If you are responsible for administering someone’s estate, it is understandable to want to know how much probate is likely to cost before you begin.
Probate costs can include the official fee for applying for a Grant of Probate, legal fees for the work carried out by a solicitor, and other expenses involved in administering the estate.
At Monan Gozzett LLP, we offer fixed fees for certain uncontested probate matters and clearly defined charging arrangements for more complex probate and full estate administration work.
Below, we explain our probate solicitor fees, the current probate application fee, and some factors that can affect the overall cost.
If you need help dealing with an estate, our probate solicitors can advise on the level of support you need.
How Much Does Probate Cost?
There is no single cost for probate. The amount you pay will depend on the work required and whether you need help obtaining the Grant of Probate only or would like us to deal with the full administration of the estate.
For uncontested probate matters, our current fees are:
| Service | Our Fee |
|---|---|
| Grant of Probate only, with no Inheritance Tax return required | £3,000 plus VAT and disbursements |
| Grant of Probate only, where an Inheritance Tax return is required but there is no Inheritance Tax to pay | £4,500 plus VAT and disbursements |
| Grant of Probate only, where an Inheritance Tax return is required and Inheritance Tax is payable | Charged at our hourly rates, subject to a minimum charge of £5,500 plus VAT and disbursements |
| Full estate administration where Monan Gozzett LLP or one of our partners is not appointed as Executor | 2% of the value of the estate assets, including aggregable assets such as trusts, plus VAT and disbursements, subject to a minimum charge of £7,000 |
| Full estate administration where Monan Gozzett LLP or one of our partners is appointed as Executor | 3% of the value of the estate assets, including aggregable assets such as trusts, plus VAT and disbursements, subject to a minimum charge of £9,000 |
These prices relate to uncontested probate matters.
Where hourly rates apply, we will review the circumstances and provide an estimate of our costs.
You can also see our full Price Transparency Policy for further information about our charging structure.
How Much Is The Probate Application Fee?
The probate application fee is separate from the fees charged by a solicitor.
In England and Wales, the current application fee is £526 if the value of the estate exceeds £5,000.
There is currently no probate application fee for estates valued at £5,000 or less.
Additional copies of the probate document can also be ordered for £2 each when the application is submitted.
Probate application fees are set by HM Courts & Tribunals Service and can change. We will confirm the applicable fee when dealing with your application.
What Is The Difference Between Probate Application Fees And Solicitor Fees?
The phrase "probate fees" can refer to several different costs.
Probate application fee
This is the official fee payable to HM Courts & Tribunals Service when making certain probate applications.
It is a disbursement rather than part of our legal fee.
Probate solicitor fees
Probate solicitor fees are the charges for the legal work we carry out on your behalf.
Depending on the service you require, this could include:
- Advising executors about their duties and responsibilities
- Identifying assets and liabilities
- Obtaining valuations
- Preparing probate documentation
- Dealing with HMRC
- Preparing an Inheritance Tax return where required
- Applying for the Grant of Probate
- Collecting estate assets
- Settling liabilities
- Preparing estate accounts
- Communicating with beneficiaries
- Distributing the estate
Our probate and estate administration services can cover the Grant of Probate alone or the wider administration of an estate.
Other estate administration costs
Other professional fees and third-party costs can also arise when administering an estate.
These can include valuations, property-related expenses, specialist tax advice, searches and costs relating to particular assets.
We will explain any known disbursements and additional costs that are likely to apply to your matter.
Grant Of Probate Only: Our Fixed Fees
If you need us to obtain the Grant of Probate but intend to deal with the remaining administration of the estate yourself, we offer fixed fees for certain uncontested matters.
Where no Inheritance Tax return is required, our fixed fee is:
£3,000 plus VAT and disbursements.
Where an Inheritance Tax return is required, but there is no Inheritance Tax to pay, our fixed fee is:
£4,500 plus VAT and disbursements.
Where an Inheritance Tax return is required, and Inheritance Tax is payable, the work is charged at our hourly rates and is subject to a minimum fee of:
£5,500 plus VAT and disbursements.
We will provide an estimate of the likely costs before beginning work where hourly rates apply.
If Inheritance Tax is relevant to the estate, our Inheritance Tax solicitors can advise alongside the probate process.
How Much Does Full Estate Administration Cost?
Obtaining the Grant of Probate is only one part of administering an estate.
You may prefer us to handle the full estate administration process, including collecting assets, settling liabilities, dealing with tax matters, preparing estate accounts, and distributing the estate to beneficiaries.
Where neither Monan Gozzett LLP nor one of our partners is appointed as Executor, our fee for full estate administration is:
2% of the value of the assets of the estate, including aggregable assets such as trusts, plus VAT and disbursements.
This is subject to a minimum fee of £7,000 plus VAT and disbursements.
When Monan Gozzett LLP or one of our partners is appointed as Executor under the Will, we assume additional responsibilities.
In these circumstances, our fee is:
3% of the value of the assets of the estate, including aggregable assets such as trusts, plus VAT and disbursements.
This is subject to a minimum fee of £9,000 plus VAT and disbursements.
We will explain the scope of the work and charging arrangement before proceeding.
What Are Our Hourly Rates For Probate Work?
Where probate work is charged by the hour, our standard non-discounted hourly rates are:
| Fee earner | Hourly rate |
|---|---|
| Senior Partners | £500 plus VAT |
| Partners | £450 plus VAT |
| Senior Associate Solicitors | £375 plus VAT |
| Associate Solicitors | £300 plus VAT |
| Paralegals and Trainees | £200 plus VAT |
| Case Workers | £150 plus VAT |
The amount ultimately charged will depend on the work required and the circumstances of the estate.
Where hourly rates apply, we will provide an estimate and keep this under review as the matter progresses.
What Affects Probate Solicitor Fees?
The amount of work involved in probate and estate administration can vary considerably from estate to estate.
Factors that may affect the work required include:
- The number and type of assets
- Whether the estate contains one or more properties
- Whether assets or beneficiaries are overseas
- The number of banks, investments or financial institutions involved
- Whether an Inheritance Tax return is required
- Whether Inheritance Tax is payable
- Whether the deceased owned a business
- Whether trusts are involved
- The number of beneficiaries
- Difficulty locating assets, documents or beneficiaries
- Questions about the interpretation or validity of the Will
- Disagreements or potential claims against the estate
An estate with significant value is not necessarily complex, whereas a more modest estate can sometimes require considerable legal and administrative work.
We will discuss the estate with you at the outset so you understand the appropriate charging arrangement and likely costs.
What Is Included In Probate Legal Fees?
What is included will depend on whether you instruct us to obtain the Grant of Probate only or to deal with the full administration of the estate.
A full estate administration service may involve:
- Reviewing the Will and advising the Executors
- Establishing the assets and liabilities of the estate
- Obtaining valuations
- Completing relevant tax reporting
- Applying for the Grant of Probate
- Dealing with banks and financial institutions
- Collecting estate assets
- Settling debts and liabilities
- Dealing with property and investments as part of the estate administration
- Preparing estate accounts
- Communicating with beneficiaries
- Distributing the estate
Our probate and estate administration fees do not include conveyancing work required for the sale or transfer of property. Monan Gozzett LLP does not provide conveyancing services, so where a property needs to be sold or transferred, a separate conveyancing solicitor will need to be instructed, and their fees will be additional.
If beneficiaries wish to alter the distribution of an estate after death, a Deed of Variation may also be appropriate in certain circumstances.
We will make clear what work is covered by our fee before you instruct us.
Other Probate Costs And Disbursements
Our legal fees are not necessarily the only costs involved in dealing with an estate.
Depending on the circumstances, additional costs may include:
- The probate application fee
- Additional copies of the Grant
- Property valuations
- Professional valuations of other assets
- Bankruptcy searches
- Statutory notices
- Land Registry fees
- Accountancy or specialist tax advice
- Separate conveyancing fees and other costs associated with selling or transferring property
- Specialist advice relating to overseas assets
These costs are generally referred to as disbursements because they are payments to organisations or professionals outside the law firm.
Where relevant, we will explain the likely additional costs associated with your matter. Conveyancing fees are not included in our probate or estate administration fees and will be charged separately by the conveyancing solicitor instructed.
Who Pays Probate Solicitor Fees?
Legal costs properly incurred in administering an estate can generally be treated as estate expenses.
This means probate solicitor fees will commonly be paid from estate funds rather than personally by the Executor.
However, the position can differ where costs relate to a personal dispute, unnecessary expenditure or actions taken outside an Executor's proper duties.
If you are uncertain whether a particular expense can properly be paid from the estate, it is sensible to take advice before incurring it.
When Can Probate Costs Increase?
Some estates require considerably more work than others.
Additional work may be required where:
- There is no valid Will
- The estate involves complicated Inheritance Tax issues
- Property or other assets are located overseas
- The deceased owned a business or complex investments
- Assets or beneficiaries are difficult to trace
- Trusts form part of the estate
- There are numerous beneficiaries
- The Will is unclear
- There are concerns about the conduct of an Executor
- Someone challenges the Will or makes a claim against the estate
The fees set out on this page relate to uncontested probate matters.
Where a disagreement or challenge arises, our Wills, Trusts and Estates Disputes solicitors can advise separately on the dispute.
Why Probate Fee Calculators Are Only A Guide
Probate fee calculators can provide a useful starting point, but they cannot always take account of the circumstances that determine how much legal work an estate requires.
Two estates of a similar financial value can involve very different levels of complexity.
One estate may contain straightforward bank accounts and a property, while another may involve businesses, trusts, overseas assets, significant tax reporting or beneficiaries who are difficult to locate.
For this reason, you should consider both the charging structure and the scope of the legal work when comparing probate costs.
Our published prices provide a starting point, and we will explain the applicable fee or provide an estimate once we understand the estate and the work you require.
Probate Costs FAQs
The cost depends on the work required.
For uncontested matters, Monan Gozzett charges £3,000 plus VAT and disbursements to obtain a Grant of Probate where no Inheritance Tax return is needed.
Where an Inheritance Tax return is required, but no tax is payable, the fixed fee is £4,500 plus VAT and disbursements.
Where an Inheritance Tax return is required, and tax is payable, our hourly rates apply, subject to a minimum charge of £5,500 plus VAT and disbursements.
Different charges apply if you instruct us to deal with the full administration of the estate.
The current probate application fee in England and Wales is £526 for estates valued at more than £5,000.
There is no application fee for an estate valued at £5,000 or less.
This fee is payable to HM Courts & Tribunals Service and is separate from your solicitor's legal fees.
The probate application fee is an official fee associated with applying for probate.
Probate solicitor fees are the charges for the professional legal work carried out by your solicitor, which may include preparing the application, dealing with tax reporting and administering the wider estate.
Where Monan Gozzett LLP or one of our partners is not appointed as Executor, our fee is 2% of the value of the estate assets, including aggregable assets such as trusts, plus VAT and disbursements, subject to a minimum fee of £7,000.
Where Monan Gozzett LLP or one of our partners is appointed as Executor, our fee is 3% of the value of the estate assets, including aggregable assets such as trusts, plus VAT and disbursements, subject to a minimum fee of £9,000.
These fees do not include separate conveyancing fees where property within the estate needs to be sold or transferred.
No. Monan Gozzett LLP does not provide conveyancing services, and our probate and estate administration fees do not include the legal conveyancing work required to sell or transfer a property.
If conveyancing is required as part of administering the estate, a separate conveyancing solicitor will need to be instructed and their fees will be additional.
Legal costs properly incurred in administering an estate can generally be paid from estate funds rather than by the Executor personally.
The position can differ where costs arise from a personal dispute or actions outside an Executor's proper duties.
Potentially.
If you only need assistance with obtaining the Grant of Probate, you may choose to handle the remaining administration yourself rather than instruct us to provide a full estate administration service.
We can discuss the level of support you require before you instruct us.
Applying for probate yourself may reduce professional legal fees in a straightforward estate.
However, Executors have important legal and administrative responsibilities, and professional advice can be particularly useful where an estate involves Inheritance Tax, complex assets, trusts, businesses, overseas assets or uncertainty about the Will.
Our probate solicitors can advise on the level of support appropriate to your circumstances.
They can.
Where an Inheritance Tax return is required, and tax is payable, obtaining the Grant of Probate involves additional work. Monan Gozzett charges this work at our hourly rates, subject to a minimum fee of £5,500 plus VAT and disbursements.
Our Inheritance Tax solicitors can advise on the tax position alongside the probate process.
Not necessarily.
Obtaining the Grant of Probate is one part of the wider estate administration process.
Estate administration can also involve collecting assets, paying debts and tax, dealing with property, preparing estate accounts and distributing assets to beneficiaries.
Our fees therefore differ depending on whether you instruct us to obtain the Grant only or to deal with the full administration of the estate.
If you would like to speak to our expert legal team about this, or any related subject then please contact our team by phone on 0207 936 6329, Email or by completing our Quick Contact Form below.
Please note that we are unable to offer free legal advice. Our client services team are here to take your case details and explain any costs involved