Our lawyers have extensive expertise in drafting Wills, probate and the administration of estates.
Every situation is different and, from complex estates involving company shareholdings & valuable property portfolios or unique assets such as art or antique collections, to simple UK estates with no inheritance tax payable.
Therefore all probate matters are different. We understand that probate comes at a time when our client will be grieving and often in very sad circumstances. We strive to take as much of the stress & distress out of the process of probate, giving you space to start to come to terms with your loss. In every case we will work closely with the family and personal representatives of the deceased to make this process as smooth as possible. The following information provides details of some of the costs involved and the timescales that may apply to handling the estate of your deceased.
Our charges
Each estate differs. Therefore the following fees are intended to be an outline guide only and the exact figure will always depend on individual facts and circumstances of the matter.
We will normally start off with a one hour consultation appointment where we will gather the information we require from you, and try to answer all your questions. During that consultation we will give you an initial estimate of what costs will be involved.
The Fixed Fee Option: In most circumstances we will offer you a fixed fee quotation. This will usually be fixed at 1.5% of the value of the land and properties and other assets comprising the estate. Added to our fee will be VAT, currently at 20% and any Probate Court Fees that we incur. For estates valued over £1m our fixed fee rate drops to 1.25% and further reduction to 1% for estates valued over £2.5m. Where the value of the estate exceeds £5m, you will be provided a bespoke quotation during the initial consultation.
The Hourly Rate Option: In certain situations, you may be offered an hourly rate, instead of a percentage charge. Our hourly rates range between £150 per hour (for a trainee solicitor) to £300 per hour (for a senior partner). Added to these will be VAT at 20%.
If you are offered the hourly rate fee structure, for a reasonably straightforward probate matter, we estimate approximately 10 – 20 hours of work being required and our fees would be likely to be in the region of £1,500 to £6,000 in fees plus 20% VAT and any disbursements such as court fees..
A reasonably straightforward probate matter would encompass estates that meet the following (non-exhaustive) list of requirements:
- There exists a valid Will;
- There is no more than one property or piece of land;
- There are no Land Registry issues with the title to the property;
- There are a small number of bank or building society accounts;
- There are a small number of shareholdings or one share portfolio with a single investment manager;
- Any shareholdings have share certificates or clear nominee holdings;
- There are no other intangible assets;
- There is one executor, or if more, they are all in agreement
- There are no more than 4 beneficiaries;
- There are no disputes;
- There are no claims against the Estate; and
- There is no inheritance tax to pay and the executors do not need to submit a full account to HMRC.
If the estate of the deceased is subject to inheritance tax, a full account will need to be submitted to HMRC. This will mean more hours of work and consequently our costs will be higher.
Where the estate is subject to inheritance tax and there are other factors meaning it is not a straightforward estate, it is more likely that you will be offered an hourly rate for the work and our fees are likely to be higher. In cases where there are disputes or claims against the estate, this will serve to increase costs much more, as we would effectively be involved in litigation. The hourly rate that you will be quoted will depend on the level and experience of the solicitor allocated to your matter. These hourly rates are likely to be in the region of £200 to £300 per hour of work conducted, plus 20% VAT & disbursements.
The above examples demonstrate how every estate is different and the importance of the first consultation in determining the specific issues that will be involved in your matter. The great majority of the work we undertake tends to be at the fixed fee outlined above. However; our costs will vary depending on the situation. We recognise the importance of transparency concerning costs and will always provide you a bespoke detailed estimate once we are clear about the extent of the work required.
Disbursements
Disbursements will also be payable. These are costs relating to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as the Probate Registry. In the case of disputed estates, a barrister may be required too. We handle the payments of al disbursements on behalf of the estate. The following disbursements are the most common:
| 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 + VAT |
| Surveyor’s fees (to provide a formal probate valuation of a property) | TBC but typically in excess of £1,000 + VAT |
How long will the administration of the Estate take?
Most probate applications are submitted online. In reasonably straightforward cases from start to the Grant of Probate will take between 8-20 weeks. Our fastest every turnaround was 8 days. Please note that this timeframe can vary widely depending on numerous factors.
Once probate is granted, straightforward estates can be concluded within a matter of a few months. However, for more complex estates, we tend to find that the average timeframe is approximately 6-9 months. Fixed fees are for all the work involved up to and including obtaining the grant of probate. Any additional work after grant of probate will be charged separately and usually at the hourly rate of the solicitor allocated to your matter.
Key stages in the probate process
The key stages will depend on the circumstances, but most cases will generally involve:
- Meeting with the executors or the family and taking instructions and discussing the process;
- Gathering details of assets and liabilities of the estate;
- Preparing inheritance tax forms and the probate application;
- Collecting the deceased’s assets and settling liabilities; and
- Distributing the net estate after finalising the tax position.
If any of the following events occur, these will usually be charged for as additional work and not included in any percentage based fixed fee; Additional work is charged at the hourly rate of the allocated solicitor (usually between £200 to £300 per hour plus 20% VAT):
- Where there is no Will;
- Contested estates;
- Costs for drafting Deeds of Variation of Disclaimer or other Affidavits, if required;
- Costs associated with drafting Powers of Attorney, where the personal representatives appoint us to obtain probate on their behalf;
- Estate Planning advice;
- Dealing with an intestacy or insolvent estate;
- Arranging insurance;
- Tracing assets or beneficiaries;
- Time spent in the more day-to-day duties of the personal representative, such as closing utility or council tax accounts or arranging house clearance;
- Work in relation to pre-death tax returns and confirming the pre-death tax position;
- The sale or transfer of any property in the estate; and
- Administering and advising on any trust arising from the Will
Experience & Qualification
The solicitor acting for you each have their own hourly charge rate, which is based on their experience in dealing with your type of work. Your choice of solicitor will be discussed with you at the initial meeting. The range of fees that you can expect to be charged are broadly set out below and VAT at 20% will be added to these fees:
| Name | Hourly rate |
| Principal Solicitor | £350 |
| Senior Solicitors | £300 |
| Senior Consultants | £250 |
| Solicitors | £250 |
| Consultants | £250 – £275 |
| Trainee Solicitors | £200 |
| Paralegals | £150 – £200 |
| Media Researchers | £150 |
| Translators | £65 – £85 |
Our Team
Our team has over 56 years of collective experience in delivering high quality work in all matters relating to wills and estate administration. They have particular expertise in high value estates and inheritance tax matters.
We have three main members of the team who may work on your matter. Regardless of who works on your matter, they will be supervised by Cyrus Mansouri, Principal of the firm and Head of probate and estate administration.
Cyrus Mansouri
Cyrus started his career in Probate & estate administration in 1996. He is principal of the firm and has extensive experience of all aspects of probate work, especially complex cases where a Will is challenged or the deceased had complex financial arrangements including provisions for a ‘secret family’. Cyrus is very well regarded for being approachable & has a calm demeanor concealing his unbridled attention to detail. He frequently appears in court as an advocate for his clients.
Melorion Hubert Van Arkadie
Hubert qualified as a solicitor in 1998 and quickly developed himself as an outstanding high street solicitor, setting up his own firm specialising in probate, immigration law, litigation and family law among other areas of work. Hubert has extensive experience of probate complications, including disputes as authenticity of Wills, missing executors & beneficiaries and complex trust and estate management schemes. He joined Mansouri & Son in 2010 as a consultant, preferring to focus his attention on his clients, rather than running a large high street firm.
Abraham Mashood
Abraham started off at Mansouri & Son working on reception and has gradually worked his way up to being admitted as a solicitor in 2023. Despite his recent admission, Abraham has over 6 years of hands on experience in all aspects of probate and estate administration and is highly regarded as one of the best Will drafters. In addition he has good experience of contested probate matters and extensive experience of the probate procedures, timescales and processes.
To discuss your requirements – please contact us or email us
© Mansouri & Son Solicitors 2024
