Wills & Probate
Professional. Approachable. Experienced.
At Jennings Perks Solicitors, we understand that planning your affairs — or dealing with those of a loved one who has passed away — can be an emotional and challenging time.
Our dedicated and experienced team provides sensitive, straightforward guidance through what can often be complex and delicate matters. We take the time to understand your circumstances and deliver practical, tailored solutions based on many years of specialist experience.
- Preparation of all types of Wills
- Probate and Estate Administration
- Post-death variations
- Preparation and registration of Lasting Powers of Attorney (including existing Enduring Powers of Attorney)
- Court of Protection applications
- Long-term care planning
Whether you are acquiring premises for your business, managing an investment portfolio, or assembling land for development, we provide pragmatic, solution-focused support tailored to your objectives.
At Jennings Perks Solicitors, we are committed to full transparency regarding costs throughout the administration of an estate.
Before any probate work begins, we will provide a clear estimate of likely costs — including anticipated third-party expenses — based on the information available at the time.
- The value of the estate
- Whether there is a valid Will
- The number of beneficiaries involved
- The volume and type of assets within the estate
- Whether multiple properties are held
- Whether all assets are located in England and Wales
- Whether Inheritance Tax must be calculated and paid
- A dedicated and experienced probate solicitor to handle your matter throughout, including an initial meeting to discuss the estate, the steps involved and likely timescales.
- Identifying the legally appointed Executors or Administrators (where there is no valid Will) and confirming the beneficiaries before corresponding with them.
- Determining the appropriate type of probate application required.
- Ascertaining the value of the estate and obtaining date of death valuations from relevant organisations, including banks, building societies, utility providers, benefit providers and insurance companies, where necessary.
- Preparing and completing all required probate documentation and HM Revenue & Customs forms.
- Calculating any Inheritance Tax payable based on the estate assets at the date of death.
- Liaising with HM Revenue & Customs and relevant financial institutions to arrange payment of any Inheritance Tax due.
- Submitting all documentation to HM Revenue & Customs and the Probate Registry on your behalf and obtaining the Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration.
- Filing corrective tax accounts if estate values change significantly and additional tax becomes payable or refundable.
- Collecting in the estate assets.
- Placing statutory advertisements where required to protect against future claims.
- Preparing full estate accounts.
- Distributing the estate once the estate accounts have been approved by the Executors or Administrators.
If the estate includes property that needs to be sold, a separate quotation will be provided for the conveyancing work involved.
Our Private Client department provides clear, practical advice to help you plan for the future and manage important personal matters with confidence. We understand that making a Will, administering an estate or planning for later life can be sensitive, and we are committed to delivering tailored guidance with efficiency and care.
The department is led by Andrew, who specialises in Will drafting, asset protection and care fee planning, Probate and Estate Administration, and the preparation and registration of Lasting Powers of Attorney. Having qualified as a Solicitor in 1995, Andrew joined Jennings Perks in 2013 and became a Director in 2015. He ensures every matter is handled professionally, sensitively and with close attention to each client’s individual circumstances.
Dominique joined the firm in 2024 as part of the Private Client team, specialising in Wills, Trusts, Probate and Estate Planning. With over 15 years’ experience in the legal sector through the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives route, she provides clear, practical advice with a supportive and approachable manner.
She advises individuals and families on Wills, estate administration, trusts, Deeds of Variation and Lasting Powers of Attorney, ensuring matters are handled with care and sensitivity. Dominique also assists with residential conveyancing matters, including sales, purchases and transfers of equity, and is currently studying with STEP to further develop her expertise in private client work.
Below details the main stages of the probate process:
- Register the death
- Determine if the person who has died has left a Will & deal with relevant individuals accordingly
- Assess the estate
- Pay any inheritance tax due
- Submit the application for grant of probate (or letters of administration if there is no will) & inheritance tax forms if applicable
- Receive grant of probate
- Pay any inheritance tax due
- Sell / Realise any assets including property belonging to the estate
- Pay off any debts
Distribute the remainder of the estate to the beneficiaries
How long will it take?
- Generally speaking, ‘simple’ estate matters such as those described above can normally be dealt with within 6-8 months. This is broken down into the following stages, with rough time estimates for each stage as follows:
- applying for the grant of probate: 1 to 3 months;
- notifying asset holders, placing legal notices and collecting assets: 3 to 5 months
- distributing the assets: 5 to 7 months;
- Preparing the estate accounts: 7 to 8 months
Details relating to the pricing of our probate services are as follows:-
Obtaining a grant of probate in an estate where Inheritance tax is not applicable £1,000
Obtaining a grant of probate and conducting the full estate administration where there is a valid Will & Inheritance tax is not applicable £2,000 to £5,000
Obtaining a grant of letters of administration (no valid Will) and conducting the full estate administration & Inheritance tax is not applicable £2,000.00 to £6,000
Obtaining a grant of probate or letters of administration where there is inheritance tax to pay or no tax to pay but the assets of the estate require a full inheritance tax return to be submitted £3,500 to £15,000
Jennings Perks Solicitors are appointed as Executors 1.5% gross value of estate
Disbursements
Probate Court fee (depending on number of sealed copies of Grant of Probate) £300.00
Post in The London Gazette (this protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors) £69.50
Post in a Local Newspaper (This also helps to protect against unexpected claims) £50 to £150
Office Copy Entries (per property) to check property ownership £7.00 (incl. of VAT at 20%)
Official copies of Probate £16.00 each (no VAT) Bankruptcy searches £7.00 each (No VAT)
All fees are subject to VAT @ 20%
It would not normally be necessary to undertake other work or incur other costs other than those described above. However, we would we very happy to provide you with a more tailored quote for all stages of your particular case once we know about your specific circumstances.
