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Our fees
Please note that the services offered by the Firm are not limited to the below practice area. For full details of the services that the Firm offers, please go to our Services page.
Fixed fee service for smaller estates:
Our fixed fee grant only service is designed for executors / administrators who have the time to deal with the estate administration and it is suitable for you if:
- You are familiar with the process of administering estates
- The estate has a limited number of assets and the deceased’s bank or other financial institution have told you that a Grant of Probate or Grant of Letters of Administration is required before you can close the deceased’s accounts
This service will include:
- Completion of HM Revenue & Customs Return of Estate Information form IHT205 (based on the information you provide)
- Preparing the Statement of Trust for Executors / Administrators
- Submission of the Grant of Probate / Letters of Administration application to the Probate Court
- Advice on any queries raised by the Probate Court
- Obtaining of the grant bearing the Court seal ready for you to use
Our Grant only fees are:
- Fixed at £750.00 plus VAT (if form IHT205 is submitted) together with the Probate Court fees
- Fixed at a sum between £1,000.00 and £2,000.00 plus VAT (if form IHT400 is submitted) together with the Probate Court fees
(The above fees may be subject to a review and/or increase by reference to the nature of the Estate, complexity and risk involved)
Probate Court fees:
The Probate Court fees are £273.00 per application. Please also note that extra copies of the Grant of Probate can be purchased at £1.50 each and also the Probate Court fees are waived for estates below £5,000.00.
Disbursements:
- Accountant’s fee for SA returns (straightforward) - £200.00 (estimated)
- Section 27 of the Trustee Act 1925 deceased estates notice – £200.00 (estimated)
- Bankruptcy searches - £2.00 per person (UK only)
- Asset tracing fees - £200.00 (estimated)
- Replacement share certificates and dividend reissue charges (unable to estimate as this is dependent on the shareholding)
Please note that as the disbursement charges are set by third parties we are only able to provide estimates but we will discuss with you the likely disbursements during the initial meeting.
Full estate service:
Our full estate service will provide you with the expertise throughout the entire estate process and this could include:
- Initial advice
- Gathering the necessary evidence needed for the completion of HM Revenue & Customs Return of Estate Information forms IHT205 / IHT400
- Preparing the Statement of Trust for Executors / Administrators
- Submission of the Grant of Probate / Letters of Administration application to the Probate Court
- Advice on any queries raised by the Probate Court / HMRC
- Collection of assets, settlement of liabilities, settlement of any Inheritance Tax due
- Preparation of estate accounts and tax returns
- Distribution of the estate to beneficiaries
Our fees for this will service will vary depending upon the terms of the Will (or the Rules of Intestacy if the deceased died without a Will), the size and complexity of the estate and the type of assets involved (multiple shareholdings, assets outside the UK for example).
We only charge for the time that we spend working on your behalf using our hourly standard rate and our charges are as set out by the SCCO (Senior Courts Cost Office) and are dependent upon the experience of the solicitor assisting you with the estate. The hourly rates are set out below:
As a guide the fees for full estate administration will typically be in the region of £2,000.00 - £5,000.00 plus VAT for a very straightforward estate (UK based assets and not contested) and disbursements whilst fees for complex estates can exceed £10,000.00 plus VAT and disbursements.
Costs can be reduced considerably if family members are prepared to help with the non-legal tasks such as clearing personal items, meeting estate agents and transferring utilities. These aspects are often time consuming but do not require our expertise.
Before undertaking any work we will meet with you (at no cost) and discuss the estate and agree any tasks that you or family members are prepared to undertake. We will then be able to provide you with a fee estimate which is a range of costs that we believe we could incur when dealing with the estate.
People dealing with Probate Matters
Christopher Holland, Elvis Kesic, Michael Wall and Andrew Dilworth.
All the above act as Supervisors. However, they all have different skill-sets. For example, Michael Wall is very experienced in the supervision of elderly client finances, whereas Elvis Kesic is very experienced at identifying risk and avoiding litigation.
Other Fee-Earners undertaking Probate work are:
Abbie Harwood, Jack Webb, Amy Durnford, Sonya Mattu and Luke Lewis.
Their qualifications and experience are:
- Christopher Holland qualified in 2003 after completing his training with Angels Solicitors LLP. Chris specialises in family, divorce, children and all aspects of Wills and Probate work relating to family matters.
- Michael Wall qualified in 2005. Michael specialises in Wills, Probate, Trusts and elderly client work including Powers of Attorney, Deputyships and Inheritance Tax planning.
- Elvis Kesic qualified in 2008 after completing his training with Angels Solicitors LLP. Elvis specialises in litigation in respect of Wills and Inheritance claims and the avoidance of litigation during the administration of the Estates of Deceased persons.
- Andrew Dilworth qualified in 2011 after completing his training with Angels Solicitors LLP. Andrew specialises in property, both residential and commercial, but is experienced in dealing with all aspects of Wills and Probate work that relate to property.
- Abbie Harwood qualified as a Solicitor in 2018 after completing her training with Angels Solicitors LLP and became an Associate at the Firm in 2023. Throughout her training, Abbie had experience in dealing with the preparation of complex Wills and the administration of complex Estates, including contested matters, as well as complicated Inheritance Tax calculations.
- Jack Webb qualified as a Solicitor in September 2023 and undertakes work relating to Wills, Probate, Trusts and elderly client work including Powers of Attorney, Deputyships and Inheritance Tax planning.
- Amy Durnford qualified as a Solicitor in March 2023 and undertakes work relating to Private Client law including Wills, Probate, Trusts, Inheritance Tax and elderly client work including Lasting Powers of Attorney and Deputyships.
- Sonya Mattu has experience dealing with Private Client law including Wills and Probate as well as Elderly Client work including Lasting Powers of Attorney and Deputyships.
- Luke Lewis undertakes work relating to Wills, Probate, Lasting Powers of Attorney. He also deals with Litigation work, including Contentious Probate and how to avoid Litigation in Probate work.
Their hourly rates are:
- Christopher Holland: £200.00 - £350.00 per hour
- Michael Wall: £200.00 - £350.00 per hour
- Elvis Kesic: £200.00 - £350.00 per hour
- Andrew Dilworth: £200.00 - £350.00 per hour
- Abbie Harwood: £140.00 - £250.00 per hour
- Amy Durnford: £101.00 - £250.00 per hour
- Jack Webb: £101.00 - £250.00 per hour
- Sonya Mattu: £101.00 - £183.00 per hour
- Luke Lewis: £101.00 - £183.00 per hour
Time Estimate
Most Estates will take between 6 and 12 months to administer, but interim payments to Beneficiaries can be made within that period.