What is Probate?
Coping with a bereavement is painful enough without the added pressure of dealing with the deceased’s financial affairs.
However, our specialist Probate Solicitors are here to make the process as stress-free and painless as possible.
Our team offer a friendly and approachable service, which we tailor to each client’s specific needs.
After all, probate can be straightforward for some families and full of complexity and dispute for others.
Our Probate Solicitors will only provide the service that you need during this difficult time.
Get in touch for free, no obligation advice.
More information on Probate Services
Every estate is different, so we offer a range of services to make sure you choose the service you need at a price that suits.
For small estates, we offer fixed fees and we’ll do as much or as little of the administration as you need.
This will usually include obtaining probate and distributing the estate, but we’ll also handle other tasks such as returning passports to the passport office and dealing with house clearances.
We’ll also take care of house insurance and utility bills, check for missing assets or policies and protect the estate against unknown creditors.
Where matters are more complex or contentious, then our specialist Probate Solicitors will provide comprehensive advice, deal with all Inheritance Tax, Income Tax and Capital Gains Tax matters, prepare full estate accounts and correspond with all beneficiaries.
Open Pricing
Clear and open pricing is just as important to us as it is to you.
We understand that everyone has different needs, so instead of offering a one-size-fits-all pricing option, we provide pricing suited to your individual needs.
That means you don’t over or underpay, and you can pay the right fee in the right way for the service you require.
When you speak to Sinclair Law Solicitors, we’ll take the time to understand your circumstances and the kind of help you need, as well as how you want to receive our advice.
We’ll then provide you with choices on how you may like to pay for and fund your legal advice.
Options will include:
- A fixed hourly rate
- A fixed quote for all the work
- Staged payments
Applying for the grant, collecting and distributing the assets
At Sinclair Law, we charge on a time spent basis for acting in probate matters. We charge in 6 minute units (10 units per hour). Charge-out rates vary depending on the fee earner acting for you.
The exact cost will depend on the individual circumstances of the matter. For example, if there’s one beneficiary and no property, costs will be on average £4,000 excluding VAT and disbursements.
If there are multiple beneficiaries, a property and multiple bank accounts, costs will be on average no more than £10,000 excluding VAT and disbursements.
We’ll handle the full process for you. This quote is for estates where:
- There is a valid Will
- There is no more than one property
- There are no more than 3 bank or building society accounts
- There are no other intangible assets
- There are 1 to 4 beneficiaries
- There are no disputes between beneficiaries on division of assets. If disputes arise this is likely to lead to an increase in costs
- There is no inheritance tax payable and the executors don’t need to submit a full account to HMRC
- There are no claims made against the estate
Disbursements payable in addition to the above:
- £3.00 to obtain an up-to-date office copy entries from HM Land Registry of the Title for a registered property
- Probate application fee of £155.00
- £5.00 Swearing of the oath (per executor), plus a further £2.00 for each exhibit (for example, a Will and any codicils thereto)
- Bankruptcy-only Land Charges Department searches (£2 per beneficiary)
- £83.40 to enter a Trustee Act Notice in The London Gazette – This protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors
- Approximately £300.00 to place a Trustee Act Notice in a Local Newspaper – This also helps to protect against unexpected claims
Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as Court fees.
We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.
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’s to be dealt with. We can give you a more accurate quote once we have more information.
- If any additional copies of the grant are required, they will cost £0.50 each and (1 per asset usually).
- Dealing with the sale or transfer of any property in the estate is not included.
On average, estates that fall within this range are dealt with within 9-12 months. Typically, obtaining the grant of probate takes 16-20 weeks.
Collecting assets then follows, which can take between 6-10weeks. Once this has been done, we can distribute the assets, which normally takes 4-6 weeks.
Probate (Fixed Fee)
We can help you through this difficult process by obtaining the Grant of Probate on your behalf.
How much does this service cost?
TOTAL: fixed fee of £1500.00 (excluding VAT).
This includes: obtaining the grant.
Breakdown of costs:
Legal Fees £1500.00
VAT on legal fees £300.00
Disbursements payable in addition to the above:
- Probate court fee of £155.00 plus £1.00 for two certified copies.
- £5.00 Swearing of the oath (per executor) plus £2.00 for each exhibit
- £83.40 to enter a Trustee Act Notice in the London Gazette – Protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors.
- Approximately £300.00 to place a Trustee Act Notice in a Local Newspaper – This also helps to protect against unexpected claims.
Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as Court fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.
As part of our fixed fee, we will:
- Provide you with a dedicated and experienced probate practitioner to work on your matter
- Identify the legally appointed executors or administrators and beneficiaries
- Accurately identify the type of Probate application you will require
- Obtain the relevant documents required to make the application
- Complete the Probate Application and the relevant HMRC forms
- Draft a legal oath for you to swear
- Make the application to the Probate Court on your behalf
- Obtain the Probate and securely send two copies to you
On average, estates that fall within this range are dealt with within 6 months. Typically, obtaining the grant of probate takes 16-20weeks.
The Probate Team at Sinclair Law has numerous years of collective experience in delivering high quality work in all matters relating to Wills and Estate Administration. The team has members with particular expertise in high value estates and inheritance tax matters.