Our Charges

For much of the work we undertake here at Rucklidge Law, we offer a fixed fee. This is where the work is quantifiable from the outset, such as when we are preparing documentation for you, such as a divorce application, separation deed, declaration of trust, Will or Lasting Power of Attorney.

For work that is not carried out on a fixed fee, we charge an hourly rate, so the total amount you’ll pay will depend on who works on your matter and how long it takes. We provide an estimate of total charges from the outset, as well as regular costs updates, so that you know where you stand.

To receive tailored information about our charges, please Request a Call back.

Below is an illustration for how we charge for Probate and the Administration of Estates after someone has died.

Please get in touch for information that is tailored to your individual needs.

..(1) Cost Illustration for Obtaining a Grant of Probate Only:

We will prepare and submit the relevant paperwork for the Application to the Probate Registry for a Grant of Probate (if there is a Will) or a Grant of Letters of Administration (if there is no Will). Our application will be prepared on the basis of the information you provide to us about the estate.

This process may include completing and submitting a full Inheritance Tax form to HMRC (known as an IHT400) if it is a more complex estate or if Inheritance Tax is due.

Once obtained, the Grant will be sent to you to deal with the rest of the administration of the estate, including closing or transferring accounts and investments, selling or transferring property, finalising the tax position, producing estate accounts, and distributing the estate in accordance with the Will or Intestacy Rules.

Fees start from £750 plus VAT (£900) and expenses. VAT charged at 20% of the total net invoice.

(2) Cost Illustration for Administration of Estate:

We will write to all the financial organisations, asset holders and debtors to obtain the relevant date of death figures and valuations for the estate, so that we know the exact assets and liabilities held in the estate at the date of death.

Based on that information, we will then prepare and submit the relevant paperwork for the Application to the Probate Registry for a Grant of Probate (if there is a Will) or a Grant of Letters of Administration (if there is no Will). This process may include completing and submitting a full Inheritance Tax form to HMRC (known as an IHT400) if it is a more complex estate or if Inheritance Tax is due.

Once obtained, we will then deal with the rest of the administration of the estate, including closing or transferring accounts and investments, selling or transferring property,  finalising the tax position, producing estate accounts, and distributing the estate in accordance with the Will or Intestacy Rules.

Each estate is unique in its assets, beneficiaries, and other aspects. As a guideline, a simple estate (e.g. a house and a couple of bank accounts being left in a Will to two children where there is no animosity) may take around 10 to 20 hours to complete, but where there are complexities of international, business or unusual assets or elements, or many beneficiaries or other complications, it can take much longer.

If a Senior Solicitor works on your matter, the total legal fees for 10 to 20 hours work would be between £2,500 plus VAT (£3,000) to £5,000 plus VAT (£6,000) and expenses. VAT charged at 20% of the total net invoice.

This illustration is for estates where:

• There is a valid Will
• There is no more than one property
• There are no more than 3 bank or building society accounts
• There are no other intangible assets
• There are no more than 3 beneficiaries
• There are no disputes or claims

This illustration is not for estates where:

• The person who has died was domiciled abroad or where there are foreign assets
• There is more than one property
• There are business or agricultural properties
• There are intangible assets
• Beneficiaries need to be traced
• There are more than 3 beneficiaries
• Claiming the residence nil rate band or the application to transfer the nil rate band and/or residence nil rate band
• Completion of income tax returns or formalities
• Capital gains tax advice and returns
• Trusts
• There are disputes or claims

Key Stages for Administration of Estate are:

• Information gathering and valuations – this can take approximately four to six weeks
• Preparing and applying for the Grant of Probate/Letters of Administration – this usually takes about seven to ten days and longer if the estate is taxable.

It can take The Probate Registry anything from four to twenty weeks to send out the Grant.

• Collecting in assets and paying debts
• Finalising the tax position
• Finalising and distributing the estate – these last three stages can take a few weeks or a few months depending on the size and complexity of the estate.

The timescales for administration of an estate therefore vary greatly, from Twelve weeks to eight months.

An example of how we charge for our fees on probate:

• £250 plus VAT hourly rate up to estates valued at £999,000
• Estates valued at over £1 million – £250 plus VAT hourly rate plus 0.5% of the estate value above £1million
• e.g. an Estate worth £1.5 million would be charged at £250 hourly rate, together with an additional charge of 0.5% on the value over £999,000. 
• VAT charged at 20% of the total net invoice.

There may also be other expenses, such as those associated with valuing assets such as property and shares.

A matter could be more complex or involved and require an hourly rate.  Please contact us to obtain a quote.