COVID-19 and our commitment to you
Probate costs – including obtaining the grant of probate and administering of the estate.
Our Services
We can handle the full administration of an estate. The hourly rates below reflect our commitment to you at this difficult time. You can expect a dedicated and experienced probate solicitor to work on your matter at all times.
Costs
We offer a no-obligation first interview of 30 minutes to discuss the probate process and the services we can provide. If you choose not to instruct us after this then there will be no charge for our time.
Our hourly charges are between £195 and £290 (+ VAT) per hour depending on the seniority and experience of the solicitor acting for you.
These hourly rates are fixed, but the number of hours that your case takes will vary, depending on the complexity.
Our charges are not based on the value of the estate, only on the time spent.
If the estate is simple, with no inheritance tax to pay, the date-of death value of the assets are known, and we are only asked to apply for the grant, our charges are likely to be between £1000 – £1500 (+VAT)
If the estate is more complex the following table is a guide to the likely charges:
| Value of estate | Likely fees based on time spent |
|---|---|
| Up to £500,000 | £2,000 – £10,000 (+VAT) |
| £500,000 to £1m | £7,500 – £20,000 (+VAT) |
| £1m – £2m | £15,000 – £30,000 (+VAT) |
| £2m – £5m | £25,000 – £50,000 (+VAT) |
| £10m+ | £25,000 – £75,000 (+VAT) |
What services you can expect
Below is a list of some of the services that we can provide. This list is not exhaustive and will vary from case to case:
- Investigating and valuing the assets and liabilities of the estate (including any tax liabilities)
- Assessing and paying any inheritance tax due
- Gathering in all assets and discharging of liabilities, costs, taxes and legacies
- Finalising income tax affairs for the period up to the date of death and during the administration period
- Registering the estate with the HMRC, if necessary
- Preparing of estate accounts and obtaining the personal representatives’ approval of these
- Carrying out appropriate bankruptcy, money laundering and other searches and advertisements to protect the executors
- Identifying of beneficiaries and distributing of the estate
Additional expenses
Other expenses may be incurred as appropriate necessary to obtain the grant, such as:
- Probate Registry fee of £273.00 (no VAT) (for issuing the grant).
- Additional court copies of the grant at £1.50 each (no VAT)
- Statutory advertisements – where necessary
- Advice on and preparation of deeds of variation
- Advice on and preparation of appointments out of trust
- External charges levied by asset holders
- The sale or transfer of any property in the estate.
Every case and client are different, and so we offer a bespoke level of service fitted around your requirements. It is therefore, hard to give an overall generic cost here. However, we always provide a best estimate as soon as we have all the details and information so that you are aware of how much you will need to pay.
How long will a simple estate take?
It usually takes between one to four months to obtain a grant of probate for a simple estate and between six and twelve months to complete the administration.
Complex or taxable estates can take longer than this.
Good to know
The Law Society suggest that a simple estate should be able to be administered for a fee between 1-3% of the value of the estate, and that complex or contentious estates are likely to attract fees in excess of 3% of that value.
We do not base our charges on the value of the estate, but instead charge for the work we actually undertake on your behalf.
However, we consider it useful for clients to be aware of the level of charges which are generally considered to be reasonable and particularly to note that dispute or complexity is likely to increase the total amount charged.
Meet the Specialists
Melanie Dunton
Melanie Dunton – a Senior Partner and Head of Private Client Department
Melanie is the head of our Private Client Department and has over 30 years’ legal experience. In this position she is the supervisor for the work the firm carries out on Wills, trusts, probate and conveyancing.
Melanie has a wealth of experience having practised both as a solicitor and mediator. She currently assists clients with their Wills, Probates and Trusts. In the past she headed our family department.
During her career she has helped generations of families and has dealt with over 1000 probates, wills and financial remedy family cases. Melanie tends to work on cases with complex issues, and to date has worked on more than 100 contested probate cases.
Linda Charman
Linda Charman – Solicitor
After leaving college Linda worked in a local county court, the Court of Protection and the Supreme Court whilst studying for a law degree. Having obtained the LL.B (Hons). Linda transferred to the Criminal Appeal office where she worked directly with the Judiciary.
Linda’s career as a solicitor began in 1987. By 1991 she was a partner before leaving to start her own firm with a fellow solicitor. This partnership was a successful high street practice in Bromley, where she covered a variety of legal work including family matters, residential conveyancing, wills and probate. Wanting to spend more time with the family the firm merged with another central Bromley firm where she was a consultant.
Linda joined TD in December 2011 and now with over 30 years’ experience in a wide range of disciplines she concentrates on helping vulnerable clients (including work with Lasting Powers of Attorney and the Court of Protection), wills, residential conveyancing and with knowledge of the workings of the courts and tribunals. contentious probate (contested Wills) and property disputes.
Linda is an Affiliate member of STEP having passed with merit the STEP Advanced Certificate in Advising Vulnerable Clients. Helping vulnerable people is something that is very close to her heart.
Linda is appreciative of those clients that have followed her, recommended her to others and looks forward to working with them and with new clients. Linda likes a challenge.
She has also been instrumental in training all staff as Dementia Friends and is proud to be a ‘Dementia Champion’.
Linda’s work is supervised by Melanie Dunton, a senior partner.
Rae Broughton
Rae Broughton – Solicitor
Rae qualified as a solicitor in 1994 and has over 20 years’ experience in property and private client work.
Joining Thomas Dunton in 2011, she has worked for many hundreds of clients and splits her time working on commercial property, including leases; and Wills, LPAs, Probate and related matters.
She is also a specialist in the sale and purchase of businesses.
Rae’s work is supervised by Melanie Dunton, a senior partner.
Catherine Crabtree
Catherine Crabtree – Partner and Head of Private Client Department
Catherine is a partner and head of the private client department at Thomas Dunton Solicitors LLP.
Catherine qualified as a solicitor in 2002. She graduated from Oxford in 1998 and then studied the Common Professional Examination and Legal Practice Course at the College of Law, gaining a commendation in the CPE and a distinction in the LPC. She completed her training contract at Ashurst and continued to work in the City until taking a career break in 2005 to care for her children. In 2014, Catherine sat STEP’s Advanced Certificate in Will Preparation and passed with distinction. She is now an affiliate member of STEP.
Catherine has worked in Thomas Dunton’s private client department since 2014 and has helped well over a thousand clients in this time, mainly in the area of wills, inheritance tax, lasting powers of attorney and probate. Catherine enjoys learning and undertakes a wide range of continuous professional development.
Read more on how Catherine and the private client team can help plan your future.
Jayshree Patel
Jayshree Patel – Solicitor
Jayshree qualified as a solicitor in 2003 and her experience is centred around personal injury, employment and private client work. After graduating, she practised personal injury for two years, before taking a career break and then going on to teach the Legal Practice Course modules of civil litigation and personal injury and clinical negligence for a year.
Jayshree joined Thomas Dunton in 2011, where she worked in the personal injury and employment law department and her varied case load included road traffic accidents, public liability and employer’s liability cases. In the last two years, Jayshree has supported the private client department and now mainly spends her time on drafting Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney and Court of Protection work. She has worked with hundreds of clients since she qualified.
Jayshree’s work is supervised by Melanie Dunton, a senior partner.
