one beneficiary and no property, costs will be at the lower end of the range identified above or may in fact be even less. Sometimes we deal with simple estates that are fully administered for less than £3,000 plus VAT. Equally, if there are multiple beneficiaries, a property and multiple bank accounts, costs will be at the higher end. If there are complications with the terms of the Will (because it is badly drafted) costs could be much higher. There are a number of other reasons why a case may become more complex to deal with. 
 
In a case like the one described above, we can handle the full process for you. The general estimate provided above 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 up to ten beneficiaries all based in the UK and contactable 
• There are no disputes between beneficiaries on division of assets. If disputes arise this is likely to lead to an increase in costs, sometime significantly 
• There is no inheritance tax payable and the executors do not need to submit a full account to HMRC 
• There are no claims made against the estate 

Disbursements that are typically incurred are: 

• Probate application fee of £273 (to be increased to £300 from May 2024) plus £1.50 for each sealed copy of the Grant 
•  £5 for swearing any affidavits which may be required as part of the application for the grant of representation plus £2 for each exhibit attached to the affidavit  
• Bankruptcy-Land Charges Department searches (£2 per UK based beneficiary) 
• £200- £250 Advert in The London Gazette and local newspaper – Protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors. 
• Other disbursements can be incurred depending on circumstances. Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as court fees, land registry fees, and fees paid to tracing agents and genealogists. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process and if there is sufficient money in the estate we will often fund these for you and then seek reimbursement from the estate. In some cases we will insist on your making payment to us on account before we incur disbursements. 

Potential additional 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. 
• Dealing with the sale or transfer of any property in the estate is not included. Please refer to our pricing for property transactions for further details. 

Taxable Estates 

It is difficult to provide a one size fits all estimate of fees and timescales for a taxable estate. By their nature estates which will be subject to inheritance tax tend to have a diverse range of assets and are more complex to deal with. The fact tax is payable does not in itself lead to higher costs, though the requirement to file a detailed Inheritance Tax Return does create work over and above that required in a non-taxable estate. The main issue is that there is just more time spent dealing on the case because there are a greater number of assets and they are more complicated to deal with than that in lower value cases. In light of this we provide a bespoke fee estimate for taxable estates before we commence work if at all possible. That said, in many taxable estates we administer our fees are in the region of £10,000 to £15,000 plus vat. If, however, the estate is simple despite its high value, the costs will likely be similar to those for untaxable estates as outlined above. In particularly difficult or demanding cases the costs can be much more than £15,000plus vat. Total Estimate: £9,600 to £19,800 inclusive of VAT (excluding disbursements) 

Speak to Us 

It is difficult to provide a one size fits all quote for estate administrations. If you would like to get a better idea how much our services will cost you please contact us and let us know more about your case. We will then provide you with a personalised quote or fee estimate. If we cannot provide that based on what you tell us we will let you know what further information we need to be able to do so. Ultimately we want to provide accurate information about our charges to ensure that we start relationships with new clients on a transparent and positive note. 

You can contact us at – probate@howellslegal.com