Low-cost probate service from solicitors
Probate is the process of dealing with a deceased’s person’s affairs. If there is a Will, it will involve carrying out the wishes written in the Will.
A gradual shift is taking place in the market place for professional probate services. So what are the options?
Solicitors, banks and trust corporations
Probate can be a long, expensive and complex process. Often, Executors and bereaved relatives choose to instruct a professional probate service.
In most cases, a solicitor is the first choice. A specialist probate solicitor has considerable experience and expertise. Costs vary, usually depending on the complexity or value of the Estate or the time spent. Costs also vary between firms, with some charging considerably more than others.
If a nearby firm has a good reputation (and perhaps you have dealt with them before), you may find the friendly face and local service to be the best option for you. If you prefer, probate can be done “at a distance”, for example if you find better value elsewhere.
Most high street banks have a probate department. Typically, banks charge considerably more than solicitors, often up to 4% of the value of the Estate. If a Will was stored with a bank, it is often considered the easiest option to allow the bank to deal with the probate, but, as with any service, it is advisable to shop around.
Probate services are also offered by trust corporations in some cases.
New probate services
Recently, a new type of probate service has emerged. It is “supermarket” probate, with nationwide probate services offered by a variety of “non-traditional” institutions, such as supermarkets, legal firms and companies set up with the sole aim of providing probate.
Often, this service is provided at low cost, sometimes on a fixed fee basis. Often, it is not. Some services charge more than solicitors without offering the same level of expertise, and are succeeding (so far) on the basis of a household brand name. Many services market themselves as an alternative to solicitors, but are not up front about their fees.
Some probate services offer low prices, others do not.
Probate-law.co.uk
Winston Solicitors, the firm of solicitors behind Law Chat, has recently set up a low cost, fixed fee probate service called “Probate-Law.co.uk“.
We believe it is the best of all worlds, with our solicitors offering years of experience and specialist expertise alongside a clear, up-front pricing structure.
For a non-taxable Estate, the Probate-Law.co.uk fixed fee is £1,495 + VAT, plus disbursements (expenses).
The service is nationwide and is not available to clients local to us (in north Leeds), who will continue to benefit from our face-to-face probate service.
For more information on this low-cost service please visit the website, www.probate-law.co.uk, telephone LO-CALL 0845 009 5640 or contact us direct at Winston Solicitors. If you have any questions about this service, you can use the comments form on this page.
