Probate 

What is probate?

Probate, also known as a “Grant of Probate’ or ‘Letters of Administration’, is the term used to describe the process of obtaining authority from the Court to allow a person or persons named in a Will, or as next of kin if no Will is available, to act in the financial and legal affairs of a person who has died. 

It is an important process, and the Grant of Probate/Letters of Administration is an important document. It involves dealing with the deceased's assets and providing to the Court and HM Revenue & Customs a breakdown of their liabilities and assets. It may also require the payment of Inheritance Tax. Once obtained, Probate allows the executor or administrator to distribute the estate in accordance with the Will, or the rules of intestacy if no Will is located.

Why use a lawyer to obtain probate?

Experience

Lawyers are experienced professionals who are trained to deal with complex legal documents and circumstances and, also, a good lawyer should be trained and be able to deal with the emotional circumstances that arise. We offer a personal service. This is important given the complexity of estates.

Independence

Lawyers are entirely independent. We do not have connections with banks, funeral companies, building societies, charities, supermarkets or pension companies. We must operate independently and ensure that you get the correct advice and support in a timely and efficient manner.

Insurance​

The close regulation of solicitor practices by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and the overall professionalism of the industry mean that errors in professional advice are rare but, in the event of any negligence, regulated firms are insured. You would also be able to make a complaint to the Solicitors Regulation Authority. This is important. Some companies often use non-qualified lawyers, are not always regulated and do not have to have insurance in place. 

Why use Carreg Law as your lawyer?

We are conscious that dealing with Probate can be challenging for clients during such an emotional time and, although it is possible for clients to apply for Probate themselves, completing the Probate forms and making the application to Court can take considerable time and effort and can be very costly if done incorrectly. There are also other factors to consider such as Inheritance Tax. 

We, at Carreg Law, are here to assist you and can offer compassionate support during this difficult time. We also try and ensure any Inheritance Tax paid is minimised. Probate matters are currently conducted by Carys and Wendy, who have expertise and experience in this area of law. Further, Carys is fluent in Welsh.

Our charges

Our charges are made up of fees, expenses and disbursements.

We provide three types of probate services:

• Full administration

• Grant only application - non taxable estate (excepted estate)

• Grant only application - taxable estate

Our fees for our full administration service are charged on an hourly rate basis, at £282 per hour plus VAT at 20%. The likely time required for a particular estate, and the expenses and disbursements involved, can vary considerably depending on its specific circumstances. We offer a free half hour initial consultation in which we ask you for information on the estate, after which we can provide you with a bespoke no-obligation estimate of our likely charges. It is also a good opportunity for you to meet our team before deciding to instruct us.

Our fees for our grant only service are charged on a fixed fee basis:

• Our fee for a grant only non taxable estate is £900 plus VAT at 20% (plus expenses and disbursements)

• Our fee for a grant only taxable estate is £1,600 plus VAT at 20% (plus expenses and disbursements)

The Solicitors Regulation Authority’s Transparency Rules require us to provide cost information for uncontested probate services. We provide this information in a PDF. Please click the following link button to view the PDF, which will open in a new tab:

Find out more

Find out more about Carys and Wendy on the meet the team page.