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Who sorts out Aunt Flo's estate?
Will the solicitor read the will to the family?
What happens when there is no will?
We don't agree with how everything was left to us and the taxman?
Can we change things so that we get it all and the taxman gets nothing?

We have answered all of the above questions at some time. When a loved one dies, sorting out their affairs is generally complicated, even when they have planned their affairs by making a will. Sometimes the bank will offer to help out, but their fees are considerable compared with those charged by solicitors.

We can provide a personal service to executors and administrators to sort out estates and distribute the proceeds as the deceased would have wanted.

Our fees for dealing with the administration of an Estate are based on our current hourly charging rate of £210.00 plus VAT. All work will be carried out by Ruth Harbottle who is the Principal of this Firm and has considerable experience of dealing with Probate matters.

The final costs involved are determined by the time taken to administer the Estate and the work involved. This is turn is affected by a number of factors including for example the size of the Estate,how many assets and liabilities there are, the type of assets and where they are held, how many Beneficiaries there are and where they live and whether Inheritance Tax is payable on the Estate.

Our fees for the administration of an Estate are likely to be in the region of £2,000.00 - £5,000.00. However the actual amount charged will depend on the circumstances of the Estate as outlined above. The fees may therefore be higher or lower depending on the work involved and the time taken.

Unlike many other Solicitors Firms, we do not in addition charge a mark up on our fees based on the value of the Estate.

In addition to the above costs, certain expenses are payable to third parties as follows:

i) there is a Probate Court fee payable, currently £155.00, and in addition there is a fee of 50p for each office copy of the Grant.
ii) there may be bankruptcy search fees payable of £2.00 plus VAT per beneficiary
iii)any other expenses will depend on the particular circumstances of the Estate.

If there is a property in the Estate which is to be sold, then the conveyancing fees will be charged separately.

The above costs are estimates only and accurate as at July 2020. To obtain a more accurate indication of the likely costs of the administration of a specific Estate, please contact us to obtain an estimate.

On average the administration of an Estate takes approximately 9 - 12 months to be concluded. Of course it can take less or more time, depending on the particular circumstances of the case.

For more information, please contact:
Telephone - 01434 602486
Fax - 01434 600229
E-mail - rlharbottle@marstonharbottle.com