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HWJLS probate and wills
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PROBATE AND ESTATE ADMINISTRATION SERVICES
Dealing with probate when someone dies can be difficult. We will talk you through the process, making sure you’re kept informed every step of the way.

We have a very experienced team of chartered accountants who can deal with both the legal and tax aspects of estate administration.

Our service is tailored to best fit your requirements. We can provide you with as much or as little help as you need, whether it be taking care of all the estate administration for you from start to finish, completing all the necessary paperwork and liaising with the various institutions that need to be contacted, or assisting you with obtaining the Grant of Probate leaving you to administer the estate yourself once the Grant has been obtained.

We can provide you with a quote once we know more about the deceased’s estate and what work is involved. To give you an idea of our fees and the services on offer, the following should be reviewed as a guide, although the fee will be based on the circumstances of each matter.

OUR PROBATE SERVICE FEES
We offer a range of pricing options for probate services to suit your individual circumstances and needs. Unlike many solicitors and banks, we do not charge a percentage of the Estate.

Our service is flexible – we can be involved as much or as little as you like. We can manage the entire probate process on your behalf, including getting the Grant of Probate, right through to administering and distributing the Estate, or, if you’re happy to undertake the Estate administration yourself, we can simply apply for the Grant of Probate for you.

ASSISTANCE WITH GRANT OF PROBATE
This will suite Personal Representatives (PRs) who are happy to do some of the work but would rather have the application for the Grant and the relevant tax account prepared by a professional.

For this service we would make the application for the grant of probate based on the information that you provide to us and will carry out the following:

  • Send notifications of death to financial institutions, Government organisations, utilities and household contacts (only if instructed);
  • Ascertain whether there is any entitlement to bereavement allowances or benefits (only if instructed);
  • Finalise the income tax and capital gains tax position of the deceased at the date of death (only if instructed);
  • Review the terms of the Will and any related codicils or deeds of variation;
  • Ascertain who the beneficiaries are;
  • Identify the composition of the estate and ascertain whether a grant is needed;
  • Calculate the gross and net values of the estate and ascertain the Inheritance Tax due (if any);
  • Claim all known relevant reliefs, Nil Rate Band and Residence Nil Rate Band allowance (if applicable);
  • Preparation of the claim to transfer the unused Nil Rate Band allowance from a predeceased spouse (if applicable);
  • Preparation of the claim to transfer the unused Residence Nil Rate Band allowance from a predeceased spouse (if applicable);
  • Preparation and submission of the relevant Inheritance Tax account;
  • Drafting of the statement of truth;
  • Prepare application for a grant of probate / grant of administration;
  • Apply for the Grant of Probate / grant of administration on your behalf and deal with any queries raised from the Court;
  • Forward official copies of the Grant to you once received;
  • Provide you with a summary of pre-Grant estate accounts with our completion letter.

You would need to contact the various banks and other organisations to register the death and gather the financial details for the estate, unless you instruct us to handle this on your behalf.
Once the Grant is received you would deal with the rest of the estate administration yourself (unless you then decide to instruct us to handle the post-Grant administration for you).

Price Information for Grant Assistance Service
We use a system that records the time spent on a matter against the charging rate of our staff who are assigned to the matter.

We charge an hourly rate (see below) for the time spent on a matter. Normally costs range from £3,500 plus VAT to £7,500 plus VAT although more complex estates could exceed £8,000 plus VAT.

We will maintain clear communication channels with regard to costs throughout the course of the matter and aim to report to you on costs at least once every six month.

Indicative cost for our Grant Only service:

  • for a fairly straightforward estate: £3,500 plus VAT to £7,500 plus VAT + Disbursements (see below)
  • for a more complex estate: from £8,000+ plus VAT + Disbursements (see below).

Timescales
An average estate may take between six to twelve months to obtain a Grant.

More complex estates can take much longer as various organisations need to be contacted, assets need to be ascertained and valued, and a number of forms need to be completed and submitted. Depending on the nature of the estate, if it is fairly straightforward and all the information has been gathered by you promptly then we would expect to receive the Grant within six months or less.

Service Information
The following is a typical approach to our Grant Assistance service:

  • Initial conversation with you;
  • Arrange a half hour complimentary meeting to discuss the estate and see what is involved;
  • Send you a proposal of service and quote of our fees, and complete administrative paperwork for you to sign;
  • Ask you to provide us with a copy of the deceased’s Will and death certificate;
  • Ask you to provide us with the deceased’s paperwork for investments, assets and property and date of death valuations (unless otherwise instructed);
  • Calculate the value of the estate and consider any reliefs that may be available;
  • Notify you of any inheritance tax that may be due and how to pay;
  • Prepare the relevant papers and forms in your name for the application for probate;
  • Arrange a meeting with you to go through the application and obtain signatures;
  • Submit the application and associated papers to HMRC and the Probate Registry;
  • Once probate is received, to forward the Grant to you and we will then proceed to close our file.

FULL ADMINISTRATION SERVICE
We will administer a deceased person’s estate to make the hardest of times easier, which includes assisting with all HMRC enquiries.

We will take over the administration of the estate for probate purposes on your behalf and we would carry out the following:

  • Register the death and obtain copies of the death certificate (only if instructed);
  • Arrange the funeral (only if instructed);
  • Send notifications of death to family members and friends (only if instructed);
  • Regularly visit the deceased’s unoccupied property in accordance with the terms granted by their insurance or arrange adequate household insurance for this purpose (only if instructed);
  • Assist with sorting through the deceased’s paperwork, possessions or property (only if instructed);
  • Send notifications of death to financial institutions, Government organisations, utilities and household contacts;
  • Review of all paperwork relating to assets and liabilities of the estate;
  • Ascertain whether there is any entitlement to bereavement allowances or benefits;
  • Finalise the income tax and capital gains tax position of the deceased at the date of death;
  • Review the terms of the Will and any related codicils or deeds of variation;
  • Ascertain who the beneficiaries are;
  • Identify the composition of the estate and ascertain whether a grant is needed;
  • Calculate the gross and net values of the estate and ascertain the Inheritance Tax due (if any);
  • Claim all known relevant reliefs, Nil Rate Band and Residence Nil Rate Band allowance (if applicable);
  • Preparation of the claim to transfer the unused Nil Rate Band allowance from a predeceased spouse (if applicable);
  • Preparation of the claim to transfer the unused Residence Nil Rate Band allowance from a predeceased spouse (if applicable);
  • Preparation and submission of the relevant Inheritance Tax account;
  • Drafting of the statement of truth;
  • Prepare application for a grant of probate / grant of administration;
  • Apply for the Grant of Probate / grant of administration on your behalf and deal with any queries raised from the Court;
  • Open a designated bank account for the deceased’s estate;
  • Registering the Grant with the known organisations holding assets and collecting in said assets and facilitate the sale of estate goods and property;
  • Pay the debts of the estate including outstanding tax liabilities;
  • Advise on and place a statutory advertisement;
  • Advise you of any income tax or capital gains tax for the estate during the administration period;
  • Make payment of the assets to the beneficiaries per the Will or rules of intestacy;
  • Prepare estate tax returns and notify you of any income tax or capital gains tax due;
  • Prepare full Estate accounts.

Price Information for Full Administration Service
We use a system that records the time spent on a matter and the charging rate of the case manager and administer assigned to the matter.

We charge an hourly rate (see below) for the time spent on a matter. Normally costs range from £9,000 plus VAT to £14,500 plus VAT although complex estates could exceed £15,000 plus VAT.

We will maintain clear communication channels with regard to costs throughout the course of the matter and aim to report to you on costs at least once every six months.

Indicative cost for Full Administration:

  • for a fairly straightforward estate: costs could be in the region of £9,000 plus VAT to £14,500 plus VAT + Disbursements (see below).
  • for a more complex estate: costs could exceed £15,000+ plus VAT + Disbursements (see below).

Please note that we are not authorised to carry out any other reserved legal work therefore, should the need arise such as preparing legal deeds or to legally transfer land and buildings, we can put you in touch with our legal contacts who can do this work for the estate. The cost of this work would be in addition to any fees quoted.

Timescale
Obtaining probate can be a long process.

An average time to complete probate can be around twelve months. However, due to the nature of the work, and dependent on the complexity of the estate and the requirements of the will, it may take up to two years to complete and in more complicated circumstances longer. In all cases you will be informed of what is going on and we will ensure you are updated on progress.

We will endeavour to engage the time of lower fee earners where possible and provide you with a statement of account periodically, usually once every six months.

Service Information
The following is a typical approach to administrating a full estate:

  • Initial conversation with you;
  • Arrange a half hour complimentary meeting to discuss the estate and see what is involved;
  • Send you a proposal of service and quote of our fees, and complete administrative paperwork for you to sign;
  • Ask you to provide us with a copy of the deceased’s Will and death certificate;
  • Open a dedicated estate bank account;
  • Start to gather the deceased’s paperwork for investments, assets and property;
  • Contact the various organisations to register the death and get monetary balances for probate;
  • Arrange for any valuations needed to be carried out by a professional;
  • Calculate the value of the estate and consider any reliefs that may be available;
  • Notify you of any inheritance tax that may be due and how to pay;
  • Prepare the relevant papers and forms for the application for probate;
  • Arrange a meeting with you to go through the application and obtain signatures;
  • Submit the application and associated papers to HMRC and the Probate Registry;
  • Once probate is received, contact the various organisations to register the grant and begin gathering in the monies for the estate;
  • Look to pay any legacies and distribute the estate to beneficiaries per the Will or rules of intestacy;
  • Prepare estate accounts.

DISBURSEMENTS
Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties. We may handle the payment of disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process. We may ask for payment on account. Typical disbursements will include:

  • Court application for probate, currently £300;
  • Copies of the probate certificate, currently £1.50 each;
  • Land Registry searches, currently £3 each;
  • Will search, currently £126;
  • Financial Assets and Liabilities search, from £234;
  • Cost of placing statutory advertisements;
  • Cost of valuations from third parties.
  • Cost of insurance from a third party.

HOURLY RATES
Our costs are based on hourly rates. Our fee ranges can be affected by the amount of work involved, issues we may become aware of, and extra work required due to unforeseen circumstances. We would also look to discuss matters with you before looking to incur any further fees on top of those quoted.

The current hourly charge out rates for the relevant members of staff that may become involved, from now until the next review date (i.e. next March), are as follows:

  • Administrators: £50 – £60
  • Financial Analysists: £75
  • Technicians: £80
  • Consultants: £125
  • Managers: £150
  • Senior Practitioners: £250
  • Directors: £350

These charges are exclusive of VAT and VAT will be charged on top of fees quoted at the applicable rate.

You can find our regulatory disclosure and complaint procedures by clicking here.