Wills & Probate
The work will be carried out by Peter Riddle, who has over 40 years of experience as a qualified solicitor.

This department not only prepares wills but also the now important Powers of Attorney, with the emphasis on ensuring that our clients understand all the options before committing to them.
OUR CHARGES
We charge our probate costs based upon our hourly rate of £275 plus £55 VAT.

Our charges will be calculated mainly by referenc e to the time spent by your solicitor and other executive staff dealing with your matter. This includes advising, attending you and others, dealing with papers, correspondence, telephone calls, travelling and waiting time.
In calculating bills:
• We charge for the amount of time spent on the matter at our hourly rate.
• We charge 10% of the hourly rate (£27.50 + VAT) for each letter written or telephone call made.
• We charge 5% of the hourly rate (£13.75 + VAT) for each letter and telephone call received.
Once calculated, we are obliged to charge VAT at the current rate of 20%. Any disbursements incurred (e.g., Court fees or search fees) will be shown separately on the bill. Please note some disbursements also bear VAT.

We reserve the right to deliver interim bills to you at regular intervals for the work carried out.
What is included in our fee for obtaining a Grant of Probate?
As part of our fee we would:
• Identify the type of probate application that you require
• Complete all appropriate HMRC forms for your approval
• Prepare the Statement of Truth and Declaration
• Make the application to the Probate Registry on your behalf
• Obtain the Probate and provide you with official copies

How long will it take?
• Typically, where a full account does not have to be filed with HMRC, the work will take between 2-4 months.
• Where a full account does  have to be filed with HMRC, it will typically take between 3-6 months.

The length of time depends on the complexity of the detail involved and the speed of response from third parties (such as banks).
Full Estate Administration
To instruct us to deal with the full administration of the estate on your behalf (collecting in and distributing the assets to the beneficiaries in accordance with your instructions), the cost would depend upon the work involved.