Our charges

For much of the work we undertake here at Roche Legal, we offer a fixed fee. This is where the work is quantifiable from the outset, such as when we are preparing documentation for you, such as a Will or Lasting Power of Attorney.

For work that is not carried out on a fixed fee, we charge an hourly rate, so the total amount you’ll pay will depend on who works on your matter and how long it takes. We provide an estimate of total charges from the outset, as well as regular costs updates, so that you know where you stand.

Our hourly rates can be found here.

Please get in touch for information that is tailored to your individual needs.

Below is an illustration for how we charge for Probate and the Administration of Estates after someone has died.
Where VAT is referred to below please note that this will be charged at the applicable rate, which is currently 20%. Our VAT number is GB217312245.

It would not normally be necessary to undertake other work or incur other costs other than those described below. However, we would be very happy to provide you with a more tailored quote for all stages of your particular case once we
know about your specific circumstances.

Please book a discovery call to find out more.

Our prices and charges

Cost Illustration for Obtaining a Grant Only

Our Grant of Probate Only service includes either the application for simpler estates, or the full Inheritance Tax form (IHT400 and schedules) for more complex situations. This also includes the application to the Probate Registry to obtain the Grant. This service requires you to supply the relevant figures and information and we take care of the forms for you to check and sign. We then submit the application on your behalf.

The Key Stages are:

Identifying executors and beneficiaries
Checking the type of application you will require
Obtaining relevant information from you to make the application
Completing probate application and any relevant HMRC forms
Drafting the Legal Statement
Making the application
Obtaining the Grant and providing all relevant information and documents to you, to administer the estate yourself

Once obtained, the Grant will be sent to you to deal with the rest of the administration of the estate, including closing or transferring accounts and investments, finalising the tax position, producing estate accounts for the beneficiaries and distributing the estate in accordance with the Will or Intestacy Rules.

The total costs will depend on how straightforward or complicated the matter is. For example, if someone has died leaving only one beneficiary in an undisputed Will and no property, then the costs would be at the lower end of the range because it will be simple. For a simple estate our costs start from £3,000 plus VAT (£3,600), plus our onboarding fee and expenses (see below).

For a more complex estate where we need to calculate IHT and complete form IHT 400 and schedules our costs start from £6,000, plus VAT (£7,200) plus our onboarding fee and expenses (see below).

How long will this take?

Generally speaking, ‘simple’ estate matters such as those described above can normally be dealt with within 6 months of receipt of the relevant figures and information.
More complex matters involving submission of the IHT 400 and schedules is likely to be dealt with within 6 to 12 months of receipt of the relevant figures and information.
We cannot influence how long it will take the Probate Registry to provide the Grant.

Potential additional costs

Any work which is out of scope to the above, such as writing to asset holders, dealing with the sale or transfer of any property in the estate, and creating or registering any trusts is not included and will be charged at our hourly rates.

Cost Illustration for Administration of Estate

Our Administration of Estate service includes either the application for simpler estates or the full Inheritance Tax form (IHT400 and schedules) for more complex matters. This also includes the application to the Probate Registry to obtain the Grant.

Where you need us to deal with the full administration of an estate – including obtaining a Grant of Probate, collecting and distributing the assets – our fees are based on our hourly rates.

The key stages (over and above our Grant Only service) typically include:

Writing to all asset holders and debtors to obtain figures and information
Completing the required forms for your review and signature
Submitting the application to the Probate Registry
Closing or transferring accounts and investments
Finalising the tax position
Producing estate accounts for the beneficiaries
Distributing the estate in accordance with the Will or Intestacy Rules

Each estate is unique in its assets, beneficiaries, and other aspects.

An illustration for simpler estates where:

There is a valid Will
There is no more than one property
There are no more than 3 bank or building society accounts
There are no other intangible assets
There are no more than 3 beneficiaries
There are no disputes or claims

If a Senior Solicitor works on your matter, the total legal fees for 25 to 35 hours’ work would be between £8,750 plus VAT to £12,250 plus VAT. In addition, onboarding fees and third-party expenses will apply (see below).

Fixed Fee for Finalising the Estate

In addition to the above, we apply a fixed fee at the final stage of the estate administration. This covers the final tasks required to conclude the matter, including arranging for the signature of Estate Accounts, verifying beneficiary details (including bankruptcy searches), making final payments, and returning original documents (if applicable).

This fixed fee is charged instead of continuing to bill on an hourly basis at this stage. By applying a fixed fee once estate accounts are completed, we avoid needing to amend or update them to reflect further time spent, making the process smoother and more efficient for everyone.

We operate a tiered structure for this fixed fee based on the number of residuary beneficiaries, as follows:

Fewer than 4 beneficiaries – up to £650 plus VAT
4–6 beneficiaries – up to £1,150 plus VAT
7–9 beneficiaries – up to £1,800 plus VAT
10–14 beneficiaries – up to £2,500 plus VAT
15 or more beneficiaries – up to £3,500 plus VAT

In simpler cases, a lower fee may be charged.

Onboarding Fee and Expenses

A fixed onboarding fee is applicable to all fixed fee matters. If your matter is billed at our usual hourly rates, the time spent onboarding you as a client will be charged at hourly rate.

This fee covers some of the cost to us, as an authorised and regulated firm, to deal with the legal, compliance, and regulatory aspects of setting you up as a client. It also goes towards the third-party cost of carrying out our due diligence and identification requirements. An onboarding fee will apply to any party to a matter who we need to identify, such as a beneficiary. If additional persons need to be identified during the matter, then this will be charged.

The onboarding fee is £100 plus VAT (£120) per person and £50 plus VAT (£60) for additional persons.

Potential additional costs

We may also charge an additional fee to reflect the complexity and value of a matter. This is usually 2.5% of the gross value of the estate. We can give you a more accurate quote once we have more information.

Other Expenses (applicable to both (1) and (2):

The expenses we incur relate to those payments we have to make to third parties on your behalf. An expense is also known as a disbursement in the legal world. We handle the payment of expenses on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.

The likely expenses are:

Expense	Cost
Probate application fee	£300 or £0 where the net estate is below £5,000 (no VAT)
Additional copies of the Grant	£1.50 each (no VAT)
Sealed and certified copy of the Grant – if assets are held abroad you may need one of these	£1.50 each (no VAT)
HM Land Registry – Office Copies, if required	£7.00 each (no VAT)
Placing s.27 notices	£450 approx. (plus VAT)
Bankruptcy Searches	£6 per name (no VAT)

How long will this take?

A more simple estate can be concluded and monies distributed to the entitled beneficiaries within12 months. This is broken down into the following stages:

Applying for Grant of Probate: 3 to 6 months
Notifying asset holders and placing legal notices: 4 to 6 months
Distributing the assets: 9 to 12 months
Preparing the estate accounts: 9 to 12 months

For more complex estates each stage of work as set out above is likely to take longer. It would be more usual in complex matters for the estate to take between 12 to 24 months before the estate can be concluded and monies distributed to the beneficiaries and in some cases this time frame can be a lot longer.

*These time frames do not apply to estates where there are cross border/international aspects.

Who will be dealing with my matter?

Visit our meet the team page for general experience and qualification information.

You’ll be provided with the name(s) of who you’ll be working with, and the name of the person supervising, if you instruct us. If this changes during the course of your matter, we’ll let you know.