Simple Estates and Fixed Fee To Obtain Grant Only

At Pinniger Finch and Co we offer a fixed fee service to assist you with obtaining probate to a simple estate. This service is for simple estates where there is no Inheritance Tax to be paid and the information needed is suppied by you and it covers the following:

Checking Identity of Executors
Drafting the Statement of Truth (formerly the Oath for Executors)
Preparing the Inheritance Tax form (IHT205) if required
Applying to the Probate Registry to obtain the Grant
Supplying the nominated Executor with Office Copies of the Grant of Probate.

Our costs for this service are £1000 plus VAT making a total of £1200.

The disbursements the Executors would be required to pay are; the Probate Registry fee of £280.50 (to include 5 office copies of the Grant of Probate), possibly a chattels and property valuation and postage fee of £6.65

Usually, estates that fall within this range are dealt with within 1 to 2 months (from receipt of all the relevant information from you) and obtaining the Grant of Probate takes up to 16 weeks.

Probate Fees on Larger Estates

Where Pinniger Finch and Co are instructed to act in the estate and handle the full process on your behalf, our hourly fee rate of £250 plus VAT per hour will apply, in addition to the percentage costs set out below.

The value element is calculated by taking account of the value of the assets in the estate. It is usual to divide the estate (i.e. total value of the assets left after death) into two parts:-

The Deceased’s own property, which attracts a value element of 0.5%
The rest of the estate, which attracts a value element of 1%. For example if the property was valued at £200,000 and was owned by the deceased alone, this would be calculated as follows: £200,000 x 0.5% = £1,000. Then applying 1% to the value of the rest of the estate of say £50,000 thus = £500. Therefore the total value element is £1,000 + £500 = £1,500.

We do not include the value of any property in this calculation if it is jointly owned (as a joint tenant) by the surviving spouse.

These charges are applicable where:

there is only one Property
there are three or fewer Bank Accounts
there are no more than five Beneficiaries or Legatees
there are no claims against the Estate
there are no issues with the validity of the Will
there are no Foreign Assets
there is no Inheritance Tax to be paid and the Probate can be applied for without submitting an Inheritance Tax form IHT400 to HMRC
there are fewer than three Shareholdings all of which have valid Certificates
where Pinniger Finch and Co Partners or previous employees of the firm are appointed executors

In these circumstances, we would estimate that our fees would be in the region of £2,500 to £4,000 plus VAT and disbursements, depending on the value of the estate.

In addition we would estimate the disbursements to include:

Probate fee, currently £280.50 to include office copies
£210.54 to advertise in the London Gazette if necessary in addition to an advert in local paper

There is a potential for additional costs to arise in any (but not limited to) of the following circumstances:

Where the deceased had a number of bank accounts or investments the costs will be higher to reflect the increased amount of work and where there is more than one property or where the deceased owned a business or farmland
where Inheritance Tax is payable
where the Department for Work and Pensions make a claim against the estate
where the partners of Pinniger Finch and Co or any of its previous Partners, current or previous employees are appointed as executor
where the deceased held a large amount of shares or has shareholdings and the certificate(s) have been misplaced
this estimate does not include any conveyancing or land transfer which would be quoted for separately
where there is a dispute either regarding the Will or between beneficiaries