Choosing a Probate Solicitor UK: Fees & Tips (2025)

Overview

A probate solicitor is a legal professional who helps executors and administrators deal with the estate of someone who has died. That covers a lot of ground: applying for the grant of probate (or letters of administration where there is no will), valuing assets, settling debts, handling inheritance tax, transferring property, and distributing what is left to the beneficiaries.

Not every estate needs a solicitor. Small, straightforward estates with one property, a couple of bank accounts and an uncontested will can often be handled by the executor alone using the online probate service on gov.uk. Where things tend to get complicated, and where a solicitor earns their fee, is with larger estates, business interests, trusts, foreign assets, disputes between beneficiaries, or an inheritance tax position that needs careful thought.

Probate work is regulated, and any firm you instruct should be authorised by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. That matters because regulated firms carry professional indemnity insurance and are bound by rules on client money, conflicts of interest and transparent pricing.

Key steps

1. Work out how complex the estate actually is. Before you ring anyone, list what the deceased owned and owed. Property, pensions, ISAs, shareholdings, business interests, foreign assets and any lifetime gifts all add complexity. A simple estate under the nil-rate band with one executor looks nothing like a blended family estate with a trust and a holiday home in Spain. Knowing where yours sits helps you judge quotes sensibly.
2. Get at least three written quotes. Ring three or four firms and ask each one, in writing, how they charge, what is included, what is excluded, and what the likely total will be. You want quotes on the same basis so you can compare like for like. Be wary of estimates that feel suspiciously low; they often exclude things like property conveyancing, inheritance tax returns or dealing with HMRC correspondence.
3. Understand the fee model before you instruct. Probate firms typically charge a fixed fee, an hourly rate, a percentage of the estate, or some combination. Each has trade-offs. Ask how disbursements such as the probate application fee, bankruptcy searches and statutory notices are handled, and whether VAT is on top. Get the fee basis confirmed in the client care letter before any work starts.
4. Check credentials and experience with similar estates. Ask how many probate matters the fee earner personally handles each year, whether they are STEP-qualified (Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners), and whether they have dealt with estates that look like yours. A junior paralegal supervised by a partner may be perfectly fine for a simple estate but a poor choice for a contested one.
5. Agree the scope and communication plan in writing. Decide upfront which tasks the solicitor handles and which you keep. Some firms offer an unbundled service where you do the legwork and they only handle the technical parts. Whatever you agree, pin down how often you will get updates, who your point of contact is, and what happens if the estimate needs to rise.

Common questions