Probate
Our fees for dealing with the administration of an estate depend on the information available at the outset of your matter and other relevant factors such as the size or complexity of the estate, whether Inheritance Tax is payable and the level at which we are required to liaise with third parties. Our fees are usually charged at our hourly rates however, where possible, we are in some cases able to provide a fixed fee for your matter. In any event we will always provide you with a detailed fee estimate at the outset of your case and inform you of any likely disbursements. If circumstances change or additional work becomes necessary, we will always discuss this with you and provide you with a further fee estimate, prior to commencing such work.
We appreciate in some cases there may be elements of the estate that you feel comfortable dealing with, and others you do not. We can be flexible with this approach and tailor a quote providing a combined fixed fee and hourly rate service for any additional assistance required.
This page sets out our probate pricing in accordance with the Solicitors Regulation Authority pricing transparency requirements. It explains our legal fees, likely disbursements, what is included within our service, who will handle your matter and typical timescales.
Our Grant only service is suitable where you wish to deal with the administration of the estate yourself but require professional assistance with obtaining a Grant of Representation.
This service focuses solely on preparing and submitting the Grant application and associated documentation based on the information provided by you.
We can usually provide a fixed fee for our Grant only service where you are able to provide all of the initial information required.
Our fees for our Grant only service are typically:
Where no reporting to HMRC is required and the application for a Grant is straightforward in the region of £1,200 – £1,500 plus VAT and disbursements.
Where an Inheritance Tax account is required prior to submitting a Grant application (no Inheritance Tax due) in the region of £2,000 plus VAT and disbursements.
A fixed fee will be confirmed once we have reviewed the estate information, with all foreseeable costs explained upfront. The above fees are representative of straightforward applications and do not include applications such as limited Grants or re-sealing.
Our Grant of Probate only service includes:
• Meeting with you to discuss the estate and provide you with associated advice
• Reviewing the will where applicable
• Advising you on the process and identifying the appropriate Grant application
• Obtaining the relevant information from you to prepare the application
• Where an Inheritance Tax account is required, preparing the relevant paperwork and accompanying schedules based on the information provided by you.
• Discussing the application with you and advising you on signing the same
• Submitting your application to the Probate Registry and liaising with the Probate Registry as necessary to progress your application
• Sending you the Grant once this has been issued
Disbursements are not included within our legal fees and may include:
• Probate application fee currently £300
• Additional sealed copies of the Grant currently £16.00 per copy
• Land Registry Office Copies £7.00 (if required)
This service does not include:
• Establishing the estates assets and liabilities or arranging any valuations
• Liaising with any financial institution or third party
• Advising you on an ongoing basis in your capacity as Executor or Administrator or in relation to any estate assets such as property and utilities.
• Dealing with the subsequent administration and winding up of the estate following the issue of the Grant of Representation
• Collecting in estate assets or dealing with the sale/transfer of any assets
• Paying estate debts or liabilities
• Reviewing the estates tax position
• Preparing estate accounts
• Distributing the estate in accordance with any Will or intestacy
If you require assistance with any of the above, we can provide a separate quote for additional services.
Our full estate administration service is designed for executors or administrators who would like us to manage the legal and practical aspects of administering an estate from start to finish. This option provides reassurance that all necessary steps are handled correctly and in accordance with legal requirements, reducing the administrative burden at what can be a challenging time.
We will guide you through the entire process, from obtaining the Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration through to collecting assets, settling liabilities and distributing the estate to beneficiaries as well as providing ongoing advice to you throughout the course of the administration.
Our fees for the administration of an estate are charged at our hourly rates and are based on a number of factors such as the size and complexity of the estate, whether Inheritance Tax is payable, if there is a Will,the number of beneficiaries and the level at which we are required to liaise with third parties. We will always provide you with a clear fees estimate at the outset of your matter, once we have reviewed the relevant estate information.
Our hourly rates range from £150 plus VAT to £285 plus VAT (as at April 2026 and are reviewed annually).
Full Estate Administration
For straightforward small estates where no Inheritance Tax account is required, our legal fees are usually between £4,500 to £6,500 plus VAT and disbursements.
For medium estates or where an Inheritance Tax account is required but the estate is otherwise generally straightforward, our fees are usually in the region of £6,500 to £8,500 plus VAT and disbursements.
For larger or more complex estates, where Inheritance Tax is payable, there are multiple properties or other assets, businesses or foreign assets or any other added complexities, our fees are generally in the region of £8,500- £20,000 (not limited to) however this is a broad estimate and our fees are dependent on the estate as a whole.
If further assets come to light throughout the course of the administration or further work is required beyond our initial scope that may cause us to exceed any fees estimate provided, we will discuss this with you and agree a new fees estimate.
Our fees will depend on the nature of the estate and the work involved. Once we have reviewed the relevant details, we will confirm where your matter is likely to fall within these ranges and provide you with a detailed fees estimate for the work required. We may also break down our quote into a two stage process; all work to obtaining the Grant and then the subsequent administration of the estate.
In some cases, a value based element calculated as a percentage of the gross estate may also apply. If this applies to your matter, we will discuss this with you at the outset ensuring this is explained clearly before you decide how to proceed.
Our full administration services will often include:
The exact scope of work will depend on the service you require.
Disbursements are payments made to third parties and are not included in our legal fees.
Common disbursements may include:
We will provide a clear breakdown of expected disbursements once the estate details are known and if any further disbursements are likely to arise during the course of your matter we will discuss this with you.
Probate fees may increase where an estate involves:
If any of these apply, we will explain how this affects costs before carrying out additional work.
Timescales depend on the size and complexity of the estate and the response times of third parties.
As a general guide:
These timescales are indicative and cannot be guaranteed.
Your matter will be handled by a qualified lawyer. From time to time the person responsible for your work may delegate tasks to suitably experienced individuals to enable the work to be carried out in a timely and cost effective manner, such as trainee solicitors, paralegals or legal assistants. All such individuals will be appropriately supervised. You will be informed at the outset who will be responsible for your matter and provided with details of their experience.
