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Probate and Wills Costs and Charges
Each estate administration is unique and so, if you would like us to assist you, we will gather information and provide you with a tailored quotation of the likely cost needed.
As a guide, Tozers’ fees for the collection and distribution of money, property and other assets belonging to a person following their death, where these are within the UK entirely and the matters are not contested, fall within the ranges as set out below:
Simple Estates
Simple estates would usually include estates holding assets such as a property or bank accounts. Simple estates would usually have fewer than 5 beneficiaries and would not give rise to a tax liability, or would not involve the completion of the longer-form Inheritance Tax schedules.
When undertaking work in relation to simple estates, Tozers’ average charges for the period from 01/06/2024 to 01/06/2025 were between £2,360 plus VAT and £10,362 plus VAT with an average charge of £4,690 plus VAT.
Complex estates
Complex estates would usually include less common or more valuable assets such as an interest in a farm or other business, or a substantial share portfolio, or they may be complex based on the relationships between the parties or have other protracted elements. These estates may have many beneficiaries and would often require correspondence and perhaps negotiation with HM Revenue & Customs to agree and settle the tax due.
When undertaking this work in relation to complex estates, Tozers’ average charges for the period of 01/06/2024 to 01/06/2025 were between £7,740 plus VAT and £19,981 plus VAT with an average charge of £11,980 plus VAT.
Please be aware that very complex estates may sometimes arise with comparatively higher charges. For example, in 2022, the highest end of the range was £29,724 plus VAT, resulting in an average charge of £14,328 plus VAT.
Grant-only
We also offer a service in obtaining the Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration for you, based on the information which you collect and provide to us. These Grant-only applications may involve a range of assets but, as an average across all these matters, our charges for the period of 01/06/2024 to 01/06/2025 were between £500 plus VAT and £3,720 plus VAT with an average charge of £1,350 plus VAT.
Your matter
Your estate may be towards either end of this spectrum or may be somewhere in the middle. Equally, our fees for assisting some estates may fall significantly below or above these figures. These estimates are simply average prices based upon instructions; the actual cost to you will depend upon a number of factors which we will discuss with you if you decide you wish to instruct us.
We have supplied data for those files which have now closed so that we are able to give you the overall fee ranges. Due to the timescales which can be involved in estate administrations, especially in complex matters, it may be that these files commenced work a few years ago, but we will keep this website information updated. Do please contact us should you have any questions.
Disbursements
Various fees and disbursements are payable during the administration of an estate – for example, valuation and Probate Court fees. These disbursements will be additional to our charges and the amount will depend on the value of the assets in question. The typical disbursements are as follows:
| Probate application fee | £300 plus £1.50 per copy of Grant |
| Statutory notices in the London Gazette and local newspaper to protect against unexpected claims | £180 - £220 |
| Certainty Will search | £140 |
| Office copy entries | £7 plus VAT |
| Bankruptcy searches (for those in the UK) | £6 plus VAT per beneficiary |
The average disbursements in each type of estate are:
- Grant-only applications: £307
- Simple estates: £347
- Complex estates: £461
A portion of these charges are also excluding VAT.
Hourly rates
Our charges for the work mentioned above are commonly based on one of the three following options:
- our standard hourly rates,
- our reduced hourly rates plus an additional charge linked to the value of the estate as at the date of death (the additional charge would be linked to the value of the estate and would usually be between 0.1% and 2% of the gross value of the estate) or
- a fixed fee (the availability of a fixed fee option is assessed on a case by case basis).
Our lowest standard hourly rate is £225 plus VAT and our highest standard hourly rate is £395 plus VAT. Our lowest reduced hourly rate is £205 plus VAT and our highest reduced hourly rate is £370 plus VAT. In each case, these rates vary according to the experience of the lawyer involved. All our hourly rates are subject to review each calendar year so they may increase during the period of any retainer with us.
Our team and what we can do for you
Tozers’ experts in this work are shown here. Please click on the profile links to find out more about their particular areas of expertise and experience. Those responsible for handling your matter and their supervisors will be confirmed to you in our initial terms of engagement letter should you choose to instruct us.
We understand the stress and emotion surrounding a recent bereavement. The work we will carry out and the time needed to complete matters will vary depending upon various factors including the value and complexity of the estate, the terms of any Will, whether tax may be due and the personal representative’s approach to risk.
The key stages in the administration of an estate include:
- ascertaining the legally appointed executors or administrators,
- ascertaining the assets and liabilities of the estate and obtaining appropriate valuations,
- applying for a grant of probate or letters of administration, including the completion of HM Revenue & Customs forms,
- obtaining the grant of probate or letters of administration,
- collecting in the assets of the estate and paying any outstanding debts and expenses,
- confirming and paying any remaining tax due on the estate,
- deciding upon and executing the distributions of the estate in accordance with the Will or intestacy rules.
Each estate is unique and so the time taken to complete these stages will vary. For simple estates (please see definition above) we would usually expect to be in receipt of the grant of probate or letters of administration within 3 to 6 months of receiving instructions although these timescales will vary according to the circumstances of the estate. The personal representative may then choose to collect in and distribute the assets promptly which may take a further 3 to 6 months or longer in some cases depending, in part, upon the assets involved.
Personal representatives who choose to release assets from an estate before various deadlines have passed will put themselves at personal financial risk. We will discuss these risks with you should you choose to instruct us. Waiting for the various deadlines to elapse may extend the time needed to complete matters.
For more complex estates (please see definition above) the timescales would usually be significantly longer and are likely to be dependent upon third parties, including HM Revenue & Customs. For particularly complex estates the administration may take anything between 2 and 3 years or longer in certain circumstances, especially in those matters with reliefs to be claimed. We will discuss the likely timescales with you, in your particular circumstances, should you choose to instruct us.
Obviously, our fees do not include any external costs and charges which we may incur as part of the administration (tax, penalties, repayable benefits, fees and charges for example). You will be responsible for these expenses, in addition to our fees, on behalf of the estate.
Contact us here if you would like to instruct us on your matter.