If the person who has died has left a Will and the estate is worth more than £5,000 it is usual for a Grant of Probate to be required, but there are some exceptions to this and we can give you further advice regarding these exceptions if necessary.

In most cases it will necessary to apply for what is called Letters of Administration (the equivalent of a Grant of Probate where there is no Will) and this gives the people legally entitled to apply the authority to deal with the estate.

There are a set of rules that determine who is entitled to share in the estate and for further information about these please contact us.

The threshold for Inheritance Tax is £325,000. This means that an estate not exceeding this amount will not pay any Inheritance Tax.

If an estate is worth more than this amount there may be tax to pay, although there are various exemptions to be considered and we can provide further advice on these.

Married couples or civil partners leaving their estates to each other will have no Inheritance Tax to pay on the first death. We can give advice about what will happen at the time of the second death.

Only obtaining a Grant of Probate/Letters of Administration £950 plus VAT (£190), total of £1140 based on information provided by you.

We charge 2% of the gross value of the estate plus VAT in respect of a full administration service or in certain circumstances we would charge instead an hourly rate and we can give you those details if requested.

In all cases there will be the Probate Registry fee for obtaining the necessary Grant which is £300 plus £1.50 for each copy together with other small payments which should not exceed £20 per executor.