Probate charged as a percentage of the estate
A percentage fee is a price for the size of the estate rather than for the work, and it is the model that varies most.
What firms charge
309 firms publish a percentage of the estate for probate work, across 386 published figures. The middle of that range is £1.
Excludes VAT unless the firm said otherwise, and excludes court fees. Every firm, with its source.
What this covers
Some firms, and most banks that offer probate, charge a percentage of the gross estate, sometimes with a separate rate on property. Administering a house worth £400,000 is not four times the work of one worth £100,000, but the fee is.
It is legitimate and it is published, so it belongs here. It is never used as a headline price, because a percentage of an estate we do not know is not a figure anybody can compare.
Common questions
- Is a percentage fee ever the cheaper option?
- On a small estate it can be, because the percentage produces a smaller number than a firm's minimum fixed fee. On a large estate it is usually the most expensive way to buy the same administration.
- Is the percentage charged on the whole estate?
- Usually on the gross value before debts, which means a mortgaged property can attract a fee on money the estate never receives. Ask what the percentage is applied to.
What would this cost for your estate?
Tell us what you are dealing with once, and firms that publish a price for this work come back with one for your estate. It costs nothing and commits you to nothing.
Related
Part of probate and estate administration. Every figure on this site comes from the published fee dataset.