What do probate services cost?
Charges for probate services can vary across advisers, sometimes probate providers will charge a percentage which can be up to 5% of the value of the estate. At HH Accounting & Tax Services Limited, we will quote a fixed fee for our services and agree these with you before we start any work. As each client has different requirements it is difficult to provide an exact price here, however the following outlines some typical scenarios with estimated fees and time scales. Please contact Meeten Nathwani for an accurate quote for your particular situation.
Example probate costs for an estate worth approximately £2m with fairly straightforward arrangements.
Probate application and inheritance tax service £3,500 +VAT
Preparing and submitting the IHT return and probate application on your behalf.
Estate valuation service £2,500 +VAT
Contacting financial institutions on your behalf and obtaining valuations of property, shares and possessions.
Estate administration service £3,000 +VAT
Collect and realise assets, prepare estate accounts and tax returns, settle creditors and pay beneficiaries.
Any probate office fees incurred by us will be recoverable from the estate. For more information on probate office fees visit the government’s probate office page https://www.gov.uk/applying-for-probate/fees
How long does the probate process take?
Preparing IHT returns and submitting the probate application typically takes around 4 weeks, however, in our experience it can take a further 3 months for the courts and HMRC to process these.
Contacting financial institutions and obtaining valuations can be a fairly lengthy process and can add up to 3 months to the process.
The process of collecting and disposing of (or selling) assets and distributing these to beneficiaries is more difficult to predict, particularly if there is a property sale involved which can take many months. However, we would typically say between 3 to 6 months for this stage of the process.
What to do if you have a complaint
We try to ensure that your affairs are handled by us in the most efficient way possible. If you are dissatisfied with any part of our service please tell us. If you have a complaint about any aspect of our service, which cannot be resolved to your satisfaction, the circumstances of your complaint should be brought to the attention of Meeten Nathwani, Head of Legal Practice, HH Accounting & Tax Services Limited, Radius House, 51 Clarendon Road, Watford, WD17 1HP. Telephone 01923 232938.
We undertake to look into any complaint carefully and promptly and to do all we can to explain the position to you. If we do not answer your complaint to your satisfaction, you may take up the matter with our professional body, the ICAEW, at Metropolitan House, 321 Avebury Boulevard, Milton Keynes MK9 2FZ or the Legal Ombudsman.
The ICAEW has a compensation scheme in respect of probate work, please visit ICAEW Probate Compensation Scheme for more information on the arrangements.
Probate services are carried out by HH Accounting & Tax Services Limited and regulatory information regarding probate can be found here.
