Trusts, Wills & Probate Solicitors in Leicester

We offer a free, fixed fee quote for properties in England, Wales, Scotland and we’ll send you a written quote confirmation by email before any work is started:

Single Will – fixed fee from just £200 +VAT at 20% (£240)

Mirror Will – fixed fee from just £350+VAT  at 20% (£420)

Complex Wills & Wills Trusts – following a discussion to understand wishes a fixed fee from £250 + VAT at 20% per Will (£300) to £750 + VAT at 20% (£900) per Will

Codicil (Amend a Will) – fixed fee from just £100+VAT at 20% (£120)

Lasting Power of Attorney (Single) – fixed fee from just £450+VAT at 20% (£540)

Lasting Power of Attorney (Double) – fixed fee from just £600+VAT at 20% (£720)

Applying for the legal right to deal with someone’s property, money and possessions (their ‘estate’) when they die is called ‘applying for probate’.

If the person left a will, you’ll get a ‘grant of probate’.

If the person did not leave a will, you’ll get ‘letters of administration’.

You apply for both in the same way.

The process is different in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The process is:

1. Check if there’s a will. There’s a different process if there’s no will.
2. Value the estate and report it to HMRC.
3. Apply for probate.
4. Pay any Inheritance Tax that’s due.
5. Collect the estate’s assets, for example money from the sale of the person’s property.
6. Pay off any debts, for example unpaid utilities bills.
7. Keep a record (‘estate accounts’) of how any property, money or possessions will be split.
8. Pass the estate (‘distribute the assets’) on to the people named in the will (‘beneficiaries’).

Our Wills and Probate Solicitors can help you obtain the grant of probate, and administer (distribute) the estate if required.

We offer a fixed fee quote for properties in England, Wales, Scotland and we’ll send you a written quote confirmation by email.

The process for an application for a Grant of Probate only is suitable for estates where:

• There is a valid Will
• There is no more than one property
• There are minimal bank or building society accounts
• There are no other intangible assets
• There are a small number of beneficiaries
• There are no disputes between beneficiaries on division of assets. If disputes arise this is likely to lead to an increase in costs
• There is no inheritance tax payable and the executors do not need to submit a full account to HMRC
• There are no claims made against the estate

As part of our fixed fee we will:

• Provide you with a dedicated and experienced probate solicitor to work on your matter
• Identify the legally appointed executors or administrators and beneficiaries
• Accurately identify the type of Probate application you will require
• Obtain the relevant documents required to make the application
• Complete the Probate Application and the relevant HMRC forms
• Draft a legal oath for you to swear
• Make the application to the Probate Court on your behalf
• Obtain the Probate and securely send two copies to you

Our fixed fee Grant Only service does not include full administration and distribution of the estate. Please see below for further details on this full probate administration service.

On average, estates that fall within this range are dealt with within 3-6 months.

Typically, the probate registry will take at least 16 weeks from receipt of the probate application to issue a sealed grant of probate.

Total Legal Fees: fixed fee of £1500 (incl. VAT at 20%) + Disbursements

These fees apply if an Inheritance Tax form 205 is required (for an estate that isn’t subject to Inheritance Tax).

Breakdown of costs:

Legal fees £1250

VAT at 20% on legal fees £250

Total Legal Fees: fixed fee of £2580 (incl. VAT at 20%) + Disbursements

Where an Inheritance Tax form IHT400 is required when the estate is more complex/is subject to the payment of Inheritance Tax.

Breakdown of costs:

Legal fees £2150

VAT on legal fees at 20% £430

Disbursements:

• Probate court fee of £273 plus £1.50 for each additional copy of the Grant
• Bankruptcy-only Land Charges Department searches (£2 per beneficiary).
• £104.52 Post in The London Gazette – Protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors.
• £120 – £250 Post in a Local Newspaper – This also helps to protect against unexpected claims.

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as court fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.

Complex or Large Estates costs?

The exact cost will depend on the individual circumstances of the matter and the following are considered when quoting.

• if there are multiple beneficiaries, properties and multiple bank accounts,

• If there is no will or the estate consists of any share holdings (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. We can give you a more accurate quote once we have more information.
• If any additional copies of the grant are required, they will cost 50p (1 per asset usually).
• Dealing with the sale or transfer of any property in the estate is not included

An estimated cost will be provided before any work is started and cost updates throughout.

Administration of Estates

When instructed to carry out the full administration of estates we will provide the services listed in the fixed fee grant of probate section and in addition write to all creditors and debtors and collect and distribute all assets in the estate.

The exact cost will depend on the individual circumstances of the matter. We will give a fee indication at the initial meeting.

A trust is a way of managing assets (money, investments, land or buildings) for people. There are different types of trusts and they are taxed differently.

Trusts involve:

• the ‘settlor’ – the person who puts assets into a trust
• the ‘trustee’ – the person who manages the trust
• the ‘beneficiary’ – the person who benefits from the trust

What trusts are for?

Trusts are set up for a number of reasons, including:

• to control and protect family assets
• when someone’s too young to handle their affairs
• when someone cannot handle their affairs because they’re incapacitated
• to pass on assets while you’re still alive
• to pass on assets when you die (a ‘will trust’)
• under the rules of inheritance if someone dies without a will (in England and Wales)

What the settlor does?

The settlor decides how the assets in a trust should be used – this is usually set out in a document called the ‘trust deed’.

Sometimes the settlor can also benefit from the assets in a trust – this is called a ‘settlor-interested’ trust and has special tax rules. Find out more by reading the information on different types of trust.

What trustees do?

The trustees are the legal owners of the assets held in a trust. Their role is to:

• deal with the assets according to the settlor’s wishes, as set out in the trust deed or their will
• manage the trust on a day-to-day basis and pay any tax due
• decide how to invest or use the trust’s assets

If the trustees change, the trust can still continue, but there always has to be at least one trustee.

Beneficiaries?

There might be more than one beneficiary, like a whole family or defined group of people. They may benefit from:

• the income of a trust only, for example from renting out a house held in a trust
• the capital only, for example getting shares held in a trust when they reach a certain age
• both the income and capital of the trust