Wills & Probate

WILLS & PROBATE

Our Team

The Wills and Probate team is led by the Principal solicitor Mr. Carupiah Selvarajah who has 37 years of experience since admission as a solicitor alongside support from a Trainee Solicitor with over a year’s experience and a paralegal with less than a years’ experience.

WILLS

At Selvarajah & Co, we believe that having a well-prepared Will is essential for your peace of mind and the security of your loved ones. Ensuring that your estate is handled according to your wishes allows you to rest easy, knowing that your family and friends will be taken care of after you are gone.

Once we receive your instructions, our experienced team will draft your Will efficiently and thoroughly, tailoring it to your specific needs and circumstances. We encourage you to schedule an appointment with us at your earliest convenience to discuss and create your Will.

Trust us, completing this important task will bring you a sense of relief and security.

Fees

To obtain an estimate of our pricing please refer to the table shown further below.

NOTE: We are not VAT registered therefore the fees quoted below do not attract VAT and represent the fees after taxes.

PROBATE

Mr. Selvarajah has undertaken specific probate courses including those provided by Cancer Research UK and a private two-day course on probate.

Probate is the legal process by which a deceased person’s estate (assets) is managed and distributed to the beneficiaries. We understand that this can be a very emotional and challenging time for you, and our goal is to make the probate process as smooth and stress-free as possible.

We can assist you during this difficult time by obtaining a Grant of Probate and administering the estate from start to finish.  We provide a Full Estate Service where we can deal with everything on your behalf from making the initial enquiries, completing the relevant Inheritance Tax forms, obtaining the Grant, gathering assets, paying liabilities including taxes and distributing the estate in accordance with the terms of the Will or rules of intestacy.

Our team is always available to answer your questions and guide you through each stage of the probate process. We are committed to providing compassionate and comprehensive support to ensure that the estate is administered in accordance with the law and the wishes of the deceased.

Fees

To obtain an estimate of our pricing please refer to the Pricing Breakdown shown further below.

Each case is unique, and we can provide a more accurate estimate once we have more information about your specific case.

NOTE: We are not VAT registered therefore the fees quoted below do not attract VAT and represent the fees after taxes. Additionally, the fees do not cover disbursements. Please see further below for information regarding disbursements fees.

Pricing Breakdown

Initial Fixed Fee Appointment

We offer a fixed fee appointment of £300 (VAT is not applicable). The fee is payable prior to the meeting. At this meeting, we will discuss the estate, the procedures involved in administrating the estate, and services that we offer.

Full Estate Service Fixed Fee

The Full Estate Service package enables us to deal with everything on your behalf, minimizing the distress caused to you during what can be a very difficult time coming to the loss of a loved one.

The fixed fee is calculated using a variety of factors including but not limited to:

• The work involved in administrating the estate
• The size of the estate (i.e., value of the estate)
• The type of assets in the estate (i.e., number of properties, bonds, shares)
• If there are any pensions and life policies

On average, provided that no unforeseen complexities arise, an estate will take between 6 and 18 months to complete and in our experience cost between £4,000 to £15,000 for estates worth up £2 million. The precise fee will depend on the complexity of the estate. For example, fees for cases which involve one or two assets of low value would be closer to £4,000.

Hourly Fixed Fee

We offer a flexible service where we charge for work carried out per hour. Our costs are charged at our hourly rate of £280 (VAT is not applicable). The final charges will depend on the simplicity or complexity of the estate which will determine how many hours will be spent on your work.  The final charges will depend on the simplicity or complexity of the estate and the amount of time spent working on your matter. A simple case is not typically less than 20 hours and a complex case is not typically less than 50 hours. Fees will be discussed and negotiated during the Initial Fixed Fee Appointment.

Changes in Fees

If our fees change for any reason, we will inform you and discuss the rationale behind the changes. This may happen if you modify your instructions or if unforeseen complexities arise.

Complexity factors could make your case more complex and affect legal fees and disbursements. These factors may include but are not limited to:

• Missing wills
• Contested wills
• HMRC enquires

Our fees includes:

• Identifying the legally appointed executors or administrators and beneficiaries
• Identifying the type of Probate application you will require
• Obtaining the relevant documents required to make the application
• Completing the Probate Application and the relevant HMRC forms
• Drafting a legal oath for you to swear
• Making the application to the Probate Court on your behalf
• Collecting and distribute all assets in the estate

Disbursements

Disbursements are costs (i.e., expense), related to your matter that are payable to third parties. All above quoted fees do not include disbursements.

Disbursement fees range in price depending on the type. Find below a list of anticipated disbursements that may be payable in addition to the above quoted fees:

• Probate Registry fee – £273.00
• The London Gazette Notice fee – currently £93
• Post in Local Newspaper – price depends entirely on which paper is chosen

Application Processing Time

We cannot guarantee how long the Probate Registry will take to process the application for Grant of Probate. The current processing times is 16 weeks of submitting the application, but it may be longer.

We will submit your application as soon as we have all the necessary documents and notify you if there are delays.