We can help you through this difficult process by helping you obtain the grant needed to deal with the estate and, if required, administer the estate for you.
1. Grant only service
If you can provide details of all assets and their values at the date of death, and you have already notified the banks, pension providers, creditors, utility companies, the DWP and HMRC, we can prepare the inheritance tax forms and the legal statement needed for the application. We will then apply for the grant of probate or letters of administration. Once the grant is issued, we will send it to you so that you can collect the assets, pay any debts and distribute the estate to the beneficiaries. Our work would include:
- Providing you with a dedicated and experienced probate solicitor to work on your matter
- Confirming who is legally entitled to act and who should benefit from the estate
- Confirming which type of probate application is needed
- Advising you which documents we need for the application
- Preparing the probate application and the relevant HMRC forms for the executors or administrators to sign
- Making the application to the Probate Court on your behalf
- Obtain the grant and securely sending two copies to you
This “grant only” service is for executors and administrators who are comfortable dealing with the estate themselves after the grant has been issued. It may be suitable where the estate has only a few assets, is relatively low in value, and there are no complex inheritance tax issues.
Otherwise, we would recommend our Full Estate Administration Service.
Our fees
Our fee for this grant only service is between £2,500 and £4,500 plus VAT. The fee depends on whether we need to complete the shorter IHT205 form or the more detailed IHT400 and its supporting schedules and how much information you are able to provide to us.
You would also need to pay the probate fee of £300, plus £16 for each sealed copy. Other costs may apply for searches or other optional items. Please see Optional Items below. The probate fee is expected to increase to £526 from 13th July 2026, with the cost of sealed copies reducing to £2 each.
Note about VAT
Please note that VAT is payable on all our fees at the standard rate from time to time, currently 20%.
How long will it take?
It usually takes about 2 to 3 months to obtain the grant. It may take longer depending on how busy the Probate Service is and whether there is a valid Will. If a paper application is needed because the estate cannot be dealt with through the online portal, it can take several months.
2. Full Estate administration service
We can deal with the whole estate administration process for you. This includes contacting banks and other asset holders, obtaining valuations for shares and property, dealing with HMRC, preparing the inheritance tax forms and probate application, and applying for the grant. Once the grant has been issued, we can close accounts, sell or transfer shares and ISAs, collect the estate assets, pay any debts, and distribute the funds to the beneficiaries under the Will or, if there is no Will, under the intestacy rules.
Our work will include:
- Providing you with a dedicated and experienced probate solicitor to work on your matter
- Identifing the legally appointed executors or administrators and beneficiaries
- Accurately identifing the type of probate application needed
- Obtaining the relevant documents required to make the application
- Preparing the Probate Application and the relevant HMRC forms for the executors or administrators to sign
- Sending the inheritance tax forms to HMRC and arranging payment of any tax from the estate assets
- Making the application to the Probate Court on your behalf
- Obtaining the grant and sealed copies
- Reporting estate income to HMRC and paying any tax due
- Claiming inheritance tax refunds where assets are sold for less than their probate value
- Preparing estate accounts for approval
- Collecting and distributing the Estate to the beneficiaries
Our fees
We can charge on an hourly rate basis, or we can agree a fixed fee with you.
Hourly rated work
Our rates are currently:
Partner – £360 per hour
Solicitor – £275 per hour
Legal Assistant/Trainee solicitor – £180 per hour
Admin assistant – £150 per hour
All the above attract VAT at the standard rate (currently 20%)
We charge for the work we do, not a percentage of the estate value. Once we understand the size of the estate and the types of assets involved, we will give you an estimate of our likely fees. Some firms charge an hourly rate and then add a percentage of the estate value, but we do not do this.
For example, if the estate includes a property worth up to £750,000, a couple of bank accounts, one or two ISAs, and a valid Will with no trusts, we will normally charge about £8,000 to £12,000 plus VAT for our time. We would make a separate charge for selling or transferring the property.
The fee may be higher if more work is needed than we first expected. Probate fees and search fees would also be payable.
Fixed Fees
A fixed fee is similar to an estimate, but it gives you more certainty about what you will pay. We calculate the fee based on the work we expect to do and include a small allowance for unexpected issues.
For an estate with a property worth no more than £1 million, some straightforward investments and several bank accounts, our fixed fee would usually be between £12,500 and £20,000. The exact fee depends on how complex the estate is once we have seen the full papers. The fixed fee would include:
- If appropriate, carrying out an asset search to check for assets that may not be clear from the deceased's papers. The fee of around £200 would be added to our invoice as a disbursement
- If appropriate, advertising for creditors so that any debts can be identified before the estate is distributed. Advertising fees are usually between £200 and £300 and would be added to our invoice as disbursements. This is not always necessary
- Preparing inheritance tax forms, including the IHT400 and supporting schedules where needed, and forms to claim or transfer available inheritance tax allowances. We will also advise on obvious inheritance tax issues, such as gifts made in the last 7 years or whether a deed of variation could help reduce tax
- Preparing the online probate application and arranging for you to sign it
- After the grant of probate is issued, completing the forms needed to close accounts, sell or transfer shares, and collect in the assets
- Preparing final accounts
- Calculating any income tax or capital gains tax due on income or gains made during the estate administration
- Distributing the net estate in accordance with the Will or the intestacy rules
The fixed fee does not include disputes or extra work that may arise during the estate administration. For example, it does not include claims under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975, or work on a deed of disclaimer or deed of variation. If extra work is needed, we will explain this to you and give you an estimate before carrying it out.
We are happy to discuss the estate with you and provide either an hourly rate estimate or a fixed fee quote. If we quote a fixed fee, we may need to revise it once we have seen the papers if the estate is more complex than expected. We will explain any changes and ask you to agree the revised fee. Issues such as questions about the validity of the Will, tracing family members where there is no Will, investigating assets, or arranging insurance for missing beneficiaries can all increase the amount of work needed and therefore the overall cost.
Probate fees
The probate fee is currently £300. The probate registry charges £16 for each sealed copy. We usually ask for 4 to 6 copies because we need to send them to asset holders to close accounts and collect the funds. These fees are expected to change from 13th July 2026, when the probate fee is expected to rise to £526 and sealed copies are expected to reduce to £2 each.
Inheritance Tax
Whether inheritance tax is payable, and how much is due, depends on the circumstances of the estate. More information is available at www.gov.uk/inheritance-tax.
Optional items
- Notice to creditors – advertising for possible debts before you distribute the estate usually £200 – £350
- Valuation fees – these vary but between £150 and £450 plus VAT
- Asset search – £165 plus VAT
- Certainty Will search – £60 to £349 plus VAT
How long will it take?
Administering the whole estate from start to finish usually takes 6 to 12 months. It can take longer if there are complications or if a property has to be sold. In some cases, it is sensible to wait 10 months after the grant of probate is issued before making the final distribution, in case someone makes a claim against the estate. This is not always necessary if the executors are confident there are no unknown debts, assets or potential claims. Alternatively, it is possible to take out insurance to cover the risk of unknown debts or claims arising after the estate has been distributed and we can advise you about this and arrange policies.
Who will do the work?
Our Wills and Probate service is headed by Beth King, who has been a solicitor for 40 years and is a partner and member of the LLP. She is assisted by a small team of assistants.
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