0191 490 1000
Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, local rate
Making a Will allows you to protect your wishes when you die and makes it much easier for your family and friends to sort everything out easily.
​
Not making a Will means that your estate will be shared out in the standard way defined by law. This is especially important if you want to leave something to people outside of your immediate family.
​
A Will can also help reduce the amount of Inheritance Tax that might be payable as well as give you peace of mind that your children and other family members who depend on you financially are looked after.
​
To book an appointment to speak to a solicitor about making a new Will or updating your old one, please call 0191 490 1000 or use the contact form at the bottom of this page
Basic Will Costs
We follow a set fee list to avoid hidden costs for you. All prices are exclusive of VAT @ 20%
​
Simple Single Will £170
​
Simple Mirror Wills £250
Mirror Wills including Life Interest Trusts £750
​
Mirror Wills including Discretionary Trusts £850
More complex wills demanding additional work may incur higher costs, but an estimate would be provided at the outset of the matter.
Probate Costs
Example Costs
Applying for the grant, collecting and distributing the assets;
​
We anticipate this will take between 6 and 15 hours work at £275.00 per hour. Total costs estimated at between £2,000.00 and £5,000.00 including VAT.
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. For a more comprehensive summary of costs please consult Our Fees page.
​
We will handle the full process for you. This quote is for estates where:
-
There is a valid will;
-
There is no more than one property;
-
There are no more than 4 bank or building society accounts;
-
There are no other intangible assets;
-
There are no disputes between beneficiaries on division of assets. If disputes arise this is likely to lead to an increase in costs;
-
There is no inheritance tax payable and the executors do not need to submit a full account to HMRC;
-
There are no claims made against the estate.
Disbursements included in this fee:
-
Probate application fee of £273.00;
-
Bankruptcy-only Land Charges Department searches (£2 per beneficiary);
-
If required depending on the circumstances post in a local newspaper and/or The London Gazette – Protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors.(approx £220).
​
Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as court fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.
​
Potential additional costs
-
If there is no will or the estate consists of any share holdings (stocks and bonds) there is likely to be additional costs that could range significantly depending on the estate and how it is to be dealt with. We can give you a more accurate quote once we have more information.
-
If any additional copies of the grant are required, they will cost about £1.50.
-
Dealing with the sale or transfer 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 grant of probate takes up to 16 weeks. Collecting assets then follows, which can take between 2-6 weeks. Once this has been done, we can distribute the assets, which normally takes 1-2 weeks.
​