In our Private Client Department, we deal with all aspects of non-contentious probate and estate administration headed by our Solicitor Jane Marland.

If you instruct Susan Hall & Co, you will be given a timescale and a clear cost estimate at the outset.  We do not charge a percentage of the gross value of the estate, instead our fees are based on the actual work required in your matter. Our fees are calculated by reference to the time spent (in 6-minute units) by the fee earner carrying out the work.  Our Solicitor’s current charging rate is £250 per hour plus VAT; charging rates are reviewed annually. 

The following is a general guide of our fees:

To obtain a Grant of Probate  (No Inheritance Tax (IHT) Account required)	£1,000-£1,250 plus VAT and disbursements
To obtain a Grant of Probate and administer the estate including preparation of IHT Account, calculation, and payment of IHT, collecting in assets and paying liabilities, preparing estate accounts, calculating and paying administration income tax and distributing the estate in accordance with the will.	£4,000-£8,000 plus VAT and disbursements

Disbursements are payments that we make to third parties on your behalf, such as the Probate Court Fee which is currently £273 plus £1.50 per additional sealed copy.  There may be other disbursements such as H M Land Registry search fees (£3 per copy title) and statutory notices (approximately £250) and we will discuss which disbursements will apply to your matter with you.

If there are any issues that may require additional work, such as a lost or damaged will, intestacy, applications by attorneys etc, we will discuss this with you and provide you with an adjusted cost estimate as soon as possible.

There have been delays at the Probate Registry which has impacted on the length of time it takes to obtain the Grant of Probate and deal with the administration of the estate.  Typically, it is taking between 4-6 months to complete the necessary work and obtain the Grant of Probate.  Once the Grant has been issued the estate can then be administered, if the estate does not include a house this usually takes a further 2 -4 months depending on the assets, if the estate includes a property to sell the length of time will depend on how quickly that property sells and will generally take 12 months.