Lasting Power of Attorney, Wills and Probate

We never know what is around the corner and having a Lasting Power of Attorney in place means that someone you know and trust can administer your affairs, if for some reason you are unable to do so yourself. An unexpected car accident or a stroke can happen to anyone and it makes sense to prepare for this, just in case. It means that if you are incapacitated, someone else can take over for you and make sure that basic transactions continue, including bills and more.

Why Choose Our Services?

We are experienced in Will preparation and we can help you to design a Will that will ensure that your wishes are carried out after your death. A well-crafted Will saves your loved ones many problems after you are gone. If you were to die intestate (without a Will) it may mean that they have to pay significant legal fees just to get what you wanted them to anyway.

We can also help with the financial affairs of someone who has died and help you carry out your duties as executor in relation to the administration of the estate. Probate can be a very complex and time-consuming process, and our experience can reduce the problems faced in reaching the endpoint.

Fees in relation to Probate

probate registry fee £280.00 approximately
probate valuation of property (depends in type of property so cannot give estimate) + VAT
If property is being transferred, there will be land registry fees (dependent on type of property)
bankruptcy searches £2 per search
HM Land Registry – Copy title deeds £7 for each property or title

Professional Fees

Our fees do depend on the number of assets, if there is a property and how much work we have to do. Our fees could be between £3,000 for a straightforward matter and £12,000 or more if there are a lot of assets in the estate or the matter becomes complex.
Our Probate solicitor’s hourly fee rate is £250 + VAT per hour, but we can do some fixed fees such as just applying for Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration if you have a valuation of the estate and if you and will gather in the assets yourself. This fixed fee would be £750.00 + VAT.

The following factors may increase the cost of dealing with the administration of the estate:

Not having all of the paperwork available
Third parties not responding to our communications promptly
Where the deceased has retained benefit of an asset he or she has purported to give away in their lifetime
Where there have been significant gifts made or transfer of assets into trust which are required to be reported to HMRC
HMRC compliance enquiries
Dealing with assets or items of unusual or complex nature (for example: fine art; timeshares; shares in private companies)
Dealing with and advising on assets situated in foreign jurisdictions
Dealing with a large portfolio of certificated shareholding

If you think that you may have a complex issue or a particular asset that concerns you, we can discuss this with you and agree our costs for dealing with the issue. If complications arise after we start work we will always contact you straightaway to let you know what the problem is, what our proposed solution is and the likely costs of that. We won’t undertake that work until you have agreed the course of action and any additional fees.

Our Probate solicitor has a wealth of experience and is 10 years qualified.

Potential Costs to third parties (disbursements)

We may need to pay costs to third parties on your behalf; these costs are known as disbursements and commonly include the following:

Potential Costs

probate registry fee £155
probate valuation of property (depends in type of property so cannot give estimate) + VAT
court fee estimate £170.00
If property is being transferred, there will be land registry fees (dependent on type of property)
bankruptcy searches £2 per search
HM Land Registry – Copy title deeds £3 for each property or title
Statutory notices in the Gazette and a Local Newspaper between £200 – £300. Notices may protect executors from unexpected claims made against the estate

There may also be other payments to third parties on behalf of the estate in which case we will let you know in advance.

The costs of selling or transferring property in the estate are in addition to our fees as shown in the above estimates. We do not undertake conveyancing at this firm but we can put you in touch with a conveyancing solicitor who will provide you with an estimate for their work.

Need Any Assistance?

Our probate solicitors are here to help you with a range of issues, including legal wills.