Pricing for Probate Services

Pricing for Probate Services

Our legal fees for estate administration are calculated on a time spent basis at our agreed hourly rates plus VAT and disbursements. In some cases, we can also offer a fixed fee if preferred. In addition, we do not charge extra should you choose to appoint Barr Ellison as executors or trustees.

The hourly rates of the lawyers within our Personal Wealth Team range from £150 plus VAT for a paralegal to £395 plus VAT for a partner. VAT is currently charged at a rate of 20%.

Full estate administration service includes:

• Ascertaining estate assets and liabilities 
• Submitting an Inheritance Tax return to H M Revenue & Customs (where appropriate)
• If required, arranging for the payment of any Inheritance Tax due
• Preparing the Grant application and supporting documents and applying for the Grant of Representation
• Realising the estate assets 
• Paying estate liabilities
• Distributing the estate to the beneficiaries
• Preparing estate accounts 
• All correspondence, telephone calls, attendances and documentation applicable to the above

This service does not include: the sale or transfer of any property that forms part of the estate, dealing with the finalisation of the deceased’s income tax affairs, any Deed of Renunciation, Deed of Variation or Disclaimer, any personal tax advice to beneficiaries and advice on Trusts arising under the Will. If you would like assistance with any of these matters, please contact us to discuss and we will provide you with pricing options. 

There are various factors that can affect the overall costs, including whether inheritance tax is payable and the extent, nature and number of assets in the estate. Therefore, it is difficult to provide an accurate estimate of costs without detailed information. However, our experience shows that our fees usually fall within the range of 1-2% of the value of the gross assets plus VAT and disbursements.

Preliminary stages pre-instruction (initial meeting and follow-up letter) £650 – £1,000 plus VAT (if you choose to instruct us this fee is included in the estimates below)

Simple UK estate (no IHT return) £5,000 – £12,000 plus VAT

Simple UK estate (with IHT return) £10,000 – £20,000 plus VAT

Complex estate £15,000 – £45,000 plus VAT

Highly complex estate £50,000 – £80,000 plus VAT

Grant only service includes:

• Preparing an Inheritance Tax return to HM Revenue & Customs (where appropriate)
• If required, arranging for the payment of any Inheritance Tax due
• Preparing the Grant application and supporting documents and applying for the Grant of Representation
• Sending the Grant to the nominated personal representative
• All correspondence, telephone calls, attendances and documentation applicable to the above

This service is based on you providing full and accurate information and does not include any other steps which may be required to administer the estate including negotiations with HM Revenue & Customs in respect of the Inheritance Tax payable, realising the estate assets, payment of estate liabilities and any distributions from the estate. If you would like assistance with any of these matters, please contact us to discuss and we will provide you with pricing options.

Grant Only (no IHT return) from £2,000 – £3,500 plus VAT

Grant Only (with IHT return) from £3,500 – £6,000 plus VAT

We will be able to provide you with a tailored cost estimate once we have a full overview of the estate assets and scope of the work involved.

Unanticipated issues

Where there are problems that cause a matter to be protracted, this can add to the costs involved. The above estimates do not take account of extraordinary matters, such as:

• Disputes and litigation
• Agricultural and/or Business property
• Urgency for any reason
• Overseas assets
• Complex tax issues
• Variations and other alterations to the terms and trusts established by the will

Wherever possible, we provide a best estimate of the likely costs as soon as details are available, and revised estimates as and when circumstances change.

Disbursements:
Disbursements are expenses that are payable to third parties. We handle to payment of disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.

All disbursements are in addition to the above charges.

The disbursements we usually anticipate are detailed below. This is not an exhaustive list and other disbursements may apply depending on the probate process.

• Probate application fee (£526 in July 2026).
• HM Land Registry Title Register (£7 plus VAT per copy)
• Bankruptcy search advertisement – only Land Charges Department searches (£6.00 plus VAT per beneficiary).
• Anti-Money Laundering searches – checks on sanctions, PEPs, address, ID and similar (roughly £5 per individual based in UK, and around £16 for individuals who are overseas).
• Post notices in publications – this also helps to protect against unexpected claims. The cost is around £260.

Disbursements relating to ID and AML checks include:

• Verification of ID per individual: £10.80 (including 20% VAT)
• AML search per individual (UK): £5.20 (including 20% VAT)
• AML search per individual (non-UK): £13.20 (including 20% VAT)
• AML search per UK company: £15.60 (including 20% VAT)
• AML search per international company: £20.00 (including 20% VAT)

How long is my transaction likely to take?
Matters usually take between 6 and 12 months for a straightforward estate. For more complex estates, the time frame is likely to be 12 to 24 months. However, it can take longer if there are complexities, particularly those which depend on the actions of 3rd parties (e.g. a property sale) or other external factors beyond our control. We will update you regularly throughout the matter and if there is any change to the estimated timescale.

What else will I need to consider
There are additional things you will need to consider which may incur costs that will need to be paid in addition to the fees and disbursements detailed above:

• Inheritance tax payments
• Income tax and capital gains tax payments to the date of death and for the administration period
• If there is no will or the estate consists of overseas assets, or there is some form of dispute within the beneficiaries or claim within the estate there are likely to be additional costs that could range significantly depending on the estate and how it is to be dealt with. We can give you a more accurate quote once we have more information
• If any additional copies of the grant are required, you can order extra copies for £2 each when you submit your application. This means you can send them to different organisations at the same time. If you need any additional copies after the application has been submitted, they will cost £16 each
• Dealing with the sale or transfer of any residential property in the estate
• HMRC Trust Registration

What happens if I change my mind and don’t want to go through with the transaction anymore?
Should you wish to terminate the transaction at any time, you will be liable for any costs and disbursements incurred to date and will be billed for them.

Who is going to do this work for me and what is their experience?
The work will be carried out by one or more of our lawyers in the Personal Wealth Team. The Team’s Supervising Partner is Chantal Percival. Follow the links to view their expertise.