When you are responsible for sorting out the estate of someone who has died, one of the first practical questions is what professional help will cost, and many people begin by asking, ‘How much is a probate attorney?’
It is worth saying at the outset that “attorney” is an American term. In England and Wales, this work is carried out by a solicitor, so the real question is what a probate solicitor charges. At Bartletts Solicitors, the answer is set out plainly, because we believe you should understand exactly how your fee is worked out and why we structure it the way we do. This article explains what we charge for probate, and why our approach is designed to be fair to you.
To speak to our experts, please call us free of charge on 0800 988 3674 or Make A Free Online Enquiry.
How Does Bartletts Charge For Probate?
Our probate fees are calculated by reference to the time actually spent on your matter by the person dealing with it. Our charge rate will not exceed £250 per hour plus VAT, with VAT currently at 20 per cent. In other words, you pay for the work that is genuinely required, rather than a fixed slice of the estate regardless of how much work is involved.
Because it is often difficult to predict at the start exactly how many hours an estate will take, we also apply an upper limit. We guarantee that our fee will not exceed 2% of the gross value of the estate. It is important to be clear about what this means. It does not mean we will charge 2%. The percentage simply gives us a ceiling, and helps us arrive at a fee that is fair and proportionate to the size and difficulty of the estate. The actual charge is based on the time spent, within that limit.
Why Is A Time Based Fee Fairer Than A Flat Percentage?
Many firms charge probate fees as a straight percentage of the estate, often between 1 and 5% of its gross value. On the surface this looks simple, but it can produce results that bear little relation to the work involved. A large estate is not necessarily a complicated one. A single valuable property left to one beneficiary may take far less work than a smaller estate spread across many accounts and several family members.
Charging purely by percentage means the bill rises with the value of the estate even where the task is straightforward. By charging for the time actually spent, at a rate that will not exceed £250 per hour plus VAT, we make sure you pay for the work that is genuinely needed and not for the size of the estate alone. For many families, particularly where a home has risen in value over the years, this difference can be considerable.
How Does The 2% Ceiling Protect You?
A time-based fee answers the question of fairness, but on its own it can leave one worry: an open-ended hourly charge may feel uncertain. This is exactly why we combine the two approaches. The hourly basis keeps the fee tied to the work, and the 2% ceiling gives you a clear upper limit so that costs cannot run away.
You therefore get the benefits of both methods without the drawbacks of either. You are not exposed to the high bills a flat percentage can produce on a valuable estate, nor left facing an uncapped hourly charge with no sense of where it might end. The result is a fee that is proportionate, predictable, and tied to genuine effort.
Will You Know The Cost Before The Work Is Done?
Yes. We always send our proposed fee to you for your approval before beginning work. You will not be presented with an unexpected bill at the end. We discuss costs openly from the start, take into account the particular features of your estate, such as the difficulty of the work and its importance to you, and make sure you understand and agree the figure before we proceed. This is part of a wider commitment to clear, jargon free advice that runs through all of our work.
What Other Costs Can You Expect?
Alongside the solicitor’s fees, there are some costs that apply to probate whoever handles it. The main one is the court fee paid to HM Courts and Tribunals Service when applying for the grant. At the time of writing, this is £300 for estates worth more than £5,000, and there is no fee for estates of £5,000 or less. Because government fees are reviewed from time to time, it is sensible to check the current figure on GOV.UK. Additional sealed copies of the grant are charged separately, and there may be disbursements such as property valuations or statutory notices. We will tell you about any of these in advance.
Why Is This The Right Approach For You?
The way a firm structures its fees tells you a good deal about how it treats its clients. Our model rests on three straightforward commitments. You pay for the work actually done, at a rate that will not exceed £250 per hour plus VAT, your total fee will not exceed 2% of the gross estate, so your costs are capped, and you approve the proposed fee before we act, so there are no surprises. Set alongside the care and sensitivity our wills and probate team brings to every estate, this gives you fair pricing and real reassurance at a difficult time.
If you would like to talk through the likely cost of administering an estate, our team would be glad to help. We will explain clearly what your matter is likely to cost before you decide to proceed.
To speak to our experts please call us free of charge on 0800 988 3674 or Make A Free Online Enquiry.
