Losing a loved one is a difficult enough time without the added stress and confusion that goes with Probate and Estate Administration. GWlegal can help lift this burden, allowing you to spend precious time with your family.
Probate is one of those terms people have heard of but aren’t exactly sure what it means or what’s involved. In a nutshell, probate is the name for the legal process for the application of the authority to deal with and administer a deceased’s affairs and estate.
If there is a Will, it is the executor who deals with the administration of the estate. This includes:
Probate and Estate Administration is a lengthy process and, unfortunately, comes at an already highly emotional time. Our probate services can, however, help with this responsibility. We can take charge of the following aspects of probate and ensure the estate is administered as quickly and as efficiently as possible:
Grant only application: £700 + VAT as a fixed fee (when there is a will and no Inheritance Tax is payable). VAT is chargeable at 20%.
Grant only application: £1500 + VAT as a fixed fee (when Inheritance Tax is payable). VAT is chargeable at 20%.
Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as court fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process. Where VAT is included in a disbursement, it is at 20%. Where VAT is quoted as an extra, it will be at 20%.
One disbursement is the Probate Court fee of £273. This includes one copy of grant for use by the executor in the administration. Each copy of grant costs an additional £1.50.
Other disbursements that may apply include:
As part of our fixed fee we will:
On average, typical uncomplex estates are dealt with within 12 months. Typically, obtaining the grant of probate takes 8-12 weeks.
This fee is only for obtaining the grant. If you would also like us to assist with collection and distribution of assets, please see below.
Services not included in our fixed fee:
*list above is non-exhaustive
Grant of Letters of Administration application: £750 + VAT as a fixed fee (when there is no will and no Inheritance Tax is payable). VAT is chargeable at 20%.
Grant of Letters of Administration application: £1550 + VAT as a fixed fee (when there is no will and when Inheritance Tax is payable). VAT is chargeable at 20%.
Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as court fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process. Where VAT is included in a disbursement, it is at 20%. Where VAT is quoted as an extra, it will be at 20%.
One disbursement is the Probate Court fee of £273. This includes one copy of grant for use by the Personal Representative in the administration. Each copy of grant costs an additional £1.50.
Other disbursements that may apply include:
As part of our fixed fee we will:
On average, typical uncomplex estates are dealt with within 12 months. Typically, obtaining the grant of letter of administration takes 8-12 weeks.
This fee is only for obtaining the grant. If you would also like us to assist with collection and distribution of assets, please see below.
Services not included in our fixed fee:
*list above is non-exhaustive
Grant and Distributing the Estate (full administration): £275 + VAT hourly rate for time spent working on the file. We anticipate this will take between 25-35 hours work. Total costs estimated at £6,000-£10,0000 + VAT. VAT is chargeable at 20%.
The exact cost will depend on the individual circumstances of the matter. For example, if there is one beneficiary and no property, costs will be at the lower end of the range. If there are multiple beneficiaries, a property and multiple bank accounts, costs will be at the higher end or exceed these costs. If there is Inheritance tax then the costs will most likely exceed these costs.
We will handle the full process for you. This quote is for estates where:
Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as court fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process. Where VAT is included in a disbursement, it is at 20%. Where VAT is quoted as an extra, it will be at 20%.
One disbursement is the Probate Court fee of £273. This includes one copy of grant for use by the executor in the administration. Each copy of grant costs an additional £1.50.
Other disbursements that may apply include:
There are a number of disbursements which may be applicable to the above which will depend on the circumstances of the case itself. We will discuss these with you and let you know what these fees are, before going ahead with any additional work.
Potential additional costs:
As part of our hourly rate we will:
Services not included in hourly rate:
*list above is non-exhaustive
On average, typical uncomplex estates are dealt with within 12 months. Typically, obtaining the grant of probate takes 8-12 weeks. Collecting assets then follows, which can take between 12 weeks. Once this has been done, and the statutory 6 month post grant notice period for claims has expired we can distribute the assets, which normally takes 4-8 weeks from then.
Melissa has over 10 years’ experience in the legal sector, where she has delivered a high quality of work in all matters relating to wills, probate, estate, and lasting powers of attorney. Melissa has over two years’ experience as a solicitor, having qualified in 2021.
Melissa specialises in a range of legal services within wills and probate, including the preparation of wills, probate, estate management and lasting power of attorney (LPAs).
In this field of wills and probate, along with her knowledge and experience, Melissa is able to bring to the fore, her personal skills of being very approachable and empathetic to her client’s needs, at what are often very difficult times in their lives, providing workable solutions to their concerns and circumstances.
With over 10 years’ experience in the legal industry, Melissa qualified as a Solicitor in 2021 and specialises in all aspects of Private Client matters, including the preparation of Wills, Probate, Estate Management and Lasting Power of Attorney.