Uncontested Probate

Our charges:

Our overall fees vary depending upon how complex your case is and what you would like us to do. For a free quote specifically tailored to your circumstances please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 01793 617617. We would be more than happy to discuss your case.

To give you an idea of how we charge however, and to comply the SRA price transparency rules, we have set out below details of our fees.

Our charges are made up of:

1. our fees for the legal work;
2. ‘disbursements’ - disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to other people, such as probate application fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.

Where VAT is referred to below please note that this will be charged at the applicable rate, which is currently 20%.

How much do we charge?

Our fees

Standard probate work

Applying for a ‘Grant of Probate’ and collecting and distributing assets in a ‘simple’ matter is the most common type of probate work which we deal with. Namely, where someone has passed away leaving a valid will which is not disputed, the beneficiaries can be easily ascertained and there is not a very large or complex estate to divide up.

Our fees for this work will either be agreed with you as a fixed sum at the start of our work together or based on how much time it takes to deal with your case. Our standard hourly rates are £275 plus VAT for one of our executives and £275 plus VAT for a Partner. 

Normally this sort of matter takes between 5 and 10 hours work at between £275 per hour (plus VAT at 20%) to complete. Total costs therefore tend to be in the range £1,375 plus £275 VAT (£1,650 total)  to £2750 plus £550 VAT (£3,300 total).  Fixed fees would typically fall within this range also.

We may also charge an additional fee to reflect the complexity and value of the matter.  This is usually 0.5% of the value of property held by the estate and 1% of the value of other assets in accordance with Law Society guidelines.

The total costs will depend upon how straight forward or complicated the case is. For example, if someone has died leaving only one beneficiary in an undisputed Will and no property, then costs would be at the lower end of the range because it will be simple to administer. If there are multiple beneficiaries, a property and multiple bank accounts however, costs will be at the higher end even if the will is still not disputed.

We would still be delighted to work with you in more complicated matters but would need to give you a quotation for the work tailored to your individual circumstances. Please contact us to learn more.

Disbursements

Disbursements are payments that we make to third parties on your behalf. These are separate payments for which the estate is liable in addition to our costs as described above.

Typical disbursements in Probate matters are:

• Probate application fee, which is currently: £273 plus £1.50 for every extra office copy of the Grant of Probate which you require (no VAT on either);
• Swearing of the oath fee, which is £5 for each executor (if required);
• Land registry search fees:  £3.00 plus £0.60 VAT;  £2.00 plus £0.40 VAT per bankruptcy search
• Legal notice which requires posting in The London Gazette (this can help protect against unexpected claims from unknown creditors): £91 plus VAT of £18.20;

Other costs to consider

Please note that the costs estimates above do not include any additional costs incurred in disposing of estate assets such as the sale or any property or business.

How long will this take?

Generally speaking, ‘simple’ estate matters such as those described above can normally be dealt with within 6-12 months. This is broken down into the following stages, with rough time estimates for each stage as follows:

• applying for the grant of probate: 16 weeks to 24 weeks;
• notifying asset holders and place legal notices: 30 days
• distributing the assets: 42 weeks to 50 weeks;
• Preparing the estate accounts.

(Some of these periods will overlap)

Key stages of your case

The precise stages involved vary according to the circumstances. The guidance on our fees above covers the work in relation to the following key stages a ‘simple’ probate process:

• Identifying the executors and beneficiaries
• Checking the type of Probate application you will require
• Obtaining the relevant documents required to make the application
• Completing the Probate Application and the relevant HMRC forms
• Drafting a legal oath for swearing
• Making the application for probate
• Obtaining the Probate and distributing copies as necessary
• Collecting and distributing the assets of the estate

It would not normally be necessary to undertake other work or incur costs other than those described above. However, we would be very happy to provide you with a more tailored quote for all stages of your particular case once we know about your specific circumstances.

Who will be dealing with my matter?

Your probate matter will be handled by a trusted member of our experienced probate team.  Once we know who will be handling your case for you we will introduce you to them and provide you with full details of their background and qualifications.  Full details of the experience and qualifications of our team are available on our website The team at Carter, Read and Dove Swindon, Wiltshire Solicitors (crdlaw.co.uk) including the types of work normally undertaken.  

Regardless of who is working on your case the matter will be supervised by our partner:

Bob Carter

• Solicitor
• Qualified as a Solicitor in 1980
• Bob Carter Solicitor Swindon, Wiltshire | Carter, Read and Dove (crdlaw.co.uk)