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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.

Probate fees.  More help on Probate/ Will Disputes.

We are able to work with overseas lawyers to offer a service in all parts of the world except  the US and Canada, where all we can do is signpost useful sites.

• Szabo & Associates Solicitors provides legal services in Sydney, New South Wales (NSW) for drafting and updating wills, probate and estate planning law; Succession Act (Family Provision Act) claims; conveyancing and property law; retail, commercial and industrial leases; the sale and purchase of small business in NSW; liquor licensing; and property-related Foreign Investment Review Board Applications.  http://www.szabosolicitors.com.au/
• Donlan Lawyers practice in Adelaide South Australia in all areas of estate planning and deceased estates. www.donlanlawyers.com

• Useful site if you are looking at US Estate Planning and Probate Links.

At The Probate Department Ltd we don’t offer a service in the US or Canada but are keen to build up connections with US Probate firms who can help people out. If you are in the US, and you run a Probate firm, please contact us! For insurance reasons we are unable to deal with clients native to or based in the US or Canada.

Overseas Estate Planning and Probate Links

Probate for Overseas Assets.

Probate for Overseas Assets: Yes, indeed, we have some expertise in house, and we also have a wide range of contacts who will work with us to sort out issues with assets abroad.The contacts we have collected to date are here.The most common overseas assets are in the US, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy and we have just taken on an estate in the Channel Islands.For lawyers in other countries, if we can’t help, we will be happy to introduce you to our contacts to simplify your administration and cut your costs.[contact-form 1 “Contact form 1”]

Overseas Assets Probate – France, Spain, US, Portugal, Italy, Channel Islands, US, Canada, New Zealand, Australia.

Probate for Overseas Assets.

HMRC is increasingly challenging property valuations when estates are being wound up.

Probate Quotes                    Probate Disputes

It would seem that many folk undervalue property when preparing the figures for a Grant of Probate.  What they don’t realise is that HMRC have direct access to the District Valuers service:“DVS is the commercial arm of the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) and provide professional property advice across the public sector. We offer a broad range of property-related services, including Strategic Asset Management and Energy and Sustainability services.We employ around 400 people within DVS and are able to draw on the wider pool of skills, expertise and resources of the VOA. The VOA is one of the largest employers of Chartered Surveyors in the UK and operates from an extensive network of offices, covering the whole of England, Wales and Scotland. This enables us to undertake the largest national instructions as well as smaller local commissions in a cost-effective way.As we are part of the public sector ourselves we have a unique understanding of the needs of our clients and the financial and regulatory pressures that they face. Our specialist sector teams have extensive experience in central government , regional, local and devolved government, health, transport and infrastructure, environment, emergency services, educational bodies.We also publish an annual Property Market Report which draws on our wide knowledge and experience to give an independent picture of various property markets across the UK. “So if you think you can pull the wool over HMRC’s eyes when it comes to property valuations, you are playing a dangerous game which could result in significant financial penalties.  If HMRC consider the undervaluation is careless or deliberate, the extra Inheritance Tax penalty can be very substantial.The lesson to be drawn from this is to be certain that you can justify any valuation to the HMRC: fairly easy with properties on an estate, but you may well need the services of a qualified valuer if the property concerned is not easily comparable with others.

Property Valuation Danger for Executors.

Thes could be useful:

Property to sell?

Avoid chains and disappointments: market value in the bank within 3-5 weeks of grant, click to learn how, as preparation is needed.

Cash Buyer as an alternative.

Free Property Value estimate or formal RICS Valuation for probate.

 Property relevant pages indexed.