As part of our Estate Administration Service, we will:
- Meet with clients and take instructions regarding what work you would like us to undertake in
the estate administration. - Consider the paperwork belonging to the deceased to identify the various organisations that
may need to be contacted identify the true assets and liabilities in the estate. - Provide the client with regular updates during the administration period.
- Calculate the assets and liabilities from the information provided from the organisations that we
have contacted. - Prepare the Probate Application forms and Inheritance Tax forms.
- Calculate the amount of Inheritance Tax due, if any.
- Pay the Inheritance Tax using money from the deceased accounts, if there is any tax to pay.
- Obtain the Grant of Probate/ Letters of Administration.
Clients instructing Edwards Solicitors for their Estate Administration service will also have a
dedicated solicitor who specialises in Probate and Estate Administration and a named assistant, who
will assist with matters that do not need the legal expertise of a solicitor.
Probate and Estate Administration Prices
We have set out our estimated costs below. Every estate is different, varying in both size and
complexity. Therefore, we have provided below the hourly costs of the persons that will be working
in the matter in order to gauge an estimate of the total amount due.
Our Fixed Costs for Probate and Estate Administration*
Below, we have set out Edwards Solicitors’ fixed costs for applying for the Grant of Probate/Letters of
Administration, and the fixed costs for dealing with the administration of a standard estate.
Application for a Grant of Probate/Letters of Administration ONLY £950 – £1,250
Obtaining a Grant and 10 – 12 hours’ worth of work £2,750 – £3,300
Obtaining a Grant and 25 hours’ worth of work £6,875
*(These fixed prices do not include VAT and do not include any disbursements or additional costs that
are needed to deal with your matter.)
Hourly Costs for Administration
Our costs for administrating far more complex estates, which require more than 25 hours of work
are calculated by reference to the actual time spent working on the matter.
The hourly rates of the persons who will be working in the matter are as follows:
Hourly rates (2024)*
Partner / Associate Solicitor / Senior Solicitor / Consultant £275 per hour
Manager £195 per hour
Support Staff £105 per hour
VAT will be added to the hourly rates given. The rate of VAT is currently 20%.
*(Our hourly charges are reviewed annually, in December, and implemented in January. We will
notify you if there is a change in our hourly rates during the course of your matter.)
The costs are based upon the amount of time spent working on the matter, including telephone
conversations, writing letters, travelling to and attending meetings, etc. All such time will be
recorded on the file and the client will be charged accordingly.
Disbursements and/or additional fees
Disbursements are fees that we are required to pay to third parties, on your behalf, in connection
with administrating the estate, or obtaining a Grant of Probate, which you will need to reimburse us
for.
These prices are not calculated by us, but are set by the third parties involved.