Guide
Fixed fee probate: what £500–£1,500 grant-only services include
Updated
Fixed-fee, grant-only probate sits between doing everything yourself and handing the whole estate to a firm. For many families it is the sensible middle: the legal paperwork done professionally, the rest kept in your hands, at a price agreed before anything starts.
What a grant-only service does
- You gather the information: the will, rough asset and debt figures, and the details the firm's questionnaire asks for.
- The firm prepares the probate application and the inheritance tax reporting that goes with it, checks the will, and submits everything.
- The grant of probate arrives, and from there you collect in the accounts, sell or transfer the property, pay any debts and distribute the estate yourself.
What's included, and what to check
- Typical 2026 quotes run £500–£1,500, usually plus VAT and always plus the £526 court fee; confirm both when comparing.
- Check which inheritance tax forms are covered: simple estates need less reporting, and some firms' headline fixed fee assumes the simple case, with the fuller tax forms priced as an extra.
- Ask what happens if the estate turns out more complicated than the questionnaire suggested; a good firm tells you the revised fee before doing the work.
- Fixed fee should mean fixed: a quote that reserves the right to switch to hourly billing without asking is not a fixed fee.
Choosing between the three routes
| Route | Typical cost | Best fit |
|---|---|---|
| Do it yourself | £526 fee only | Simple estate, an executor comfortable with careful admin and gov.uk forms |
| Fixed-fee grant only | £500–£1,500 plus the fee | You'll do the legwork, but want the application and tax forms done right |
| Full administration | Commonly 1–2.5% of the estate, or hourly | Complex estates, inheritance tax, disputes, or simply not wanting the burden |
None of these is the wrong answer, and you can change route: plenty of people start themselves and hand over when the tax forms arrive, or buy grant-only help and administer the rest confidently. The estate pays the professional fees either way, and nothing obliges you to decide today.