Probate

Practical, supportive help with probate & estate administration

Dealing with someone's estate can involve a lot of practical, legal and tax work at what is already a difficult time. Our probate team can support you through as much or as little of the process as you need.

From obtaining valuations and dealing with inheritance tax requirements to applying for probate and administering the estate, we'll help make the process as straightforward as possible.

We are licensed and authorised to carry out the reserved legal activity on non-contentious probate in England and Wales by the ICAEW.

How We Can Help

Every estate is different. You may simply need help obtaining the Grant of Probate, or you may want someone to manage the administration of the estate from beginning to end.

Our probate service can include:

Applying for the Grant of Probate
Obtaining valuations of estate assets
Preparing inheritance tax forms
Advising on inheritance tax
Dealing with the Probate Registry
Preparing estate accounts
Supporting the administration and distribution of the estate
Dealing with more complex estates

You choose the level of support you need, from help with the probate application itself to a more comprehensive estate administration service.

What Happens During Probate?

If there is a valid will, the first step is to locate it and identify the executors responsible for dealing with the estate.

The probate process will then typically involve:

Valuing the assets and liabilities of the estate
Establishing whether inheritance tax is payable
Completing the necessary inheritance tax forms
Applying to the Probate Registry
Collecting in the estate's assets
Paying outstanding liabilities
Preparing the estate accounts
Distributing the remaining estate to the beneficiaries

If there is no valid will, different rules apply. The estate will usually need to be administered under the rules of intestacy and an application made for Letters of Administration rather than a Grant of Probate.

We'll explain what needs to happen, what information is required and where we can take responsibility for the work on your behalf.

How Much of the Estate Administration Can We Handle?

You can choose how involved you want us to be. We can simply help obtain probate, work alongside you while you administer the estate, or provide more comprehensive support where the circumstances are more complex.

Our probate specialists can also work alongside our tax advisers where inheritance tax, outstanding tax returns or other tax matters need to be dealt with as part of the estate.

For additional and important service transparency information in relation to our probate services, please refer to our Client Services Probate Guide.

How Long Does Probate Take?

No two estates are exactly the same, so the time required will depend on the complexity of the estate, the information available and the response times of third parties such as banks and the Probate Registry.

As a general guide, our current anticipated timescales are:

Simply Probate & Together Probate
4–6 months

Together Probate+ & Complete Probate
6–12 months

We'll explain the likely process and timescale for your circumstances at the outset and keep you updated as the estate progresses.

''Charlton Baker helped me secure probate and finalise my mother's estate, which was handled professionally and efficiently - and at much more reasonable costs than the bank wanted to charge. Having a knowledgeable and friendly local firm to take care of everything made things much easier for us, at an already difficult time’'

Richard W, Wiltshire

How much do our Probate Services cost?

The amount of help you need will depend on the estate and how much of the administration you want to manage yourself. We therefore offer different levels of probate support.

Simply Probate. For small, non-taxable estates and where all pre-application administration (e.g. valuations, notifying banks, cancelling or transferring contracts) has been dealt with by you, and you simply want us to apply for probate, our fixed fee is £1,750 plus VAT.

Together Probate. With your involvement, and our help and assistance with estate administration when needed, our fixed fees range up to £7,500 plus VAT.

If your probate case is significantly more complex, and you will be involved in estate administration, or you require complete support throughout, our fees will be based on the following service plans:

Together Probate+. Working together on more complex cases, we will share our value based on time spent using up to date hourly rates. Please contact us to find out more.

Complete Probate. For complex cases completely managed by us from start to finish, the value of our fees will be based on time spent using up to date hourly rates.

With Together Probate+ and Complete Probate, we will try to give you an indication of our likely fees in advance, but this is not always possible.

With all our service plans, disbursements are not included and will be charged in addition to the agreed fees. Probate fees are settled by the estate, which may also include for example, backdated tax compliance and assessments required for probate.

For any future planning and structuring project work performed, such fees are not settled by the estate and will form part of a separate engagement.

Why Choose Charlton Baker?

Probate can involve legal, tax and financial considerations at the same time. Having those areas of expertise available within the same firm can make dealing with an estate considerably more straightforward.

With Charlton Baker you benefit from:

An ICAEW licensed and authorised probate practice
Specialist probate and estate administration support
Inheritance tax expertise within our wider team
Established since 1984, with decades of experience supporting individuals, families and businesses
11 offices across the South West, combining local support with wider specialist expertise
Different levels of probate support, depending on how much help you need
Clear information on fees and anticipated timescales
A dedicated team you can speak to throughout the process
Award-winning service backed by expertise across accounting, taxation, business and legal services

Whether you need help with one part of probate or want us to take care of much more of the estate administration, you'll have practical, professional support from a team with the wider expertise to help when things become more complex.