Hidden Wills & Probate
How much will they cost?
Depending on the complexity of your situation, our fees for preparing a single will are £500.00 + VAT and mirror wills (for a couple) are £750.00 + VAT. This includes meeting to discuss your wishes, obtaining instructions, opening a file, drafting the will and advising you on the clauses contained within. We also provide the option to all our clients to store the original Will with us.
How long will it take?
Timescales for preparing wills may vary although we aim to finalise the wills within one week of being instructed.
Probate
How much will it cost?
Our usual fees for conducting probate matters are 1.75% + VAT of the value of the estate or £5,000.00 + VAT (whichever fee is higher). This includes all work conducted on the matter such as dealing with all 3rd parties such as the banks and building societies, insurance and pension companies, and estate agents if applicable, property and will searches if required, serving notice on your behalf, preparing and submitting tax accounts to HMRC, obtaining a Grant of Probate and advise on distributing the estate.
Disbursements
Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as court fees. We will handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process. This may include:
- Valuation fees – approximately £200.00
- Land Registry fees – approximately £10.00
- Swearing an oath – approximately £10.00 per executor
- Probate application – £155.00 plus 50p for each sealed copy of the Grant of Probate
- Share sale charges – brokers fees including indemnity fees – dependent on the case.
- Bankruptcy Search fees – £2.00 per beneficiary
- Notice in the London Gazette – £62.15
- Notice in the local newspaper – prices vary as the price depends on the local area in which the deceased was occupying
How long will it take?
We aim to finalise probate matters as quickly as possible. The timescales vary from case to case depending on the assets and where are they based, however, obtaining the Grant of Probate typically takes 12-20 weeks and collecting in the majority of the assets (i.e. closing bank accounts and selling shares) generally takes up to 12 weeks after obtaining the Grant of Probate.