Director Solicitor Lisa Pharaoh, BA (Hons) Qualified in 1993 , Consultant Solicitor Deborah Schmieder, BA (Hons) Qualified in 2008 and Consultant Solicitor Sharon Eselstyn - who holds the STEP accreditation) Qualified in 2000, will carry out the work. Debbie and Sharon undertake the drafting of wills and have done so since qualification. They will advise and act for you throughout every stage of the process. Lisa Pharaoh retains responsibility for supervision.
We use a competitive hourly fee rate. Our current hourly fee rate (March 2024) for Claimants is:
- £300 plus VAT per hour for our solicitors (£360 per hour)
- £250 plus VAT for our Chartered Legal Executives (£300)
- £150 plus VAT per hour for our Advanced Paralegals (£180 per hour)
It is anticipated that a simple administration such as that satisfying the criteria below will take between 7 to 20 hours at the Solicitor Rate of £300 plus VAT per hour, being £2100 to £6000 (excluding VAT). However the exact cost will depend on the composition of the estate and also the number of beneficiaries.
WE DO NOT CHARGE ANY ADDITIONAL FEE FOR THE VALUE OF THE ESTATE.
This is in contrast with other solicitors who usually apply a mark up of about 1.5% of the gross value of the assets.
In some cases we can offer a fixed-price option. This will be considered at the outset, discussed with you and will be confirmed in the client care letter. We will be able to discuss all the options with you after we have reviewed your claim.
Other factors which we must take into consideration when advising you on the total cost of any claim include how long it will take us to complete the case and how complex the work is.
To obtain the Grant of Representation only: uncontested cases where all assets are in the UK
We can support you through this difficult process by obtaining the grant of representation on your behalf.
Our fees are based on the amount of time it takes us to apply for the grant of representation and to collect and distribute the estate assets if instructed to deal with the estate from start to finish.
Your representative will be specifically agreed with you at the outset of your matter once we know the details and circumstances involved and will generally cover all of the work required to complete the administration of the estate.
Further, our fees are also dependent on the specific circumstances of the estate including its size and complexity, and as a result our fees may increase or decrease accordingly.
Typically, the cost of obtaining a grant of representation and administering an uncontested estate consisting only of assets situated in the UK will be between £3,000 and £7,000 plus VAT.
We can handle the entire process for you, or take matters to obtaining the grant, and after that you can deal with the administration yourself, if you so wish.
The band of fees set out in this paragraph applies to estates where:
• The gross value of the estate is less than the current nil rate band of £325,000
• There is a valid will and the executors are willing to act (and reside in the UK).
• The deceased was domiciled in the UK
• There are no assets outside the UK
• There are no more than three bank or building society accounts
• There is no more than one property
• There are no other intangible assets, shares bonds or investments
• There are no more than five 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
Disbursements are costs in addition to the fees above, which are related to your matter and are payable to third parties, such as court fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process and these are then added to our invoice.
Disbursements are not included in our estimate, however, these normally include:
• Probate application fee of £155 plus £1.50 for each official copy of the grant of representation. No VAT is payable on these fees.
• Bankruptcy-only Land Charges Department searches (£2 per name of beneficiary)
• £100 to £350 (including VAT) for statutory advertisements in the London Gazette and a local newspaper in order to protect the personal representatives against unexpected claims from unknown creditors (the costs of these advertisements may vary depending on the location, publication and the number of advertisements required).
• If there is no will and/or the estate consists of any shareholdings (stocks and bonds) there are 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.
• Dealing with the conveyancing for the sale or transfer of any property in the estate is not included. This service can be arranged for a separate cost which will be quoted upon request.
• Trust administration is not included in this quote, but we can advise on this as appropriate and provide you with a quote.
dealing with any tax affairs of the of the deceased or the estate
liaising with any third parties such as accountants
organising the clearance of any property
• If there are non-UK assets there may be additional costs of obtaining advice from foreign counsel and liaising with foreign financial and governmental institutions.
• Disputes arising during the administration of an estate may incur additional costs and we will provide a further estimate as soon as practicable
• Organising the deceased's funeral
On average, estates that fall within this category are dealt with within six to twelve months. This time frame represents three to six months to obtain the grant of representation, two to three months to collect in assets and one to three months to distribute the assets and generally wind up the administration.
If the administration of the estate is straightforward then the timeframe will be at the lower end of these estimates, in all likelihood. However, if the estate is substantial in size and complexity then the time frame may be more than these estimates.
The above service will comprise:
• Providing you with a dedicated and experienced probate specialist to work on your matter.
• Identifying the legally appointed personal representatives and beneficiaries
• Accurately identifying the type of grant of representation you will require
• Obtaining the relevant documents required to make the application
• Completing the grant of representation application and the relevant HMRC forms
• Drafting a Statement of Truth for the executors to sign
• Making the application to the District Probate Court on your behalf
• Obtaining the grant of representation
• Collecting and distributing all assets in the estate
• Preparing detailed estate accounts setting out the sums received and paid out during the course of the administration.
We can also help if you only want us to obtain a grant of probate (as mentioned above) using form IHT205.
Preparing the Statement of Truth and completing Form IHT205 (based on information provided by you) is charged at a fixed fee dependent on the size and complexity of the estate of £750 - £1,000 plus VAT and disbursements. This fee or retainer does not include the administration of the estate as explained above.
Pharaoh Law is under no obligation to check the accuracy of the information you provide prior to preparing the Statement of Truth and IHT205.
There is a disbursement fee of £155 payable to the Probate Registry on the date the application is made and you would be required to pay this fee (plus the Registry’s additional fee of £1.50 for each sealed copy grant).
Jon - Administration of Probate
Pharaoh Law is the trading name of Pharaoh Legal Limited.
Pharaoh Legal Limited is a limited company registered in England and Wales under No. 10728221
and is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority SRA NO. 639473
Registered office : Chaldon House, 22 Middlemarsh Street, Poundbury, Dorset, DT1 3GD
Director and Solicitor : Lisa Pharaoh, BA (Hons) Law with Decision Making Processes
Consultant Solicitor :Deborah Schmieder, BA (Hons) Humanities
Consultant Solicitor : Sharon Edelstyn, LLM Legal aspects of Medical Practice
Chartered Legal Executive : Stephen Elliott (Full membership of Chartered Institute of Legal Executives)
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