Sensible Probate help costs and fair prices for all. That is what we are aiming for. Not necessarily the very cheapest, but good value and customer service. Help in obtaining a Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration isn’t always needed. Though the work is often fairly straightforward if you have an administrators brain, many people just need a little Probate help. Most firms can’t be bothered with that. We work with firms that are different.
Further down – Probate Rip-Offs to look out for.
They can give as much or as little Probate help as you feel you need, and switch to the next package up, just paying the difference, if you find probate more complex than you expected. We ensure they keep their overheads low and service standards high so that you pay less. All work is subject to their normal Probate help terms of business. We ourselves just give general guidance, but we can put you in touch with the right people for your circumstances and needs. Applying for probate need not be a big worry for you.
- No plush offices.
- No fancy cars.
- No gatekeepers to stop you from speaking to the right person.
- No per letter charges.
- No “responsibility allowances.” They alone can triple your bill elsewhere.
- No charge for UK phone calls, stamps etc.
The especially low-cost Probate help services packages are designed only to deal with straightforward cases where there is no tax, no trusts and no overseas issues. Not that the more complex packages are expensive – they are still relatively inexpensive when you realise that it is easy to go to a local firm (probably non-specialists) who can charge 3 or 4% of the gross value of the estate. Some add a responsibility allowance of up to 1.8% of the value of the estate ON TOP of charging the full hourly rate fees!
Our associates lowest cost Probate service is for estates with:
- No Inheritance Tax to pay.
- No complex Trusts to set up.
- English or Welsh people with estates based in England and Wales.
- If you don’t fit neatly into that category, give us a ring with the details and we’ll advise what costs are likely to be.
- Where overseas assets are concerned, we need to know in advance as overseas lawyers may need to be used.
- If that doesn’t fit, go to option 4 or use the enquiry form to the right.
Typical rate in the market for Probate help is around £288 – £450 an hour plus VAT. Our most economical associates rates for simple estates typically range from £99 an hour. For estate where Trusts or IHT are involved, the rate is £149 – still a big saving. Plus third-party costs. More sophisticated solicitor-led advice will naturally cost more, but will be sensible in the market. High-level advice may be essential in estates where serious arguments are likely. Not all firms are equipped for Court appearances in disputes.
For brief advice, an example initial fee is from £50 for the first 20 minutes, plus £3 per minute after that, plus VAT as applicable. If it is really straightforward, they wIll try to point you in the right direction at no further cost, before referring you on, but this is only an initial review, not necessarily an in-depth appraisal. Extra time will be needed if you require written advice, which we cannot do ourselves.
Another option – if you just want to hand the whole estate administration and Probate help process over to one of our associates after supplying the initial information. For straightforward estates without disputes there is a flat 1.50% + VAT – unless you choose to pay hourly rates – and third-party costs of the gross value of the estate (there may be a minimum fee depending on the size of the estate.)
Our Probate help enquiry form is to the right. Please include a phone number.
Probate help at fair prices via The Probate Department (Brokers)
Probate Fees: how to keep them sensible.
Probate fees: our mission at The Probate Department (brokers) (a private business helping to keep probate fees down.)
Our mission is to keep probate charges SENSIBLE. We want to provide a good, friendly and efficient service at modest fees which still allow us to make a decent living. Often you can find enough help here to avoid professional fees – but please be aware that we ourselves can only offer general guidance, not professional advice.
There are three areas where we feel that probate fees can be a massive rip off:
- Percentage probate charges – does it really cost ten times as much to deal with a bank account with £10,000 in it than one with £1,000? No, of course not.
- Letter charges – many firms probate charges allow them to charge for each letter – perhaps £45 + VAT (on top of the hourly rate). Some firms can produce 10 letters in ten minutes with specialist software, costing you maybe a few pounds in probate fees not £450! And some don’t charge you for the stamps or phone bill either.
- Probate fee rip off alert – “responsibility allowances.” What happens here is that the Law Society allows firms to add a commission based on the value of the estate because the bigger the estate, the more responsibility. Whilst there is a very vague justification in mega-money estates, this probate fee add-on can triple the final bill for probate. The Law Society sanctions a charge of up to 1.5% + VAT of the value of the estate. On a £100,000 estate that could be £1,800 extra!!! £1m in a bank account would attract a bonus of £18,000.
- Fixed Fee Probate – not a bad thing in itself but be aware that it means the awkward cases are subsidised by the ones which turn out to be easier. And the small print will often show that the fee isn’t fixed at all!
Our probate charges are typically 30 to 50% below most solicitors or banks and we have an in-house barrister for cases which prove complex which could mean a saving of well over £200 an hour on commercial rates.
All fees are plus VAT as applicable.
Probate Fees: our terms and conditions of business.
We are in no way connected with the Probate Registries which are a part of Her Majesties Court Service.