Probate · Fixed fee, with VAT
Grant only probate
Aaron obtains the grant of probate and you manage the estate yourself. For straightforward estates, at a fixed fee agreed in writing before any work starts.
- Who it is for
- One person or a couple
- Typical timescale
- Usually within 12 weeks of the application (HMCTS)
- Who does the work
- Aaron Johnson, Consultant Solicitor and TEP, personally. No hand-offs.
What it costs
The fee, and the costs that are not the fee.
Third-party costs, called disbursements, are paid to the court, the Office of the Public Guardian, HM Land Registry or another body. They are passed on at cost and shown here so there is nothing to discover later.
See every fee on one page.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Fee | £950+ VAT(£1,140 inc. VAT) |
| Third-party costs, paid at cost | |
| Probate application feenone if the estate is £5,000 or less | £526 |
| Extra copies of the granteach, ordered with the application; £16 each afterwards | £2typical, can vary |
Regulated work (trust wills, probate, trust and estate administration) carries a small onboarding fee for the matter and an identity check for each person. Standard wills and powers of attorney do not. It is confirmed before any work starts. For this service it is £20 + VAT for the matter and £6.25 + VAT for each person.
What happens, in order
From first call to finish.
- How long it takes
- Usually within 12 weeks of the application (HMCTS)
Aaron does each step himself. If a step takes longer than expected, that is his cost, not yours.
Free 15-minute call
Aaron listens, confirms that grant only is the right fit and gives you a fixed fee.
Instructions and figures
You gather the date-of-death figures, the original will and the death certificate. Aaron opens the file and runs the identity checks.
Preparing the papers
Aaron uses your figures to prepare the application and the legal statement of truth.
Review and signing
You check the papers and sign to confirm the figures are right.
Application
Aaron submits the application, the statement and the will to the probate registry.
The grant
Aaron checks the grant when it arrives and hands it to you with the copies, so you can administer the estate.
Included and not included
What the fee covers, and what it does not.
Published under the SRA Transparency Rules. Anything outside the fee is quoted separately before it is done.
- Included
- Reviewing the will and death certificate, the estate figures and any transferred allowance reported in the probate application, the legal statement, the application, and the grant handed to you.
- Not included
- Collecting in assets, paying debts and distributing, the full IHT400 account, deeds of variation and disputes.
What is included: Aaron, a solicitor, handling the matter himself. Reviewing the will and death certificate. Reporting the estate figures and any transferred allowance in the probate application. Preparing the legal statement of truth. Submitting the application to the probate registry. Sending you the grant and the copies you asked for.
What is not included: Collecting in assets or distributing funds. Deeds of renunciation. The full IHT400 account, which is a service of its own with the grant. Paying inheritance tax to HMRC. Trust registration, set-up or closure. Deeds of variation. Tax advice. Section 27 notices. Any dispute between executors or beneficiaries. Each is quoted separately as a fixed fee if you need it.
Aaron’s promise
What you can hold him to.
- Aaron handles your matter from start to finish
- The fee is fixed and confirmed before work starts
- Application submitted within 5 working days of signing
- Home visits across Bridlington and East Yorkshire
- A free 15-minute call, with no obligation
In more detail
Aaron gets the grant. You manage the estate.
If you are an executor and the estate is straightforward, you may not need a solicitor for everything. With grant only probate, Aaron obtains the grant of probate for you: the court document that banks, building societies and the Land Registry need before they will release assets.
Once you have the grant, you collect in the assets, pay the debts and distribute the estate yourself. It is the lowest-cost option for executors who are happy to do the administration but want the legal paperwork done properly.
The grant usually arrives within 12 weeks of the application being submitted (GOV.UK). Aaron keeps you informed and can answer questions about the administration afterwards.
If you start with grant only and find you need more help, Aaron can take over the full administration.
Who this is for
- Executors who are confident managing the estate themselves
- Straightforward estates with a valid will
- Estates where the main task is getting the grant itself
- Executors who want to keep legal costs down by doing the administration themselves
- Families where one trusted member is happy to collect in and distribute the assets
What the fixed fee includes
- Aaron, a solicitor, handling the matter himself
- Reviewing the will and the death certificate
- Preparing the probate application and the supporting documents
- Reporting the estate figures, and any allowance transferred from a late spouse, in the application (an excepted estate needs no separate inheritance tax form)
- Preparing the legal statement of truth
- Submitting the application to the probate registry
- Sending you the grant and the copies you asked for
What is not included
The fixed fee covers a straightforward application for an excepted estate (one that does not need a full inheritance tax account). If the estate involves any of the following, Aaron will discuss it with you and agree a separate fixed fee before any extra work starts:
- Collecting in assets or distributing funds: if you would rather Aaron did the whole administration, see estate administration
- Deed of renunciation: if an executor wishes to step down
- The full IHT400 account: needed when the estate is not an excepted estate. Grant only with the IHT400 is a service of its own, at a higher fixed fee.
- Paying inheritance tax to HMRC: calculating the tax and arranging payment
- Trust registration, set-up or closure: if the will includes a trust that needs administering
- Deed of variation: if a beneficiary wants to redirect their inheritance for tax or family reasons
- Tax advice: inheritance tax planning or capital gains tax
- Section 27 notices: advertising for unknown creditors to protect the executors from personal liability
- Disputes between executors or beneficiaries
The estate may need none of these. Aaron will confirm on the free call.
What happens if you do nothing
Without a grant, banks will not release the deceased's money. Property cannot be sold or transferred. The estate stays frozen and the beneficiaries cannot receive their inheritance. Delay can also cause problems with the property's insurance and ongoing bills.
Why Safe Harbour
- Aaron handles your matter from start to finish. It is never passed to a junior or a paralegal.
- Fixed fees, confirmed before work starts. No hourly rates.
- Home visits across Bridlington and East Yorkshire. Aaron comes to you.
- Regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, with professional indemnity insurance.
- Plain English, and a pace that suits you
You may also need
- Estate administration: if the estate turns out to be more involved, or you would rather Aaron handled everything
- Estate and tax planning: if dealing with the estate raises inheritance tax questions for the beneficiaries
- A will: if you do not have one, dealing with someone else's estate is a good prompt to put your own affairs in order
Other probate fees.
About probate- Grant only, with the IHT400 account
One person or a couple · HMRC's code first, then usually within 12 weeks of the application (HMCTS)
The full IHT400 account and schedules, the reliefs and allowances claimed, tax calculated and the account submitted to HMRC, then the application and the grant.
Plus Probate application fee £526. Extra copies of the grant about £2.
£1,800+ VAT(£2,160 inc. VAT) - Estate administration
One person or a couple · 6 to 9 months
Valuations, the tax return, the grant, collecting in the assets, paying debts and tax, final accounts and distribution, for an estate of cash assets with a valid will.
Plus Probate application fee £526. Extra copies of the grant about £2. Bankruptcy searches £7.20. Section 27 statutory notices about £250.
from£3,000+ VAT(£3,600 inc. VAT)agreed as a fixed fee before any work starts - Estate administration, with a property or full tax account
One person or a couple · 9 to 14 months
Everything in estate administration, plus managing and selling or transferring the property or the share, the full IHT400 account, or an intestacy.
Plus Probate application fee £526. Extra copies of the grant about £2. Bankruptcy searches £7.20. Section 27 statutory notices about £250. Land Registry official copies £7.
from£5,000+ VAT(£6,000 inc. VAT)agreed as a fixed fee before any work starts
Next step
Four ways to start. Take the one you are comfortable with.
Or call 01262 310 850. Monday to Friday, 9am to 5.30pm.
- 01No commitmentFind your plan and price
Sixty seconds of questions that end on your plan and a fixed fee, with VAT. No call needed.
- 02Low commitmentDownload the instruction form
A fillable PDF. Type into it, save it and email it back, or print it.
- 03A conversationBook a 15-minute call
15 minutes with Aaron, by phone or video, at no charge. Appointments are usually available within a few working days, including Tuesday and Thursday evenings, and home visits across East and North Yorkshire.
- 04Ready to goStart my matter
Give Aaron the details he needs and he confirms the fixed fee in writing before any work starts.