Costs and fees
The Truth About Fixed Price Probate
If you have been searching for Probate help, you will have noticed a wave of providers advertising “fixed price Probate.” It sounds simple and reassuring. But the reality is often more complicated than the marketing suggests. This article looks at what fixed price Probate actually means, where the hidden costs tend to appear, and why a DIY approach with the right support frequently makes more financial sense.
Why does “fixed price” Probate exist?
Traditionally, solicitors charged by the hour for Probate, or took a percentage of the estate value, sometimes 1 to 4% or more. On a £400,000 estate, 2% is £8,000. As more families became aware of how much they were being charged for what is fundamentally an administrative process, pressure grew for more transparent pricing.
“Fixed price” Probate emerged as a response. The problem is that “fixed price” is rarely as fixed as it sounds.
What the advertised price often does not include
Most fixed price Probate services quote a base fee for a straightforward estate. Once you engage with the firm, the price adjusts based on a long list of variables:
- Whether the estate includes property (almost always an additional charge)
- Whether Inheritance Tax forms are required (often treated as an add-on)
- Whether the deceased died without a will
- Whether there are multiple Beneficiaries or disputed claims
- Whether any assets require specialist valuations
Many providers advertise a headline figure of £500 to £800 but routinely issue final invoices in the range of £1,500 to £5,000 once the estate has been assessed. Always ask for a binding quote in writing before committing.
Do you even need a professional Probate service?
For most estates in England and Wales, the honest answer is no. Probate is a structured administrative process, not one requiring specialist qualifications. The forms and calculations are defined by HMRC and the Probate Registry. What they require is accuracy and thoroughness, not a legal qualification.
Some estates genuinely warrant professional help: contested claims, complex trust arrangements, business assets with specialist relief implications, overseas assets. For these situations, a specialist Probate solicitor is worth the cost. But for the great majority of people, a more affordable option is available.
What makes YouCanDoProbate different
YouCanDoProbate charges a single fixed fee of £499 inc. VAT. That is genuinely fixed. There are no add-ons for having a property in the estate, no extra charge for IHT forms, and no percentage of estate value taken. The fee covers the complete PA1P or PA1A application form, the full IHT400 return, every supplementary schedule, all exemption calculations, and unlimited support from our UK-based team.
The only costs on top are the government fees: £526 to the Probate Registry and £2 per official copy of the Grant you need.
The easy and affordable way to apply for probate
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It is an excellent, easy to use site and refreshingly dispenses with having to use a solicitor and avoids their unnecessary high fees.
An Excellant service. I made good use of the advice given in the app which made the process simple and unbelievably it was granted by the HMCTS just four working days after it was delivered to them. Admittedly it was a relatively simple estate but definitely worth considering using this app rather than very expensive solicitors.
We followed all the instructions on how to fill in the appropriate spaces. As it was done at the weekend there was no one to speak to but on Monday when I got in a bit of a muddle Tom talked me through what I had to do. It all worked out fine in the end & I would recommend them to anyone who wanted to tackle Probate themselves.
I wanted to have a go at doing probate myself but did not have the confidence to go it alone. This platform was the perfect compromise and saved us thousands in Solicitors fees. I work as a Digital Project Manager so I am computer literate, but I can confirm the platform is very user friendly and intuitive for anyone to use. I phoned the helpline once for advice and they called me back within 24 hours with helpful and friendly guidance. It was not an ‘accepted estate’ and there were several exemptions to be submitted. You Can Do Probate handled this with ease. After using the platform to generate the first set of estate summary forms for HMRC I received confirmation from them within 11 days of posting. I then printed and submitted the probate forms to HM Courts. It took 9 days to receive an approval email and the Certificate of Probate arrived in the post the next day. So from start to finish – 20 working days. We were shocked at the speed! I would highly recommend You Can Do Probate. Absolutely worth the purchase fee. Thank you for making a really difficult time a little easier to navigate.
Better then spending 1000s on solicitors fees!
I was so happy I found YouCanDoProbate. I did not even know where to start with this process but as soon as you register with them on line (and pay the fee) it guides you through step by step. You then just print off the the forms and send them off. It made a complicated system really simple for us.
Easier to complete than I initially thought.
The staff team were supportive and return calls were reasonably prompt, its important to account for other customers feeling swamped by the experience too. The online forms were clear and the finance running totals displayed at the top of the form so calculations are as exact to the info you put in to the form. I liked the fact that I felt more confident in completing probate, that I did not feel silly when asking questions. The team are respectful and account for the emotional situation you fnd yourself in.
I found the platform very helpful. I was especially impressed with the help desk capability – very timely and helpful.
From my first call to YouCanDoProbate I felt confident in the help I would receive throughout the process of applying for grant of probate for my mum’s estate. The HMRC forms are not complicated but having access to support and having confirmation that no tax is due and that you have declared everything correctly, is very reassuring. It is worth the money for peace of mind and cost much less than hiring a solicitor
Easy and Simple to use
I received my Grant of Probate two weeks after using this service. It was incredibly simple to use, the instructions and prompts were clear and concise. All the calculations were done for me. So much quicker than using a solicitor and much much cheaper. I made the application in between Christmas and New Year when most solicitors would have been closed. Probate was granted on 5th January. Using this service was money well spent.
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