The work will be carried out by the principal of the firm Nick Demos with administrative assistance from Celia Hughes if required who is a paralegal. We do not offer fixed fees for our work. We charge on a time basis- calculated by reference to an hourly rate. Our hourly rates range between £160.00 per hour (for a trainee solicitor or legal executive) to £350 per hour (for work carried out by the principal of the firm) plus 20 % VAT. In addition in more complicated probate matters we may also in addition to the hourly rate mentioned above charge a percentage of the gross estate between 0.45 to 1.50 % plus VAT at 20% ( i.e. if the estate is subject to inheritance and full inheritance tax, or contains numerous assets whether it be property or investment, or there are foreign assets or disputes between the beneficiaries or a challenge as to the validity of the Will ). All probate matters are different, and the charges mentioned above are intended to be an outline guide only and the exact figures will always depend on individual facts and circumstances of the matter. We recognise the importance of transparency concerning costs and we will provide you with an initial estimate which will take into account the specifics of the circumstances once information about the estate assets, its beneficiaries and relevant documents have been considered. We charge a compliance fee per instruction which can cost anywhere between £12.50 - £150 + 20% VAT depending on the number of parties to check and the complexity of work involved.
Disbursements will also be payable. These are cost relating to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as the Probate Registry. We handle the payment of disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process. The disbursements are likely to include the following
| Land Registry office copy entries £7.00 | £7.00 |
| Probate application fee of £273 (+ court sealed copies of the Grant of representation @ £1.50 per copy) | £273 + copies |
| Bankruptcy search fee (per search) | £2 |
| Post in the London gazette and local newspaper (to protect The Estate against claims from unknown creditors) | Approximately £300 + 20% VAT |
| Surveyors’ fees (to provide a formal probate valuation of a property | TBC but typically in excess of £500 + 20% VAT |
From the point of sending the probate application to the Probate Registry, the Grant of Probate can take in excess of 16-20 weeks to be issues. Please note that this timeframe can vary considerably due to the Probate Registry’s delays in processing applications. Once probate is granted, straightforward estates can be concluded within a matter of a few months. However, for a more complex estates, we tend to find that the average timeframe is approximately 6-9 months.
The stages will vary depending on the circumstances although most cases will generally involve: