Wills & Probate
We offer a confidential, personal service on all aspects of making or amending your will, to give you the peace of mind of knowing that your estate will pass to the people or charitable organisations chosen by you.
Our areas of work include the drafting of wills, administration of trusts and estates including estate planning, mitigation of inheritance tax, lasting powers of attorney, court of protection deputyships, living wills, long term care and elderly client advice.
Our charges for dealing with probate and the administration of a deceased person’s estate are calculated chiefly with reference to the amount of time recorded to the matter, applying the hourly rate from time to time of the relevant fee-earner. The hourly charging rate of Mr Binns is currently £200 per hour, plus VAT (currently at the rate of 20%). There are also certain circumstances (for example where the partners in the firm are to act as executors, or otherwise take on a higher level of responsibility than usual) where a further charge may be made, calculated as a percentage of the value of the estate of the deceased. Circumstances vary from case to case but you will be advised of the charging structure at the outset of the matter, and before work is completed.
Additional Costs (non-contentious)
In addition to our costs, a probate application fee of £273 currently is payable to the Probate Registry together with a further fee of £1.50 for each sealed copy of the grant of representation. There is no VAT on probate fees.
We will discuss and agree with you what work you want us to undertake in relation to the estate of the deceased. You may wish to limit our retainer to obtaining the grant of representation (including submission of the inheritance tax account to HM Revenue and Customs and organising payment of any inheritance tax liability) or you may wish to also instruct us to correspond and liaise with banks and other financial organisations to arrange collection of estate assets and distribution to beneficiaries, together with preparation of estate accounts.
The timescale for any probate matter will depend on the circumstances of each case and workload of the Probate Registry at the relevant time. We would estimate between three and twelve months depending on the value and complexity of the estate, whether there is any inheritance tax payable, and what work you have instructed us to undertake for you.