Under the Solicitors Regulation Authority's Transparency Rules, all law firms must provide transparent information regarding the services provided together with the associated costs. Jan Solicitors details of fees and services are set out below as they relate to individuals and corporate clients.
Type of service and costs:
Please see below the areas of practice or services we provide together with our professional fee range. Jan
Solicitors will agree with you the service(s) to be provided at your initial consultation meeting or at the outset of
instruction and any estimated fees for assistance will be advised to you and paid before work commences. If
you require a service not listed on our website, please contact us and we will be happy to assess and provide a
quote or sign post you.
Your initial appointment with us will be a consultation appointment for us to know the facts of your case and
advise on the merits of your case, and costs as well as timelines. We charge a consultation fee of £100 +
VAT (£120) for the consultation appointment. The rest of our fees for the different services we provide are
agreed and offered as fixed fees for the stage of your case we agree to work on. Our fees for Probate services are as set out below:
1.
Probate
1.1
Application fees
The application fee to apply for probate is presently £300, for all estates over £5000 irrespective of the size of the estate. No fee is payable if the value of the estate is £5,000 or less.
1.2
Legal Fee
Fees are chargeable by Jan Solicitors based on complexity of the matter and time engaged. This will either be:
• A percentage of the value of the estate (usually between 1% - 5% plus VAT)
• Fixed fee basis if the estate value is less than £3250,000
Please note that compliance fees and disbursements will be in addition to Solicitors legal fees. Our legal fee will vary depending on the qualification and experience of the solicitor and time spent. The fees cover pre-grant of probate work only. Pre-Grant of Probate includes:
• Reviewing the extent and value of the estate
• Completing HMRC application
• Apply to the probate registry
• Deal with all correspondence with the Probate registry
• Advise on the grant of probate.
Our legal fee estimates are as below:
"Fixed fee estimated based on time spent"
Simple matter 15 - 30 hours
Legal Fee: £3,525- £7,050
VAT (charged at 20%): £705 - £1,410
TOTAL: £4,230 - £8,460
Complex Matter 30 – 100 hours
Legal Fee: £7,050 –£10,000
VAT (charged at 20%): £1,410 – £2,000
TOTAL: £8,460 - £12,000
Additional fees charged by Jan Solicitors
Telegraphic transfer fee (per transfer)
Fee: £35
VAT (charged at 20%): £7
Total Fee: £42
Electronic identity check – Individual (per check)
Fee: £5 - £15
VAT (charged at 20%): £1 - £3
Total Fee: £6 - £18
1.4. Disbursement (fees payable to third parties):
Disbursements may vary depending on the type & value of the estate and number of beneficiaries. Disbursements are third-party services which your probate solicitor will arrange on your behalf. Your solicitor will then bill you for the cost which makes up a portion of the legal fees for the probate process. If you opt to continue with probate without a solicitor, you will still incur these costs. You would also have to arrange and research these yourself.
Disbursement: Probate application fee
Fee: £300
VAT (charged at 20%): N/A
TOTAL: £300
Disbursement: Additional sealed copies of Grant of
Fee: £7.75
VAT (charged at 20%): N/A
TOTAL: £7.75
Disbursement: Post in the London Gazette or in a local
Fee: £200
VAT (charged at 20%): N/A
TOTAL: £200
Disbursement: Land Registry Office Copies
Fee: £3
VAT (charged at 20%): N/A
TOTAL: £3
Disbursement: Bankrupty-only Land Charges
Fee: £2
VAT (charged at 20%): N/A
TOTAL: £2
Disbursement: Electronic identity check via Veriphy
Fee: £7- £15
VAT (charged at 20%): £1.4 - £3
TOTAL: £8.4 - £18
Our fees include obtaining the grant of probate, collecting assets. The precise work and stages involved in a probate matter vary according to the instructions by the executors and the circumstances.
The key stages involved in a typical probate matter:
•
Taking your instructions and giving you initial advice.
•
Identifying the legally appointed executors or administrators and beneficiaries.
•
Establishing the extent of the estate by identifying the various assets and liabilities.
•
Identifying the type of probate application required.
•
Preparing the application for Grant of Probate, getting it sworn by the executor and submitting it to the appropriate Probate Registry together with the Will, if there is one.
•
Correspondence with the probate registry until the grant of probate
•
Advice on the grant of probate and hand over to the executors.
1.6. Services Excluded
Our service will not include any of the following:
•
Administration of the Estate
•
Any contested probate matters or advice on the same.
•
Advice on tax or other accounting matters (with the exception of inheritance tax).
•
Advice on assets held outside of the UK.
•
Dealing with the sale or transfer of any property in the estate.
•
Dealing with the on-going management of trusts created within the Will or the management of any trusts connected to the deceased
•
Advice around the suitability and creation of other deeds such as deeds of disclaimer or deeds of variation
1.7. Timescales
•
Typically, obtaining the grant of probate takes 9 - 16 weeks.
•
Collecting assets then follows, which can take between 12—18 weeks.
•
Once the grant is received, we will not do any further work and will close the file.
1.8. Factors that could increase costs
In some circumstances we may increase our fees to account for additional time, work or skill required to meet your instructions. Examples include:
•
If there is no will or the estate consists of any shareholdings (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.
•
If further work becomes necessary for example where the probate registry requests additional information or a beneficiary objects to probate
•
If any additional copies of the grant are required.