Fees – Probate

Uncontested Probate

Applying for the grant, collecting and distributing the assets

We anticipate this will take between approximately 10 and 25 hours work at £200.00 per hour plus VAT (20%) of £40.00. Total costs estimated will start at £2000.00 +VAT (20%) of £400.00 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 of £2000.00 + VAT (20%) of £400.00. If there are multiple beneficiaries, a property and multiple bank accounts, costs will be at the higher end.

Matters which would suggest costs may be at the lower end of the range:

  • There is a valid will;
  • All of the assets are in England;
  • There is no more than one property;
  • There are no more than five bank or building society accounts;
  • There are no other intangible assets;
  • There are no more than 2-3 beneficiaries and they are all living in England;
  • There are no disputes between beneficiaries on division of assets;
  • There is no Inheritance tax payable;
  • There are no income tax returns required;
  • There are no complex Trust affairs or tax planning to take account of;
  • There are no claims made against the estate.


In addition the following disbursements are payable (where relevant)

  • Probate application fee of £300.00 plus £1.50 for each sealed copy required
  • Bankruptcy-only Land Charges Department searches (£2 per beneficiary)
  • Post in The London Gazette – Protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors. £150-£250 (plus VAT of 20%)
  • Post in a Local Newspaper – This also helps to protect against unexpected claims. £150-£250 (plus VAT of 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.
  • Estate Search Fee is a third party search that seeks to unearth hidden assets that the Executor is unaware of £195.00 plus VAT of 20% (£39.00).
Potential additional costs
  • If there is no will or the estate consists of any share holdings (stocks and bonds) there is likely to be additional costs that could range significantly depending on the estate and how it is to be dealt with. We can give you a more accurate quote once we have more information.
  • Dealing with the sale or transfer of any property in the estate is not included.

On average, estates which fall within this range are dealt with within 6 to 8 months.

Some Personal Representatives prefer us to deal with the complete administration of the estate, and on those occasions we will not be able to provide a fixed fee quotation.

If the estate is uncontested, non-taxable, all assets are in the UK and a full inheritance tax account is not required, then we anticipate that the administration of the estate will take between 10 and 25 hours’ worth of work at our hourly rate which vary depending on the qualifications and experience of the individual fee earner.

The Fee earner dealing with the matter namely Shan Madan (Partner) his hourly rate is £200.00 per hour plus VAT of £40 = £240.00.

The exact costs will depend on the individual circumstances of the matter, and the amount of assistance required by the Personal Representatives.

If the estate is uncontested, all the assets are in the UK and a full inheritance tax account must be submitted to HMRC then our charges will be based on an hourly rate of Shan Madan (Partner) of £200.00 per hour plus VAT of £40 = £240.00, plus a value element of 1% plus vat at 20% of the gross value of the estate (excluding the value of the deceased’s property) and 0.5% plus vat of 20% of the value of the deceased’s property. We anticipate that the administration of the estate will take between 20 to 40 hours’ worth of work at our hourly rate which has been provided. In certain circumstances depending on the case we will agree a fixed fee containing a percentage of the gross value of the estate starting at 1% plus VAT of 20%.


In addition the following disbursements are payable (where relevant)

  • Probate application fee of £300.00 plus £1.50 for each sealed copy required
  • Bankruptcy-only Land Charges Department searches (£2 per beneficiary)
  • Post in The London Gazette – Protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors. £150-£250 (plus VAT of 20%)
  • Post in a Local Newspaper – This also helps to protect against unexpected claims. £150-£250 (plus VAT of 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.
  • Estate Search Fee is a third party search that seeks to unearth hidden assets that the Executor is unaware of £195.00 plus VAT of 20% (£39.00).

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.

On average, taxable estates which fall within this range are dealt with within 12 to 14 months.