Where we help
We offer three levels of support, pitched at the help most families actually need — not the full white-glove service solicitors default to.
Executor Guidance (fixed fee). For executors who want to run the estate themselves but need someone to hold their hand. Initial consultation, a written roadmap tailored to the estate, a checklist of everything you need to do and when, and phone/email support for questions as you go. Most straightforward estates can be completed this way for a fraction of the cost of handing the whole job to a solicitor.
Grant Application Package. We prepare the HMRC inheritance tax forms (IHT205/IHT400 as appropriate) and the probate application for you. You provide the information, we do the paperwork, you sign and file. Once the grant arrives you continue administering the estate yourselves, with our guidance on tap.
Full Estate Administration. For larger or more complex estates where the family would rather not be filing forms at all. We handle everything end-to-end — valuations, HMRC, the grant, asset collection, debts, distribution, and estate accounts. Price agreed up front based on scope, not a percentage of the estate.
What we don't do — and why
We don't take a percentage of the estate as our fee. That approach, still common among banks and solicitors, produces eye-watering bills that bear no relation to the work involved. A straightforward estate worth £800,000 can attract fees of £20,000 or more on a percentage basis. We charge fixed fees based on the actual work.
We don't handle contested probate. If there's a live dispute — someone challenging the will, an Inheritance Act claim, a missing beneficiary — that's specialist contentious probate territory and you need a contentious probate solicitor. We'll tell you honestly when you've crossed that line, and we can point you to firms we trust.
We don't act as the executor ourselves. We think the person named in the will is usually the right person to see it through, with proper support. Professional executor appointments are rarely good value for the family.
We do not sell financial products, manage investments, or take commission for referring you elsewhere. If you need a financial adviser to help a beneficiary invest an inheritance, we'll suggest one — but our only fee is what we charge you directly.
