Probate Fees
At Kenneth Curtis & Co. our Probate and administration of estate Solicitor, Philip Curtis, is a partner of the firm who qualified in 1998 over 25 years ago. He is assisted by a trainee solicitor Sara Malik and his secretary, Diane Wade. We will handle your application for probate as efficiently as possible and for a reasonable fee. We provide a complete administration service to deal with everything on your behalf or we have a limited grant only service to obtain the Grant of Probate or Grant of Letters of Administration for you which would enable you to administer the estate yourself.
Our Fees:
For estates worth less than £325,000 (provided an IHT400 is not required) we will quote fixed fees between £850 and £1,150 plus VAT (@20%) to obtain a Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration for you. For estate administration which includes obtaining the Grant of Probate and dealing with the administration of the estate, including distribution of the estate between the beneficiaries, we will charge a fixed fee between £2,000 and £10,000 plus VAT at 20%, plus probate fees of £300 with fees for copies of the Grant of Probate at £1.50 per copy. There are fees for telegraphic transfers of funds at £40 plus VAT per transfer, for ID verification at £20 plus VAT per person, and a bankruptcy search of £2 per person.
Kenneth Curtis & Co offer a fixed fee at prices between the figures mentioned above where instructed by the Executors.
Where Kenneth Curtis & Co are appointed as executors, we will charge a percentage of the value of the estate in accordance with Law Society guidelines of 1½% on the value of the estate up to £1 million and in addition ½% on the value of the estate above £1 million or an hourly rate of £250 per hour plus VAT at 20%, if the estate value is less than £325,000 (the nil rate band for inheritance tax).
Each individual case is different and we will quote a fee when we receive instructions and please note the estate will be responsible for our fees. As an example, with an estate where the only major asset is a property worth £200,000, we may quote a fee of £1,250 plus VAT at 20% plus the probate fee of £303 and a Land Registry fee of £50 in order to deal with the obtaining of the Grant of Probate and the transfer of the property into the name of the beneficiary.
By applying through a solicitor, the application or the Grant of Probate is usually a lot quicker and can take the stress away from you at a difficult time. The timescale for a Grant of Probate varies considerably, but by instructing us you have the advantage that we will check all the paperwork before it is submitted online to the High Court. If an IHT400 is required and inheritance tax is payable, then inheritance tax should be paid within six months of the date of death and the tax return must be filed within twelve months of the date of death, otherwise interest and penalties are payable to HM Revenue and Customs.
These fees apply in uncontested cases where all assets are in the UK.
The exact cost will depend upon the individual circumstances of the matter. For example, if there is one beneficiary and no property then costs will be at the lower end of the range. If there are multiple beneficiaries, property, and multiple bank accounts then costs will be at the higher end of the range.
How long will it take?
On average, on estates where there is no tax to pay it will take between six and twelve months. Typically, obtaining the Grant of Probate takes sixteen weeks according to the Probate Office.
As part of our fixed fee we will:
- Provide you with a dedicated and experienced probate solicitor to work on your matter;
- Identify the legally appointed executors or administrators and beneficiaries;
- Accurately identify the type of probate application you will require;
- Obtain the relevant documents required to make the application;
- Complete the probate application and the relevant HMRC forms;
- Draft a Legal Statement for you to sign;
- Make the application to the Probate Court on your behalf;
- Obtain Probate and securely send copies to you if appropriate. ;
- Collect and distribute all assets in the estate; and
- Obtain the relevant documents required to make the application.
Obtaining a Grant of Probate may take longer on estates where inheritance tax has to be paid prior to obtaining a Grant. It will be up to HMRC when they agree that the correct amount of inheritance tax has been paid. On average, estates where inheritance tax is payable will be completed between twelve months and two years of the date of death. In some cases they will be dealt with more quickly whilst others will take longer, particularly if the estate is complicated, for example by there being a number of properties, or where there is difficulty in paying the inheritance tax which can be paid by instalments over ten years upon certain assets.
If the estate is contested then we will either refer you to another lawyer or charge you an hourly rate of £250 per hour, plus VAT @ 20% for advice in relation to the dispute. This is in addition to the probate fees quoted above.
We have an experienced and dedicated department dealing with probate and estates. You can contact us to make an appointment for a face to face meeting and we will agree a fee with you and provide that in writing in a client care contract.
Please contact us on 0121 356 1161 or by email to:
sara@kennethcurtis.co.uk
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