WILLS, TRUSTS AND PROBATE SERVICES
Christob Solicitors legal team in wills, trusts and probate services will help you safeguard your financial assets and ensure your family is provided for.
Probate is the legal process of administering a deceased person’s estate, ensuring that their assets are distributed according to their will (or intestacy laws if no will exists).
The importance of making a Will is crucial in these days of financial uncertainty and the confusing legal environment we are living in today. We always take into consideration your personal financial circumstances, family commitments and the possible implications of taxation and in particular, inheritance tax.
Our Wills, Trust and Probate services includes specialist knowledge and experience in all areas of wills, trusts, inheritance tax, estate planning, probate and estate administration, disputes and lasting powers of attorney, and business succession planning.
Range of Fees (please note VAT at 20% is payable on all fees):
The hourly rates depend on the date of enrolment of the Solicitor handling the matter. The current hourly rates, exclusive of VAT, are set out below:
- Director/Solicitors with over 8 years’ experience: £250.00
- Solicitors with over 4 years’ experience: £180.00
- Other Solicitors: £165.00
- Trainee Solicitors: £120.00
- Others: By agreement
We also offer one-off fixed/agreed fees for advice and assistance, and many clients find the fixed fee arrangement competitive and better for them. The costs will be agreed upon before we commence work.
Different Probate Works:
- Type of Application: Administration of an Estate where the Deceased has died intestate i.e., not leaving a Will in a non-taxable estate.
Type of fee: Fixed fee (estimate based on the work involved in conducting the matter).
Costs: Costs can be between £2,500- £7,000. Average price £3,700.
On average, this type of work entails 20 hours of work. - Type of Application: Administration of an Estate where the Deceased has died intestate i.e. not leaving a Will in a taxable estate.
Type of fee: Fixed fee (estimate based on the work involved in conducting the matter).
Costs: Costs can be between £3,500- £10,000. Average price £5,000 plus VAT.
Plus 0.75% of property value and 1% of liquid asset value in line with Law Society Guidelines.
On average, this type of work entails 30 hours of work. - Type of Application: Administration of an Estate where the Deceased has left a Will in a non-taxable estate.
Type of fee: Fixed fee (estimate based on the work involved in conducting the matter).
Costs: Costs can be between £800-£4,000 plus VAT. Average price £1,800 plus VAT.
On average, this type of work entails 10 hours of work. - Type of Application: Administration of an Estate where the Deceased has left a Will in a taxable estate.
Type of fee: Fixed fee (estimate based on the work involved in conducting the matter).
Costs: Costs can be between £3,000 – £8,000 plus VAT. Average Price £4,200.00 plus VAT.
Plus value element being 0.75% of property value and 1% of liquid asset value in line with Law Society Guidelines.
On average, this type of work entails 25 hours of work.
Disbursement:
Probate court fee is £273 plus £1:50 for an extra copy of the probate http://www.gov.uk/court-fees-what-they-are
Advertisement for creditors
- London Gazette advertisement to protect against creditors – £91 plus VAT (£18.20) = £109.20.
- Local newspaper £95.22 plus VAT (£19.04) = £114.26.
- Law Society Gazette Will & Whereabout advertisement of £300-£500.
- Swearing of oath £10 (per Executor).
- Bankruptcy-only Land Charge Department Searches (£12 per beneficiary, inclusive of VAT).
Potential additional costs
- If any additional copies of the grant are required, they will cost £0.50 each (1 per asset usually).
- Dealing with the sale or transfer of any property in the estate is not included.
- Any third-party fees, for example, to locate a missing beneficiary or an expert fee, are not included in our fees.
- £2.50 for each Executor if the will is annexed.
- Any court fees, such as probate court fees and fees for additional copies of the grant of probate. https://www.gov.uk/court-fees-what-they-are
We will let you know at the earliest opportunity and before any such fees are incurred by you, if any of these are applicable.
Estimated Hours
The exact number of hours for Probate Works it will take depends on the circumstances in your case. Such as:
- The amount of supporting evidence that we need to consider.
- Failure to cooperate with advice.
- Disagreements between family members as to who should be the personal representative.
- Difficulties establishing whether a will was made.
- Disagreements between beneficiaries.
- Unforeseen complexities that may arise.
Costs are likely to be at the lower end range if the case is a straightforward Letters of Administration matter which deals with a non-taxable estate where the deceased has died intestate.
Who will carry out the work?
- Director; or
- Paralegal supervised by a Director.
All work carried out by a Paralegal is supervised by a Director, who retains ultimate responsibility for the conduct of matters.
What services are included in this?
- Initial attendance and consideration of the options and assessing most appropriate way forward based on client’s circumstances.
- Determining who is entitled to be the personal representative of the estate.
- Determining who are the beneficiaries to the Estate by reference to intestacy law.
- Determining the assets.
- Informing all organisations with whom the deceased had assets.
- Obtaining valuations for property and contents.
- Assisting in arranging for the property to be placed on the market.
- Completing the IHT 205.
- Preparing the oath and submitting the application for Letters of Administration.
- Preparing a final estate account.
- Distributing the assets.
Time Scale:
- On average estates that fall within this range are dealt with in between 5 months to 18 months from initial instructions.
- Typically obtaining the Letters of Administration takes 7-26 weeks from initial instructions.
- Collecting assets then follows which can take between 6-15 weeks from obtaining the Letters of Administration.
- this has been done, we can distribute the assets which normally take 2-4 weeks from collecting assets.
Please, note that the anticipated number of hours and fees are an estimate based on the facts above. All applications are likely to vary and of course, we can give you a more accurate estimate once we have more information about your specific case.
Will:
- Basic will – £150.
- Mirror wills – £250
More complex wills – time recorded @ £175-£230 per hour – totalling an average of between £250-£750.
The Will Writing Process:
Planning for the future is one of the most important steps you can take to protect your loved ones and ensure your wishes are carried out. At Christob Solicitors, we have extensive experience in helping individuals and families create bespoke Wills that provide security and peace of mind.
We follow a structured five-step process to ensure your Will is tailored to your needs and legally sound.
Step 1: Initial Meeting (£100 consultation fee which will be deducted from fees)
Discuss your wishes, personal circumstances, and financial position.
Review Inheritance Tax implications and structuring options.
Advise on how to protect your assets and reduce legal risks.
Step 2: Confirming Your Instructions
We provide a summary of your instructions in plain English.
You receive a breakdown of costs and estimated timeframes.
Documents are shared via post or a secure online portal.
Step 3: Drafting the Will
You receive a draft Will along with a plain English summary.
We can review the documents in person or via online portal.
Step 4: Signing the Will
We prepare the final version for signing.
Two independent witnesses are required—we can provide them if needed.
If you prefer to sign at home, we send detailed signing instructions.
Step 5: Finalisation & Storage
Once signed, we discuss storage options:
You may store your Will with us at no cost.
We provide certified copies for your records.
For couples and cross-border Wills, please see our price list or contact us for a quote.
How Long Does It Take to Make a Will?
- Standard Wills: 2 to 4 weeks.
- Urgent Wills: Same-day service available.
- Wills with Registration & Inheritance Tax Planning: Up to 6 weeks.
Why Should You Make a Will?
Many people assume that their estate will automatically pass to their loved ones, but without a legally valid Will, this is not always the case. A Will ensures that:
- Your estate is distributed according to your wishes.
- Your loved ones are financially protected.
- Your assets are passed on efficiently and tax-effectively.
- Your children’s guardianship is formally documented.
- Your business interests are secured.
Details of what our cost include for the wills and the services provided.
Providing Inheritance Tax advice (if required), drafting the will, arranging for its signature and registering the existence of the Will at a National wills bank called Certainty.
Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPA)
An LPA is a legal document that allows you to appoint someone whom you trust as an ‘attorney’ to make decisions on your behalf. Attorneys can make decisions for you when you no longer wish to or when you lack the mental capacity to do so.
You can appoint the attorney to make decisions about your welfare, money and/or property. It can be used at any time or restricted to when you are not able to make your own decisions due to mental incapacity.
Below are details for the likely costs of our Wills transactions:
- Property & Financial Affairs or Health & Welfare LPA
£300 & disbursements (£82 registration Fee). - Both Property & Financial Affairs and Health & Welfare LPA
£450 & disbursements (£82 registration fee). - Pair of LPA’s for a Couple
£500 & disbursements (£82 registration fee). - Both a Property & Financial Affairs LPA and Health & Welfare LPA for a Couple
£650 & disbursements (£82 registration fee).
Home visits are available for an additional charge, depending on location, number of visits and if a single or a couple application.
Our Probate and Estate Administration Service
Our work in this area can vary considerably depending on the complexity of the situation and the amount of work that we are required to do. Our Private Client Team have the experience and skill to guide and support you through the estate administration process and we offer a range of capped price services which vary depending upon the intricacy of the matter and the amount of support needed to suit individual circumstances.
Obtaining a grant of representation in England and Wales (excluding VAT) –
- Obtaining a Grant (IHT205) £950 – £3000.
- Obtaining a Grant (IHT400) £2500 – £6000.
Our Probate and Estate Administration Service
Where the nature of the estate administration cannot be covered by one of our capped price services, we would be pleased to offer you an hourly rate service. We will agree with you on the work which we will be undertaking on your behalf, we will provide you with a cost estimate at the outset and update you regularly on your costs so you can stay in control.
Administration of Estate
Our fees for the administration of an estate range between 1.5% to 4% of the gross value of the estate, depending on the complexity of your case and your location. You would be informed of any increase to our estimated fees prior to us carrying out any further work.
1-4% of Gross Estate (minimum fee £2500 – £10,000) plus hourly rate (£160 – £325).
