Probate and Estate Administration

SRLV is a professional firm regulated by the ICAEW to carry out probate and estate administration. If your family has suffered a bereavement and you have been appointed as an executor in the Will or a Will has not been left, SRLV is here to provide advice and assistance during this difficult time for you and your family.

Our Key Services

  • Send notifications of death to financial institutions, government organisations, utilities and household contacts
  • Establishing history; family, businesses, trusts, assets, liabilities and lifetime gifts
  • Ascertain whether there is any entitlement to reliefs such as business property relief and assist with finalising the estates income tax, capital gains and inheritance tax position
  • Business and share valuations
  • Preparation of estate accounts and tax returns
  • Preparation of inheritance tax returns and provision of inheritance tax advice
  • Preparation of papers for application for the Grant of Probate or Grant of Administration
  • Place statutory notices of death in the London Gazette
  • Administration of estates, collection of monies and liaising with third parties
  • Assisting with the settlement of liabilities and distribution of the Estate
  • Advice on tax planning opportunities
  • Setting up trusts and ongoing liaison with beneficiaries.

Our Pricing

Our work is charged on an hourly rate basis however we will seek to agree our fee prior to the commencement of each assignment.

Our hourly rates are as follows:

  • Partner: £475
  • Director: £315
  • Managers: £150 – £200
  • Assistants: £50 – £100

Disbursements

We may incur costs on behalf of an estate which will then be invoiced to the estate. Examples of such costs include the probate application fee, searches, and notices/advertisements of death. We always notify executors of such costs in advance of them being incurred.

Standard Timeframes

On average, our work for estates that fall within the meaning of a standard estate as described above, will take between 6 and 12 months to complete.

Regulatory

SRLV LLP is licensed by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales to carry out the reserved legal activity of non-contentious probate in England and Wales.

Complaints

We are committed to providing a high-quality service to our clients. If a client has any comments about how we can improve our service, or they are unhappy with the service received, they should let us know by contacting Gavin Lenthall, Head of Legal Practice. We will consider carefully any complaint that is made about our probate or estate administration work as soon as we receive it and will do all we can to resolve the issue. If we do not deal with any complaint satisfactorily then a client may take the matter up with our professional body the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and the Legal Ombudsman.

The contact details for the Legal Ombudsman are:
Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton WV1 9WJ
E-mail: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
Telephone: 0300 555 0333

ICAEW Compensation Scheme

In the unlikely event that we cannot meet our liabilities to a client, the client may be able to seek a grant from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales compensation scheme. Further information about the scheme and the circumstances in which grants may be made is available on Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales website: https://www.icaew.com/probate

Contact

For further information about our probate and estate administration services, please contact:

Gavin Lenthall
Partner
E: Gavin.Lenthall@srlv.co.uk
T: 020 7079 8888

Tina Sunderland
Partner
E: Tina.Sunderland@srlv.co.uk
T: 020 7079 8888