How much does it cost to apply for a Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration?

Our Probate Team can offer assistance when required in relation to the administration of an Estate of a deceased person . Our Probate Team have many years of experience in dealing with all aspects of Estate administration. Their profiles can be found by following this link: Wills & Probate Team >

We can assist clients either by fully administering the Estate on behalf of the Personal Representatives or alternatively can limit the work to be carried out by us.

Full Estate Administration

We will assist you throughout the entire process. This includes not only applying for the Grant of Probate (where there is a Will) or a Grant of Letters of Administration (where the deceased died without leaving a valid Will) but also collecting in the estate assets, paying the tax (where applicable), making payment of liabilities and legacies due, preparing the full estate accounts and (where applicable) tax returns, and finally distributing the residuary estate to the entitled beneficiaries.

The exact cost will depend on the individual circumstances of the matter.

We anticipate that where there is no inheritance tax due on the estate it will usually take between 16 to 31 hours of work at our hourly rate of £210 – £250 plus VAT and that our charges will be between £3,500-£6,500 plus VAT depending on the complexity of the estate. More straightforward estates will be at the lower end of the scale. There will also be an identity check for each executor of £10 + VAT per person.

If the estate is subject to inheritance tax and if an inheritance tax return is required to be submitted to HM Revenue & Customs, it will usually take between 26 to 62 hours of work at our hourly rate of £210 – £250 plus VAT. Our charges are likely to be between £5,500 to £13,000 plus VAT and disbursements depending on the complexity of the estate. More straightforward estates will be at the lower end of the scale. There will also be an identity check for each executor of £10 + VAT per person.

The additional disbursements (payments we make on your behalf) may include but are not limited to:

The Probate Application Fee – £273 plus £1.50 per office copy
(the fee charged by the Probate Registry)

Swearing of the Oath (per Executor/Administrator) – £5
Plus fee for each additional document – £2

Bankruptcy Only – Land Charges Search – £2 plus VAT
(per beneficiary)

Notices in the London Gazette (if required) – £300 – £400
and a local newspaper to protect against unexpected claims

We will handle these payments on your behalf to make the process smoother. These disbursements do not include any Inheritance Tax which will be payable by the Estate in addition.

For the work included as part of our fee we shall:

These charges assume that:

If there is additional work required as a result of the assumptions above not applying, then we will charge for the extra work at the hourly rate of £210 – £250 plus VAT. We will advise you of this following our initial meeting to discuss the estate.

This does not include any work involved in the Sale or Transfer or Assent of any property which is required. We shall provide a separate estimate for the work involved.

On occasion we will be asked to deal with a very complex and involved estate. If we feel that this is the case when we meet to discuss the estate, we shall advise you of our likely charges as soon as possible.

Grant Only Service

We can limit our work to the obtaining of the Grant of Probate or Grant of Letters of Administration for a straightforward estate where there is no Inheritance Tax due. We will do this using the information provided by you, and it will then be up to you to gather in the assets and distribute them in the proper way.

Our fees for obtaining the Grant only are between £800 – £1,400 plus VAT and disbursements. If it is necessary to submit a Return to HM Revenue and Customs for Inheritance Tax purposes then we will charge an additional £300 plus VAT for that work.

The additional disbursements (payment we make on your behalf) may include but are not limited to:

The Probate Application Fee – £273 plus £1.50 per office copy
(the fee charged by the Probate Registry)

Swearing of the Oath (per Executor/Administrator) – £5
Plus fee for each additional document £2

Bankruptcy Only – Land Charges Search – £2 plus VAT
(per beneficiary)

Notices in the London Gazette (if required) – £300 – £400
and a local newspaper to protect against unexpected claims

We will handle these payments on your behalf to make the process smoother.

For the work included as part of our fee we shall:

Our charges assume that you provide values of all assets of the Estate as at the date of death and provide information regarding to any liabilities.

If there is additional work required as a result of the assumptions above not applying, then we will charge for the extra work at the hourly rate of £210 – £250 plus VAT.

We will advise you of this following our initial meeting to discuss the estate.
This does not include any work involved in the Sale or Transfer or Assent of any property, which is required. We shall provide a separate estimate for the work involved.