LASTING POWERS OF ATTORNEY

Our fees start at £500 plus VAT and disbursements for a single LPA.
The disbursement will be a fee payable to the Office of the Public Guardian, currently £82.

Please contact us for a bespoke quotation for additional LPA’S if required.


DEPUTYSHIP

Lesley Pearce is renowned for her work in this area of the law.
Our work is billed at the hourly rate prescribed by the Court of Protection and we offer a first free appointment.


WILLS

Prices start at £120 plus VAT for an individual Will but can vary if Wills are required for more than one person or involve or incorporate more complex issues such as Trusts.

Contact us for an exact quotation as to your own particular requirements.


Grant of Probate

Where possible we offer a fixed fee for applications relating to obtaining a Grant of Probate. The price below details what is included. The services we provide may include the completion and submission of the relevant forms and other required documentation for taxation as well as the completion and submission of forms for the grant of probate.

The below prices do not include VAT or disbursements.

Non-taxable Estates Only

From £550/(+VAT)

Includes:

  • Obtaining a grant of probate or letters of administration

This fee allows for the following to be included in the estate:

  1. Property
  2. Bank/Building Society Accounts
  3. Beneficiaries

This price does not account for:

  • Any claims that are made against the estate
  • Any intangible assets
  • All other necessary work

Timescale:

  • Attaining grant of probate for a typical estate can take up to 3 months at least.

Grant of Probate and Estate Administration

The below is an estimate for obtaining a grant of probate as well as administering a non-taxable estate. Our fees are calculated at an hourly rate and an estimated cost for this service is provided below based on a typical case. This estimate includes completing and submitting paperwork in relation to taxation, making application for the grant of probate, discharging any liabilities, and the administration of the estate on your behalf.

Estimated Cost: £750 – £4,800
Hourly Rate: £150 – £180 (dependent on complexity and value of the estate)
Estimated Hours: 5 – 30
Estimated Timescale: up to 12 months
This costs estimate is illustrative of a complex matter consisting of many assets with tax implications, deeds of variation, valuations and further work to be undertaken regarding various assets. It also takes into consideration an estate where administrative liquidation, tax calculations, gifts and writing to third parties are involved. It is therefore indicative of 30 hours work at £160 per hour.

Includes:

Completion and submission of Inheritance Tax forms for the estate.

The preparation and submission of the application for grant of probate

Assessing and collecting information regarding the estate’s assets

Distributing those assets to several beneficiaries.

The estimate is based on a service which includes our dealing with property and numerous bank/building society accounts. This would apply if it was a taxable estate and where we would be distributing assets to several beneficiaries. This approximate fee also allows for some intangible assets such as shareholdings to be dealt with. The fee does not include disbursements which are discussed in greater detail below, nor does it allow for claims against the estate.

Get a more accurate quote

Every case is different, and for a bespoke estimate contact us today and we can discuss your specific requirements.

Call Lesley Pearce on: 01443 423 797

For additional information on Inheritance Tax please visit the gov.uk website:
www.gov.uk/inheritance-tax

Disbursements are costs related to third party services which we pay on your behalf. We have not included the following disbursements in the above estimate and they may therefore be charged in addition to the above fee. We price these based on the cost of these services to ourselves:

Probate Application Fee: £155 (plus £1.50 per additional copy, 7 copies required)

Please note:

  • These fees do not apply where any assets of the estate are outside of the UK
  • These fees do not apply if the Will or distribution of the estate is contested or if the Executors are in dispute.
  • These fees do not apply if there is a claim against the Estate under the Inheritance (Family & Dependants) Act 1975.
  • If there are disputes between Beneficiaries over valuations this may extend the timescale and increase costs.
  • Please note that fees may vary and are dependant upon individual circumstances.

The Team

STEVEN REED

Solicitor, BA
Qualified: 1997

Deals with mainly non-contentious law including probate, conveyancing, and commercial conveyancing.

LESLEY PEARCE

Solicitor, BA (Hons)
Qualified: 1995

A specialist probate conveyancing lawyer who is also highly regarded for her deputyship work. She is the only qualified Notary Public in Rhondda Cynon Taff.

Our Process – Probate

STAGE 1: Valuing the Estate

At this stage we will go through the deceased’s papers and bank statements to establish the assets and liabilities. This can be quite straightforward, however, in some cases there may be multiple investments, properties, and other personal belongings to consider.

Accordingly we may need to contact banks, lenders, fund managers, pension providers, the local government, the DWP, and HMRC.

STAGE 2: File Inheritance Tax Forms

Regardless of whether inheritance tax must be paid inheritance tax forms must be completed. One form is used for non-taxable estates, another for taxable estates.

The Executor will sign the related forms as well as any additional schedules once the amount of tax payable is established.

STAGE 3: Pay Inheritance Tax

If there is inheritance tax payable on the estate then it must be paid prior to obtaining the grant of probate. Funds can be transferred directly from one of the deceased’s accounts for this if there are sufficient funds available.

STAGE 4: File Probate Forms

Once we have assessed the size of the estate we will be able to complete the probate application form by making application to the Probate Registry.

The Executors will need to sign the Statement of Truth at this stage to confirm that the details of the application are correct.

STAGE 5: Pay Probate Fees

These are fixed regardless of the size of the estate and are detailed above in the disbursements section.

STAGE 6: Administer the Estate

We will collect in the assets of the estate, discharge the liabilities and subsequently distribute the estate in accordance with a Will or the rules of intestacy.