Probate and Estate Administration Services in Peterborough, Corby and Northampton

Dealing with probate when someone dies can be difficult. We’ll talk you through the process, making sure you’re kept informed every step of the way.

We are a licenced probate firm and have a very experienced team of both chartered accountants and a fully qualified Trust and Estate Practitioner.

A flexible probate service that puts your needs first
If you’re not able to get to our office in Peterborough, our head of probate, Matthew Grief, is happy to meet you in your home or another location locally or even to meet via an online video call if preferred to explain the probate process, answer your questions and provide you with a bespoke quotation.

CONTACT US FOR A QUOTE

If you need help with probate or Estate administration, get in touch today.

OUR PROBATE SERVICE FEES

We offer a range of pricing options for probate services to suit your individual circumstances and needs. Unlike many solicitors and banks, we do not charge a percentage of the Estate.
Our service is flexible – we can be involved as much or as little as you like. We can manage the entire probate process on your behalf, including obtaining the Grant of Probate, completing any necessary Inheritance Tax Calculations and Returns, right through to advice and assistance with the administration of the Estate or, if you’re happy to undertake the full Estate administration yourself, we can simply apply for the Grant of Probate for you.

FIXED FEE PACKAGES FOR OBTAINING THE GRANT OF PROBATE

Our fixed fee options are ideal if your situation is relatively straightforward and you are happy to do some of the work yourself (such as calling in the Estate's assets, paying liabilities or making distributions to the beneficiaries.) All prices quoted include VAT but exclude disbursements.
As part of our fixed fee packages, we will:

Identify the type of probate application needed and determine whether Inheritance Tax is due
Obtain the relevant documents needed to make the application for probate
Complete the relevant Inheritance Tax forms and the Probate application
On receipt of the Grant of Representation, we will forward it to you so you can administer the Estate.

Package 1
No Inheritance Tax is payable, and the value of the Estate is below the current nil-rate band of £325,000 and all necessary information is provided to us.
Fee: £1,200

Package 2
No Inheritance Tax is payable due to transfer of nil-rate band and all necessary information is provided to us.
Fee: £1,800

Package 3
Form IHT 400 is to be completed and/or Inheritance Tax is payable, and all necessary information is provided to us.
Fee: £3,000

FEES FOR THE FULL PROBATE PROCESS AND ASSISTANCE WITH THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE ESTATE

We will handle the full probate process for you and assist with the administration of the estate. This will involve:

Ascertaining the assets and liabilities in the Estate and contacting the relevant institutions to obtain date of death valuations
Preparing the necessary Inheritance Tax (IHT) forms
Calculating the IHT payable (if relevant)
Submitting the application for and obtaining the Grant of Representation
Placing Section 27 notices (these are advertisements that are placed to inform any potential creditors that the estate is going to be distributed)
Confirm the liabilities due from the estate (including any income tax, capital gains tax, or inheritance tax)
Preparing Full Estate Accounts
Confirmation of the distributions payable to the beneficiaries

How we calculate our full probate service fees

Our fees for the full probate service will be charged on a time-spent basis. This means we only charge you for the work carried out on behalf of the estate and not the value of the estate. We charge an hourly rate based on the experience and expertise of the person dealing with your case.

At our initial meeting with you we will gather information about the estate and provide you with an estimate for the work to be carried out. This fee estimate will be reviewed regularly and, if it becomes apparent that the original estimate will be exceeded for any reason, we will discuss this with you before carrying out any further work and obtain your consent to proceed.

All the work we do on your behalf is carefully recorded, and a copy of the timesheet can be requested at any stage in the process.

EXAMPLE FEES

To give you an idea of the overall costs of the service, we have included some examples below:

FULL PROBATE SERVICE: EXAMPLE 1

Obtaining a grant of probate (simple)
Instructions received from a client who has lost her mother. We are instructed to obtain the Grant of Probate but are not required to assist with the administration of the estate. The mother was a widow, and therefore the last surviving parent. There is a valid Will which is uncontested. Our client is the sole executor of the Will, and the total value of the estate is £200,000, consisting mainly of bank accounts. This is a straightforward estate and there are no complicating factors.
Our fees would be in the region of £1,800 including VAT and disbursements.

FULL PROBATE SERVICE: EXAMPLE 2

Full administration of estate including obtaining a Grant of Probate (complex)
Instructions received from a client who has recently lost his father. We are instructed to obtain the Grant of Probate and assist with the administration of the estate (including the provision of full estate accounts). The father was a widower, so the last surviving parent. The deceased had inherited his wife’s entire estate. There is a valid and uncontested Will, and our client is one of the two named executors of the Will, the second executor being his sibling. The total value of the previously inherited estate is £370,000 and the value of the father’s estate is £350,000. The combined total takes the value of the estate over the Inheritance Tax threshold, so a full Inheritance Tax account will have to be filed with HMRC. The estate consists of cash, residential properties, a property abroad and a private pension scheme.
Our fees would be in the region of £8,500 including VAT and disbursements.

We can also review an estate for the availability of valuable IHT reliefs such as Business Property Relief and/or Agricultural property relief and make the appropriate claims where appropriate. We are also able to review and assist with the valuation of shares in private limited companies upon provision of the necessary information required. Our fees for that service would depend on the complexities involved and we would be able to provide you with a bespoke quote upon receipt of initial information.

What are disbursements?
During the administration of the estate there will be administrative costs to be paid to third parties. Fees below are correct at January 2023. All prices include VAT. These include:

Probate fee £300 plus £1.50 per court sealed copy
Land registry fees (per copy title document) £3.00
Bankruptcy Land Charges Services search (per name) £2.00
Statutory notices in the London Gazette and local newspaper to alert potential creditors of the estate £275 - £325

Anti Money Laundering / Due Diligence checks £5

Timeline

Entire process on average	9 - 12 months
Pay any necessary inheritance tax	Within 6 months after month of death
Placing Section 27 notices and allowing time for responses	2 months
Applying for Grant of Representation Gather necessary information Value estate Complete the required forms	3 - 6 months
Collecting assets and settling debts of the estate	2 - 4 months
Receiving the Grant of Representation	1 - 3 months
Distributing the estate to beneficiaries	9 - 12 months

Possible delays

Complex cases may take longer to distribute the estate to beneficiaries
Estates with property which need to be sold
Estates with missing beneficiaries or executors or if they are unwilling or unable to act
Creditor claims
Foreign Assets