Wills and Probate

A will allows you to specify who will distribute your property after your death, and the people who will benefit. The majority of individuals in the UK do not have a will and are unaware of its importance, or do not see it as a priority.

If you have no will, your property could be distributed according to the intestacy laws.

Formulating an estate and family succession plan that minimises your tax liability and protects your assets is essential. The more you have, the less you should leave to chance.

We can work with you to ensure that more of your wealth passes to the people you love, through planned lifetime gifts and a tax-efficient will.

Drafting your will

Start by considering the following:

Who?

Who do you want to benefit from your wealth? What do you need to provide for your spouse? Should your children share equally in your estate – does one or more have special needs? Do you wish to include grandchildren? Would you like to give to charity?

What?

Should your business pass to all of your children, or only to those who have become involved in the business, and should you compensate the others with assets of comparable value? Consider the implications of multiple ownership.

When?

Consider the age and maturity of your beneficiaries. Should assets be placed into a trust restricting access to income and/or capital? Or should gifts wait until your death?

We can help you evaluate your requirements and write your will. We fully comply with the STEP Code for will preparation in England & Wales.

Probate – Fees and Services

We can advise personal representatives through the probate process from the initial stages, the preparation of the Inheritance Tax Account and Probate Application Forms, dealing with the administration of the estate and distributing assets and the preparation of estate accounts. We can also accept appointment as executors where we are named in a will and undertake the entire estate probate process. These services can be invaluable during the very emotional and stressful time following a bereavement of a family member or friend.

Charterhouse is licensed by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) to provide the reserved legal activity of non-contentious probate in England and Wales. We have held this licence since March 2015.

This page sets out our pricing and service information for probate and estate administration work, in line with ICAEW’s transparency requirements for accredited legal services firms. If you would like to discuss a specific estate, please contact us — your first conversation with us is free and without obligation.

Our probate service

We offer two levels of service, so you can choose the amount of support you need:

• Grant-only service — we prepare the Inheritance Tax return and probate application and obtain the Grant of Probate (or Letters of Administration) on your behalf. You then deal with collecting assets, paying liabilities, and distributing the estate yourself.
• Full estate administration — we handle the whole process from the initial meeting through to final distribution: valuing the estate, applying for the Grant, collecting in assets, settling debts and liabilities, preparing estate accounts, and distributing to beneficiaries.
• Executor appointment — where we are named as executor in a will, we can act in that capacity and manage the entire administration.

The service that’s right for you depends on the size and complexity of the estate, so we always agree the scope with you before work begins.

How we charge

We offer both fixed/capped fees and hourly rate charging, and we agree which basis applies before we start any work.

For most estates we agree a fixed fee/capped fee once we understand the scope of work.

Where the estate involves more complex matters e.g. valuations of property, valuation of business interests, foreign assets, trusts we may charge on a time spent basis, this will be discussed with you at the time of engagement.

Typical costs

The cost of administering an estate depends heavily on its size and complexity — for example, the number of assets and beneficiaries, whether there’s a property to sell, whether Inheritance Tax is payable, and is dependent on a number of factors including:

• Whether a Grant of Representation is needed, or whether the estate can be dealt with under the Small Estates Procedure
• The number of assets and liabilities in the estate
• The nature and value of those assets
• Whether the deceased left a Will
• The complexity of any debts or liabilities
• Where there is a Will, its terms and instructions, including whether it creates a trust
• The number of beneficiaries and where they are located
• Whether Agricultural Property Relief (APR), Business Property Relief (BPR) and/or the Residence Nil Rate Band (RNRB) apply
• Whether you would like Charterhouse to handle the full estate administration, or only part of it

Hourly rates

Where we charge by time, our current hourly rates (excluding VAT) are:

VAT is charged at the prevailing rate (currently 20%) on our fees.

What’s included in our fee

Our fee covers:

• Advising the personal representative(s) on their duties
• Identifying the assets and liabilities of the estate
• Preparing and submitting the Inheritance Tax account (where required)
• Preparing and submitting the probate application

What’s not included (and may cost extra)

• Disputes between beneficiaries or claims against the estate (contentious probate) — where a matter becomes contentious, we can refer you to a panel of specialist solicitors
• Sale or transfer of any property in the estate (conveyancing is arranged separately)
• Estates with assets outside the UK
• Ongoing trusts arising from the estate
• Tracing missing beneficiaries, where a genealogist is required

Disbursements (costs payable to third parties)

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties. We handle payment of these on your behalf where possible. Typical disbursements include:

How long it takes

Every estate is different, but as a guide:

• Pre-application preparation typically takes between 4 to 12 weeks, including finding and reviewing the will, valuing assets.
  • For non-excepted estates – preparing the necessary IHT returns for submission to HMRC and advising on the payment of any IHT due. A HMRC unique code will be required before a probate application can be submitted.
• Obtaining the Grant of Probate typically takes between 4 to 16 weeks from receiving full information about the estate. Any IHT due must have been paid (or a payment arrangement have been made) before the Probate Registry will issue the grant.
• Collecting assets and paying liabilities typically takes a further 3 – 12 months.
• Full administration and final distribution of a straightforward estate is typically complete within 6 – 12 months.

Complex estates, those involving property sales, disputes, or significant Inheritance Tax matters, can take considerably longer. We’ll give you a realistic timescale for your specific matter once we understand the estate.

 Key stages of the process

1. Initial meeting to understand the estate and agree the scope of work and fee
2. Identifying and valuing assets and liabilities
3. Preparing and submitting the Inheritance Tax account and paying any tax due
4. Applying for the Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration
5. Collecting in assets and settling debts
6. Preparing estate accounts and estate tax returns
7. Distributing the estate to beneficiaries

Who will carry out your work 

Your matter will be handled by a designated member of our tax department with experience in probate and estate administration and will be supervised by Rajesh Jiwani. 

Regulatory information

• Charterhouse is licensed and regulated by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) to carry out non-contentious probate work in England and Wales, and has held this licence since March 2015.
• You can check our regulatory status on ICAEW’s register of probate-accredited firms at find.icaew.com.
• We hold professional indemnity insurance in line with ICAEW’s requirements.
• Charterhouse, OneSixSix, 166 College Road, Harrow, Middlesex HA1 1RA. Company No 09082390, registered in England & Wales. VAT registration No 541 1476 66.

 If something goes wrong

• We want to provide you with the best possible service. However, if you are unhappy with any aspect of our service, please let us know so we can put things right.
• In the first instance, please contact Rajesh Jiwani by email at rajesh.jiwani@charter-house.net or by phone on 020 8863 4566.
• We will investigate your complaint and respond in line with our complaints procedure.
• If you remain unhappy once our internal process is complete, you can refer your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman, who can help if you are not satisfied with the outcome. Visit legalombudsman.org.uk or call 0300 555 0333. There are time limits for referring a complaint, so please check the Legal Ombudsman’s website for current details.
• You can also raise concerns with ICAEW directly — see icaew.com/regulation/complaints-process
• Charterhouse is also covered by ICAEW’s Legal Services Compensation Scheme, which provides a safety net for clients of ICAEW-regulated probate firms. – see https://www.icaew.com/regulation/probate-services/probate-consumer-hub/legal-services-compensation-scheme-arrangement.

To find out more about how Charterhouse can help you with your wills and probate please contact Raj Jiwani and complete our questionnaire and email it to us to review.

This page is reviewed regularly to ensure it remains accurate. Last updated: 17 August 2026