Our Service

We offer a comprehensive probate service for non-contentious, handling the administration of estates in England and Wales. Our service includes:

• Taking your initial instructions and obtaining information about the estate.
• carrying out all necessary checks to ensure the validity of any will in existence
• when there is no valid will, applying the rules of intestacy to the estate of the deceased to identify the personal representatives and beneficiaries and to establish the entitlement of the beneficiaries
• Applying for the Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration

• placing all statutory adverts to establish whether there are any claims against the estate (or advising to obtain insurance)
• assessing variations to the distribution of the estate (a Deed of Variation can be drafted for an additional fee

• Dealing with inheritance tax forms and payments
• Advising on and settling any liabilities

Our Fees

• Our fees are based on the complexity of the estate rather than its value. For a standard uncontested probate case:

High Value Estate ( £15,000 to £20,000) + Vat (20%)

More than 2 properties, 12 Bank Accounts, Institution Accounts, Will, 4 Beneficiaries estate value. £2.5 million

Factors affecting complexity include:

• Number of assets and beneficiaries
• Whether there is a valid will
• Tax status and inheritance tax liability
• Foreign assets
• Trusts within the will

Disbursements

• In addition to our fees, you should expect the following disbursements:
• If the value of the estate is over £5,000, the application fee is £300.
• There’s no fee if the estate is £5,000 or less. (depending on the institutions’ own policies)
• You can order extra copies of the probate document for £1.50 each
• Statutory advertisements (to protect against unexpected claims): approximately £200-£500
• Bankruptcy searches: £14 per beneficiary
• Land Registry fees: variable depending on property value

Timescales

For a standard non contentious probate case:

Initial review and preparation of papers: 2-4 weeks

Obtaining the Grant of Probate: 8-12 weeks

The total process typically takes between 6-12 months, depending on complexity.

Who Will Handle Your Case

Your matter will be handled by our dedicated Probate Team. Please see our Team Page before booking an appointment for detailed information about our probate specialists.

Your case will typically be supervised by a qualified solicitor with at least 5 years of experience in probate matters, supervised by our Head of Private Client MS Attia Bano or Mr Muhamamd Yaqoob. .

Important Information

All our fees are subject to VAT at the prevailing rate, which currently is 20%.

Additional work required due to unforeseen circumstances will be charged at our hourly rates. Please see our hourly rate part.

Complex estates or contested matters will require a bespoke quote.

We will always provide you with a clear estimate of likely costs before proceeding and keep you informed throughout the process, in line with the SRA’s transparency rules.

Contact Us

For a tailored quote or to discuss your specific requirements, please contact Diplock Solicitors Ltd for an initial consultation.

if the matter is complicated and additional work will be required.