Wills

Simple Single Will - £150 + £30 (VAT) = £180 total

Simple Mirror Wills - £250 + £50 (VAT) = £300 Total

Complex Wills - assessed by the solicitor and a quote will be given in the initial meeting.

Islamic Wills - every Muslim should consider a Will when residing in England. The Civil intestacy rules which apply without a Will do not follow any form of Shariah law and would just leave your estate along the route of intestacy. These are priced the same as above.

Lasting Powers of Attorney

There are two types of Lasting Power of Attorney: Property and Financial affairs and Health and Welfare. These allow you to appoint attorneys who would act in your stead if you ever lost mental capacity or were too unwell to manage your own affairs. As we live longer and are more likely to become incapable, these options are becoming more popular and desirable to adequately plan for the future.

Property and Finance only - £400 + £80 (VAT) = £480 Total

Health and Welfare only - £400 + £80 (VAT) = £480 Total

Both types - £600 + £120 (VAT) = £720 Total

Both types for a couple £900 + £180 (VAT) = £1180 Total

Office of the Public Guardian registration fee is £82 per document unless your annual income is below £12,000 or are on certain benefits which may qualify you for a fee reduction.

Probate

Grant of Probate only - £900 + £180 (VAT) = £1180 Total (no Inheritance Tax)

We offer this service if you are able to provide us with all necessary information and we are able to just apply for the Grant on your behalf by completing and submitting the necessary forms the Probate Registry and to HMRC on your behalf.

If Inheritance Tax is payable or a full Inland Revenue account is necessary, our fees would be calculated according to the solicitor’s hourly rate. In general most estates do not attract Inheritance Tax unless the total value of the estate is over £500,000, where it is a single person or first of a couple to pass away and £1,000,000 where the person is the survivor of a couple and they inherited all of their spouses estate so they are allowed to use the exemption which their spouse had not already used upon their passing. This would be discussed with you further at our first appointment.

Full Administration of the Estate

It is difficult to accurately predict fees as there can be so many different aspects of an estate, but as a general guide where the matter is uncontested and there is a Will, fees are likely to be in the region of £1,000 up to £5,000 plus VAT at 20% , so £1200 to £6,000 in total, and also disbursements, unless the Will is complex or the estate is of a high worth, where fees are likely to be higher, but these will be discussed with you at our first meeting.

We calculate our fees by reference to our hourly rates, which are currently £250 + £50 = £300 total. Please note that we do not follow the Law Society guidance to charge an additional percentage of the estate and keep to just the hourly rate. We use the term disbursements to mean costs related to the case, which are payable in relation to the administration of the estate, such as:-

• Probate Court fee of £273 plus £1.50 per copy of the Grant of Probate
• Bankruptcy Search of £2 per beneficiary
• Statutory Advertisements for creditors of approx. £200
• Search of the National Wills register (Certainty) for any newer Wills from £36
• The cost of dealing with the sale or transfer of any property in the estate is not included. We do not carry out conveyancing work but would refer you to a reputable firm who are competitive and professional in their approach.

What is included in our estate administration service:

• The advice and experience of a dedicated Probate Solicitor
• Identifying the legally appointed executors/administrators and beneficiaries
• Registering the death with the relevant financial authorities and gathering the necessary evidence to complete the application for the Grant
• Completing the IHT Tax Forms where necessary
• Dealing with HMRC and the Probate Registry to obtain the Grant, collect assets, settle liabilities, and prepare full estate Accounts
• Liaising with HMRC and DWP
• Carrying out bankruptcy checks on beneficiaries
• Distributing the estate and obtaining the necessary receipts
• On average it takes 16 weeks to obtain the Grant and the whole administration should be completed within 8 months, which is dependent on the size and complexity of the estate.

Deputyship

Where a person has lost mental capacity without making Lasting Powers of Attorney, an application for Deputyship may need to be made to manage their affairs. There are two types of deputyships: Property and Financial Affairs and Personal Welfare. Our fees for these applications are charged at the Solicitors hourly rate. With a standard application, this will cost between £1800 + £360 (VAT) = £2,160 and £2500 + £500 (VAT) = £3,000.

The Court of Protection deputy application fee is £371 per application.

Deed of Variation

It may be your choice or desirable to provide for others or to avoid tax consequences to vary a gift and this requires a Deed of Variation - £400 + £100 (VAT) =  £500 Total.

Similarly, a beneficiary may not want the gift left to them in a Will and may renounce that gift or may not wish to be an Executor to administer the estate so would require a Deed of Renunciation- £200 + £50 (VAT) = £250 total currently.