We charge an hourly rate for the time spent on a matter. Normally costs range from £9,000 plus VAT to £14,500 plus VAT although complex estates could exceed £15,000 plus VAT.
We will maintain clear communication channels with regard to costs throughout the course of the matter and aim to report to you on costs at least once a quarter.
Indicative cost for Full Administration:
- for a fairly straightforward estate: costs could be in the region of £9,000 plus VAT to £14,500 plus VAT + Disbursements
- for a more complex estate: costs could exceed £15,000+ plus VAT + Disbursements
Please note that are not authorised to carry out any other reserved legal work (such as preparing legal deeds or to legally transfer land and buildings). We can put you in touch with our legal contacts who can do this work for the estate. The cost of this work would be in addition to any fees quoted.
Disbursements
Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties. We may handle the payment of disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process. We may ask for payment on account. Typical disbursements will include:
- Court application for probate, currently £300;
- Copies of the probate certificate, currently £1.50 each;
- Land Registry searches, currently £3 each;
- Will search, currently £126;
- Financial Asset & Liabilities search, from £234;
- Cost of placing statutory advertisements;
- Cost of valuations from third parties.
- Cost of insurance from a third party.
Hourly rates
Our costs are based on hourly rates. Our fee ranges can be affected by the amount of work involved, issues we may become aware of and extra work required due to unforeseen circumstances. We would also look to discuss matters with you before looking to incur any further fees on top of those quoted.
The current hourly charge out rates for the relevant members of staff that may become involved, from now until the next review date (i.e. next March), are as follows:
Director: £250
Senior Solicitor: £230
Solicitor / Case Manager: £125
Consultant: £110
Paralegal / Probate Technician: £80
Estate Accountant: £75
Administrator / Trainee Probate Technician: £50 – £60
These charges are exclusive of VAT and VAT will be charged on top of fees quoted at the applicable rate.