Getting an estate administration quote: what to ask and what to provide

Start with the work you want help with

A grant application service and full estate administration cover different work. Check which you are comparing before looking at the price.

Full administration can include enquiries about assets and debts, tax and probate documents, collecting funds, paying liabilities, estate accounts and distributions. The written quote should identify the work the firm is taking on.

You can request a quote through GetWill before deciding whether to go ahead. One executor can gather quotations for the others to consider. You do not need to bring every executor into GetWill just to enquire.

What helps us give you an accurate quote

A rough picture is enough to start:

• The approximate estate value, before debts, and whether it includes property.
• The banks, investment providers and other organisations involved.
• Any known debts, lifetime gifts, trusts or assets outside the UK.
• How many people and charities inherit, and whether anyone is under 18 or needs tracing.
• Whether there is a will, any codicils and any concern about their contents or validity.
• Who the executors are and where they live.

A copy of the will helps us understand the gifts and administration needed. You can enquire without it and add it when available. Do not post the original until we ask for it.

You do not need every beneficiary's address or a complete set of bank statements to make an initial enquiry. We explain what else is needed to settle the scope.

How your fee is worked out

Our fee guide starts with the estate's gross value and whether there is property. We consider the work beyond that starting point, including tax requirements, beneficiaries, assets and anything unusual.

More beneficiaries can mean more correspondence, checks, payments and accounts work. A large number is relevant to the quote, but does not by itself mean there is a dispute.

You can review your written quote in GetWill. It confirms the scope of Fifty Six Law’s legal work, fee including VAT, assumptions and exclusions. Court and other outside costs are shown separately. See our prices, worked examples and outside costs.

Charitable gifts and groups of beneficiaries

Where a will divides the residue between groups, we check how each group's share is divided. The residue means what remains after the estate's debts, expenses and earlier gifts have been dealt with.

Charity names, gift wording and the correct recipient need checking before payment. Charity mergers or a gift to a charity that no longer exists can need closer attention.

Qualifying charitable gifts can reduce the estate's taxable value. The gross estate value alone does not tell us whether tax is due. See GOV.UK's explanation of charitable gifts.

Tax reporting and tax payable are separate questions. A full inheritance tax account can be required even when no tax is payable. HMRC explains when full details are needed.

Compare the likely overall cost

Ask each provider to show:

• Its fee, including VAT, and when payment is due.
• Anticipated court fees, notices, searches and other outside costs.
• Whether the service reaches final accounts and payments to all beneficiaries.
• Any work excluded, such as conveyancing, a dispute or separate trust administration.
• What happens if more work becomes necessary.
• Expected stages and the information needed from the executors.

An estimate for outside costs should explain its assumptions. For example, the number and type of searches depend on the recipients and work involved.

What if the work changes?

Fifty Six Law explains proposed additional work and its cost in writing before it begins. Where executors instruct us together, we agree how instructions and approvals will be given.

A concern about a will, trust or executor may need our specialist contentious probate team. That work needs its own scope and agreement. Read about contentious probate and trust disputes.

Start your quote in GetWill, or return to your existing estate in GetWill. Share what you have; we can ask about the gaps.