Probate solicitors in West Hampstead, London
Probate and estate administration, for executors and administrators.
Overview
We act for executors and administrators dealing with an estate after a death, across London and the rest of England and Wales, including estates with UK property and assets held overseas.
If you want to make or update a will, please see our wills and lasting powers of attorney page.
What we do
Probate and estate administration
We act for executors and administrators through the whole administration, from valuing the estate to paying the beneficiaries.
The grant
We apply for the grant of probate or, where there is no will or no executor able and willing to act, letters of administration.
Inheritance tax
We prepare any inheritance tax account HMRC requires and arrange payment of any tax due, part or all of which usually has to be paid before the grant is issued.
Assets abroad
Assets held outside England and Wales may need a separate legal process in the country where they are held.
Key stages
We identify the executors and beneficiaries, obtain the documents and valuations needed, prepare the inheritance tax forms for HMRC, apply for the grant of probate, collect the assets, pay debts and expenses, prepare the estate accounts and distribute the estate.
Fees
Our fee is 0.5% of the gross value of the estate plus VAT, with a minimum fee of £3,000 plus VAT (£3,600 including VAT); disbursements are charged on top. We confirm the fee in writing before we begin.
Not included: selling a property in the estate (quoted separately), disputes between beneficiaries or with third parties, and assets abroad.
Timescale
A straightforward estate usually takes 6 to 9 months from instruction to final distribution. The time HM Courts & Tribunals Service takes to issue the grant is outside our control.
How to start
Please call or email us with a short outline of your matter. Before we begin, we confirm the scope of the work and our fee in writing.
We can meet you at our office, by video call or by phone.
Dealing with an estate?
It helps to have the will, if there is one, to hand.
We respond to all enquiries within one business day.