Because we are dedicated exclusively to probate work we are able to offer you a combination of important advantages
It takes only one phone call for us to be able to give you our
fixed price quotation.
Our charges for a full service where we do all the work involved in administering
the affairs of the deceased will be in the region of 1% of the value of
the estate. In some cases depending upon the make up of the esate these
charges may be less than 1%.
If you want our help with some part of the esate, for example obtaining
the grant or drawing up the final esate accounts we will give you a fixed
price for this having discussed your requirements.
You may also want to know something of the background to probate charges
in general and as part of our transparency policy you may want to visit
probate charges.
One of the most common complaints about probate work is that
it takes too long. The Probate Firm adresses this concern head on by giving
you a time scale in which the work will be completed.
There is little or no reliable independent evidence available
as to how long it takes to administer an estate. Even an average is difficult
to estimate because some estates take weeks, some take months and some
take years. What is clearer is that there is a widely held view that the
process takes too long. The Probate Firm is committed to giving you a
fixed time scale in which the work will be completed. In the unlikely
event that we do not adhere to our time limit we will impose upon ourselves
a penalty for every month until the matter is finished. Once you have
told us what is comprised in the estate we will not only give you our
fixed quotation in writing but also our fixed time scale for completing
the work. This will give the beneficiaries a guide as to when they might
expect to receive their money from the estate.
Again as part of our transparency policy and in order to give you some idea of how long it takes to deal with esates you may want to visit 'how long' and see the research we have done.
Transparency and Communication
We never want a client of the Probate Firm to say "I did
not understand what was happening and I wasn't kept informed".
At every opportunity we seek to explain and remove the mystery and jargon
from the process. Any legal term or process which we feel is not entirely
open and clear we will explain to you in plain and simple terms.
Our communication policy begins with a simple question. What do you want?
Do you prefer letters, e-mails, telephone calls to landlines or mobiles,
or some combination of these and just as importantly how often do you
want to hear from us? Some of you will want to use one method and some
of you another, some of you will want to hear very regularly whilst others
will say 'you get on with it and let us know when something important
happens'. Our aim is to establish the way you want us to work with you.
Track your case online
In addition we offer through specialised and secure software the opportunity
for you to view the progress of your file at any time which suits you.
If you work unusual hours this may well suit you, or if a question pops
into your mind you can look and see if it has been dealt with without
even needing to contact us personally.
Ethical Considerations
The Probate Firm is concerned that the work we do for you in
not just value for money, quick and efficient but that we do all we can
to carry it out in such a way that acknowledges the wider concerns of
ethics and the environment. So we use a bank whose mission statement includes
the words 'ethically guided'. At any one time the banks can be holding
enormous funds from all the estates which are in the process of administration.
We hope that our choice of a bank which in turn acknowledges how it deals
with that money may offer you reassurance. We also use a recycled paper
and operate a recycling policy in the office. We aim to reduce the paper
used overall and give priority to electronic communication whenever possible.