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Price Transparency

Full Estate Administration

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  1. There are two main elements to the legal costs of obtaining for the full administration of a non-contentious estate:

    1. our charges; and

    2. expenses we must pay out of your behalf​

2. Our charges

  1. Our hourly rate for our legal services is £200.00 plus VAT for Charlene Ash

  2. We will charge 1.5% of the gross value of the estate plus VAT where the value of the estate does not exceed the current inheritance tax threshold of £325,000. This is subject to a minimum charge of £1500.00 plus VAT.

  3. We will charge 2% of the gross value of the estate plus VAT where the value of the estate exceeds the current inheritance tax threshold of £325,000.

  4. If there is a valid will, no inheritance tax to pay, there is only one beneficiary and the estate does not include any shareholdings or property, our charges are likely to be at the lower end of this range, please see 1.2b. If there are multiple beneficiaries, a property and multiple bank accounts, costs will be at the higher end, please see 1.2c.

  5. If a matter or transaction does not reach a conclusion, we reserve the right to charge for the work done, and our calculations for the charges will be based upon a proportion of the fixed price, depending upon what work has been carried out on your behalf.

  6. We reserve the right to increase the hourly rates if the work done is particularly complex or urgent, or the nature of your instructions require us to work outside normal office hours. If this happens, we will notify you in advance and agree an appropriate rate.

  7. We will review our hourly rates on a periodic basis. This is usually done each January. We will give you notice of any change to our hourly rates.

  8. Our charges do not include VAT, which we will add to your bill at the prevailing rate.

  9. When solicitors are required to attend out of office visits, there may be an additional mileage charge. We will advise you if this is applicable to your case as soon as we can.

 

3 Expenses

Even where our charges are fixed, we would usually expect to incur certain expenses on your behalf which we will also add to your bill. Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as court fees. We handle the payment of disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process. Where applicable VAT is included at 20%

There may be other expenses which will vary depending on the assets that form part of the estate. If additional expenses are needed, we will advise you of the amount as soon as we can. The amount of expenses can vary, and the following is an estimate only:

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  1. Probate Registry Fee, £273.00 plus £1.50 per copy Grant

  2. Land Registry Fee for Office Copies for any property you own, £3.00 inc VAT

  3. Bankruptcy-only Land Charges Department searches, £2.00 per person

  4. Trustee Act notice in the newspaper —protects estate against unexpected claims from unknown creditors, estimated costs at  £200.00

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4. Estimated total legal costs

  1. We estimate that the total charges for the administration of the estate in 1.2b (1.5% of the estate) could be in the range of £1500.00 to £4875.00, plus VAT and disbursements. We will handle the full estate administration process for you. This quote is usually for estates where:

    1. there is a valid will;

    2. there is no more than one property and no land;

    3. there are no more than two bank or building society accounts;

    4. there are no other intangible assets;

    5. there are two to four beneficiaries;

    6. there are no disputes between beneficiaries on division of assets. If disputes arise this is likely to lead to an increase in costs;

    7. there is no inheritance tax payable and the executors do not need to submit a full account (IHT400) to HMRC;

    8. there are no claims made against the estate.

  2. We estimate that the total charges for the administration of the estate in 1.2c (2% of the estate)will be in the range of £6600.00 to £18000.00, plus VAT and disbursements. In these cases:

    1. Inheritance tax may be payable, and a full account may be required,

    2. Tax advice may be necessary to claim full exemptions and reliefs,

    3. There are stocks and shares or investment portfolios in the estate,

    4. There may be a large number of beneficiaries (more than 5),

    5. There may be many bank accounts,

    6. The estate includes several properties,

    7. There are liabilities on the estate to be settled before distribution,

    8. Specialist valuations may be required

    9. We may be dealing with tax clearance with HMRC and any capital gains tax implications

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5. Additional costs

  1. Additional amounts may be payable for our charges and/or expenses if:

    1. the will (or part of the will) is not valid,

    2. the deceased is domiciled outside the UK,

    3. the Executors wish to renounce,

    4. there are more than two Executors applying for the Grant of Probate

    5. there is any dispute between Executors,

    6. the Executors reside outside England and Wales,

    7. the assets or tax situation are complex (e.g. an estate return is required),

    8. the distribution of the estate is contested (e.g, a caveat is entered against the estate),

    9. the probate application is urgent,

    10. there is notice of a claim from the DWP upon the estate,

    11. advice is required relating to business property relief or agricultural relief, or other specific tax exemptions

    12. there is any estate outside England and Wales​

  2. The ‘Estimated total legal costs’ specifically does not include:

    1. The sale or transfer of any property or land forming part of the estate;

    2. Any work relating to notice from the DWP of a claim upon the estate;

    3. Any notice from the District Valuer relating to the property value;

    4. Any Deed of Variation;

    5. The registration or maintenance of any trust;

    6. Dealing with any wider tax issues and reliefs;

    7. Dealing with any corrective account with HMRC;

    8. Advice regarding lifetime gifts and their taxation;

    9. Power of Attorney advice

 

​6. Likely timescale and key stages

  1. On average, estates that fall within this range are dealt with within a year. Please note that the Probate Registry can take some weeks if not months at present to process the application.

  2. Most matters of this nature involve obtaining the Grant of Probate, which can take 3 to 6 months and then collecting in the assets of the estate and making the final distributions, another 3 to 6 months.

  3. This is on the basis that there are not any complex matters, please see examples above. If any complications of this or any other nature arise, the matter will take longer than first anticipated. We will advise you if this occurs.

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7. Our firm

  1. Our Director, Charlene Ash has over 17 years of experience in delivering high-quality work in all matters relating to probate and estate administration. The firm have particular expertise in wills and probate advice.

  2. For details of the people who may work on your matter, please see: www.calonlaw.com. Regardless of who works on your matter, they will be supervised by Charlene Ash, Senior Associate and Director of the firm

 

8. Regulatory information

Calon Law Limited is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). Our SRA registration number is 820507

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