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For a trusted probate solicitor, come to Alexander & Co

When a person dies, the judicial process that verifies the last will and testament of the deceased is called probate. The will is proved in a probate court and probate is granted to the executor.

However, it is important to note that during and after the probate process, the validity of a will may be contested. In our capacity as professional executors we are entirely independent and this means that, if for any reason a dispute arises during the administration of your estate, we will always act in the best interests of the estate.

Probate can be required in order for the executor to administer the estate of a deceased person. This includes resolving any claims and distributing the assets of the deceased as specified in their will.

A probate solicitor, in addition to having the right skills to helping clients through a difficult time, has to have significant knowledge of both inheritance law and tax law and the implications of them on a person's will, to assist the executor effectively in potentially complex matters relating to the administering of the estate.

Appointing Alexander & Co as your will solicitors or executor will give that support, and the certainty that the estate will be administered professionally and efficiently by experienced solicitors.

Why choose Alexander & Co as your probate solicitor?

Our experienced team can help with the administration of a deceased person's estate.

We are one of very few firms to hold the Law Society's Wills and Inheritance Quality accreditation and can deal with all aspects of this process including:

  • Ascertaining and locating assets
  • Liaising with financial institutions and government agencies
  • Preparing tax returns
  • Probate or Letters of Administration
  • House clearance
  • Sale or disposal of personal possessions
  • Property sales or transfers
  • Deeds of Variation
  • Tracing beneficiaries
  • Searching for a will
  • Liaising with beneficiaries
  • Obtaining insurance
  • Distributing the estate

Our probate solicitor in our office in Derby is Tim Dysterre-Clark who has over 10 years' experience of guiding clients through probate and administering estates.

Tim is assisted by our Wills and Probate Executive, Andrea Gilman, who has over 20 years' experience in this area of law.

You can contact Tim by emailing TDC@AandCo.co.uk and Andrea by emailing AG@AandCo.co.uk.

Alternatively, please use the "Contact us" page.

Our accreditation and best practice

We are one of very few will solicitors nationally to hold the Law Society's Wills and Inheritance Quality (WIQS) accreditation.

We follow the best practice procedures to meet the highest standards of technical expertise and client service in providing tailored wills and probate advice to consumers.

  1. We will not pressure you into buying more complex advice that is not in your best interests.
  2. Our dedicated wills and probate service is tailored to your needs. We will explain the process, options, costs and likely timescales.
     
  3. We will keep you up-to-date using your preferred method of communication.
  4. Accredited solicitors and other members of the team complete mandatory training on the WIQS standard and show compliance through annual re-accreditation and ongoing enforcement checks by the Law Society.

our charges

Applying for the grant, collecting and distributing the assets

We anticipate this will take between 7 - 100 hours of work at the hourly rate of the member of staff involved (£105.00 - £220.00 per hour). Total costs are estimated at £1,500.00 - £20,000.00 (plus VAT and disbursements), depending on the amount of work involved.

The exact cost will depend on the individual circumstances of the matter. For example, if there is one beneficiary and no property, costs will be at the lower end of the range. If there are multiple beneficiaries, a property and multiple bank accounts, costs will be at the higher end. We will handle the full process for you.

This quote is for estates where:

  • There is a valid will;
  • There are no more than three properties;
  • There are no more than 10 bank or building society accounts;
  • There are no other intangible assets;
  • There are up to 10 beneficiaries;
  • There are no disputes between beneficiaries on division of assets. If disputes arise this is likely to lead to an increase in costs;
  • There are no claims made against the estate.

Disbursements excluded from this fee:

  • Probate application fee of £155.00 (plus 50p for every extra copy required);
  • Bankruptcy-only Land Charges Department searches (£2.00 per beneficiary);
  • Around £200.00 for legal advertisements in the London Gazette and a local newspaper—protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors;

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as court fees.

We handle the payment of disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process. VAT may be payable on certain disbursements.

Potential additional costs:

  • If there is no will or the estate consists of any share holdings (stocks and bonds) there are likely to be additional costs that could range significantly depending on the estate and how it is dealt with. We can give you a more accurate quote once we have more information;
  • Dealing with the sale of any property in the estate is not included.

 

How long will this take?

On average, estates that fall within this range are dealt with within 6-12 months. Typically, obtaining the of probate might take around 3 – 6 months.

Collecting assets then follows, which might take a further 3 months. Once this has been done, we can distribute the assets, which normally takes up to around 3 months.

Probate application

We can help you through this difficult process by obtaining the of Probate on your behalf.

How much does this service cost?

Total: Fixed fee of £750.00 (plus VAT)

This includes: obtaining the grant only and is conditional on there being no inheritance tax to pay and that the executors do not need to submit a full account to HMRC;


Breakdown of costs:

Legal fees

£750.00

VAT on legal fees

£150.00

Disbursements

£158.00 in total

 

Disbursements comprise:

  • Probate court fee of £158.00
    (to include an additional six copies of the grant);

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as court fees.

We handle the payment of disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process. VAT may be payable on certain disbursements.
 

As part of our fixed fee we will:

  • Provide you with a dedicated and experienced lawyer to work on your matter;
  • Identify the legally appointed executors or administrators;
  • Accurately identify the type of probate application you will require;
  • Obtain the relevant documents required to make the application;
  • Complete the probate application and the relevant HMRC forms;
  • Preparation of legal statement;
  • Make the application to the Probate Court on your behalf;
  • Obtain the Probate and securely send copies to you.

On average, probate applications that fall within this range are dealt with by us within 2 - 4 weeks.

Typically, obtaining the grant of probate takes around 2 - 4 weeks after we take your initial instructions.