Probate and estate administration · Fixed fees, with VAT
Probate at a fixed fee across East Yorkshire. Never a percentage.
When someone close to you dies, the paperwork should not fall on you. Aaron handles probate from start to finish at a fixed fee, and you deal with him throughout. He never charges a percentage of the estate.
- Fixed fees
- from£950+ VAT(£1,140 inc. VAT)for grant only probateAaron obtains the grant and you do the rest. Full administration from £3,000. The court’s £526 application fee is paid at cost on top.
- How long
- Usually within 12 weeks of the application (HMCTS)
- Who does the work
- Aaron Johnson, personally
What it is
Probate, in plain English.
Probate is the legal work of dealing with someone’s money, property and debts after they die. In most cases it means getting a grant of probate from the Probate Registry, reporting to HMRC for inheritance tax, collecting in the assets, paying what is owed and passing the rest to the people entitled to it.
Not every estate needs a grant. Smaller estates, and assets held jointly that pass to a surviving spouse, can sometimes be dealt with without one. Aaron will tell you at the first call whether probate is needed at all.
Aaron either obtains the grant so you can do the rest yourself, or administers the whole estate from start to finish. The fee is fixed and agreed before any work starts. It is never a percentage of the estate, and there is no hourly billing.
- No percentage-of-estate charges, so more of the inheritance stays with the family
- Inheritance tax accounts prepared by Aaron himself, not passed to an accountant
- One named contact: you call Aaron, not a switchboard
- Fixed fee agreed in writing before any work starts
What happens, in order
From first call to the grant in your hands.
Shown for grant only probate. Each service page has its own steps.
- How long it takes
- Usually within 12 weeks of the application (HMCTS)
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.
What it costs
Every fee for probate, with VAT.
- Grant only probate
One person or a couple · Usually within 12 weeks of the application (HMCTS)
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.
Plus Probate application fee £526. Extra copies of the grant about £2.
£950+ VAT(£1,140 inc. VAT) - 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
Third-party costs are paid at cost and summarised on each line; each service page lists them in full. 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.
Questions
What people ask about probate.
How is probate priced?
Four fixed fees, chosen by how much work the estate needs, not by its value. Grant only, where Aaron obtains the grant and you do the rest, has two tiers: one for an excepted estate (an estate that needs no full inheritance tax account) and a higher one where HMRC needs the full account, form IHT400, before the grant. Full administration, where Aaron does everything, starts at a base fee for an estate of cash assets with a valid will and no tax account, and at a higher fee where there is a property to manage and sell, a full tax account, or no will. A business, farm or foreign assets, a trust in the will, or a dispute raise it further, each agreed in writing before the work starts. The figures are on the fees page, and the Plan Finder shows which tier fits and why.
How is probate priced?
Four fixed fees, chosen by how much work the estate needs, not by its value. Grant only, where Aaron obtains the grant and you do the rest, has two tiers: one for an excepted estate (an estate that needs no full inheritance tax account) and a higher one where HMRC needs the full account, form IHT400, before the grant. Full administration, where Aaron does everything, starts at a base fee for an estate of cash assets with a valid will and no tax account, and at a higher fee where there is a property to manage and sell, a full tax account, or no will. A business, farm or foreign assets, a trust in the will, or a dispute raise it further, each agreed in writing before the work starts. The figures are on the fees page, and the Plan Finder shows which tier fits and why.
Do I always need probate?
Not always. It depends on what the person owned and how it was held. Small estates, or assets held jointly that pass automatically to a surviving spouse, can sometimes be dealt with without a grant. Property in the deceased’s sole name, larger bank balances and investments usually need one. Aaron can tell you quickly, at no cost, whether probate is needed in your case.
Do I always need probate?
Not always. It depends on what the person owned and how it was held. Small estates, or assets held jointly that pass automatically to a surviving spouse, can sometimes be dealt with without a grant. Property in the deceased’s sole name, larger bank balances and investments usually need one. Aaron can tell you quickly, at no cost, whether probate is needed in your case.
Do you charge a percentage of the estate?
No. Many firms and banks charge probate fees as a percentage of the estate, which can run into thousands of pounds for no extra work. Aaron charges a fixed fee agreed before he starts, based on the work involved, so more of the inheritance stays with the family.
Do you charge a percentage of the estate?
No. Many firms and banks charge probate fees as a percentage of the estate, which can run into thousands of pounds for no extra work. Aaron charges a fixed fee agreed before he starts, based on the work involved, so more of the inheritance stays with the family.
How long does probate take?
A straightforward estate usually takes six to nine months from start to finish. Where there is a property to sell, a full inheritance tax account or no will, allow nine to fourteen months. GOV.UK says the grant itself usually arrives within 12 weeks of the application. Collecting in the assets, settling any inheritance tax and distributing the estate take the rest of the time. A dispute adds more. Aaron gives you a realistic timeline for your estate.
How long does probate take?
A straightforward estate usually takes six to nine months from start to finish. Where there is a property to sell, a full inheritance tax account or no will, allow nine to fourteen months. GOV.UK says the grant itself usually arrives within 12 weeks of the application. Collecting in the assets, settling any inheritance tax and distributing the estate take the rest of the time. A dispute adds more. Aaron gives you a realistic timeline for your estate.
Can you help with inheritance tax?
Yes. Aaron prepares and submits the inheritance tax account himself, including the full IHT400 where it is needed. He claims every allowance available: the nil-rate band, the residence nil-rate band where the home passes to children or grandchildren, and any unused allowance transferred from a late spouse or civil partner, so the estate pays no more tax than it has to.
Can you help with inheritance tax?
Yes. Aaron prepares and submits the inheritance tax account himself, including the full IHT400 where it is needed. He claims every allowance available: the nil-rate band, the residence nil-rate band where the home passes to children or grandchildren, and any unused allowance transferred from a late spouse or civil partner, so the estate pays no more tax than it has to.
What is the first thing to do after a death?
In the first days the practical steps come first: register the death, get the death certificate, and find the will if there is one. There is no need to rush into legal steps while you are grieving. When you are ready, a free 15-minute call tells you whether probate is needed and what happens next. Aaron can then take the administration off your hands.
What is the first thing to do after a death?
In the first days the practical steps come first: register the death, get the death certificate, and find the will if there is one. There is no need to rush into legal steps while you are grieving. When you are ready, a free 15-minute call tells you whether probate is needed and what happens next. Aaron can then take the administration off your hands.
Where we work
Home visits across East and North Yorkshire.
Aaron comes to you for probate: kitchen table, care home, farm office. Evening appointments if daytimes are hard. No travel charge anywhere on the map.
All 41 areas, with what Aaron does in each.
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.
Bridlington and the coast
Probate in Bridlington and the towns around it.
Aaron is based in Bridlington, and the town has its own page for this work: probate solicitor in Bridlington, with what tends to come up locally, the two town questions and how a home visit is arranged.
The same service, on its own page, for the towns nearest Bridlington: Carnaby, Barmston, Boynton and Flamborough. Every town and village Aaron comes to is on the areas page.