Fees – effective from 1 December 2022

It is understandable that the cost of legal services will be a concern to clients.

• How much for a Power of Attorney?
• What is the cost of making a Will?
• How much does a Notary Public charge?

We strive to provide all our clients with a clear quotation from the start.

We offer a cost effective service, not a cheap legal service.

We undertake regular benchmarking which provides us with the assurance that our fees are competitive and fair.

The cost of a service may consist of :

• our fees
• any outlays we incur in carrying out the work, such as the dues payable to the Sheriff Court or the  Office of the Public Guardian and postage charges for sending precious documents by tracked delivery

We ask for payment in full at the end of a transaction except in executry matters where we may ask for an interim fee at the time we lodge an application in the Sheriff Court

We understand that every client is different. 

Taking time at the start of our relationship to ascertain how best we can work together is a good investment which will benefit both parties. 

Here is a short summary of our fees, current from 1 December 2022

Notarial work 

Standard Notarisation	£90
Drafting and notarising Affidavit, Declaration or other short documents	£150
Assistance obtaining Apostille from Foreign and Commonwealth Office	£80 plus postage
Certifying copy documents as true copies – discounts for multiple copies	£40
Initiating verification of degree with Higher Education Degree Datacheck	£45

Expenses

The Foreign Office charge for each Apostille	£30 plus postage
Higher Education Datacheck charge	£12

Wills 

For an individual	£300
Couples	£550
Advance Directive / Living Will	£150

Where a complex Will is required the fee will be quoted after an initial consultation

Powers of Attorney 

For an individual	£280
Couples	£530
Registration dues –  Office of the Public Guardian	£83 for each document

Executries

Whenever possible fixed fees will be offered after an initial consultation

Where the work is novel or unusual it may be more effective to charge at an hourly rate of £280

As a general guide and depending on the circumstances of the executry :

for smaller estates the fee will be from around £2,000

where the deceased held moderate assets and for instance an application for tax relief has to be made the fee will be from around £3,000 

where inheritance tax is payable the fee will be higher.

In cases of intestacy : 

where the court has to be asked to appoint an executor             : fixed fee £280

where a bond of caution is required                                                 : fixed fee £280

Court dues

The court dues for receiving and examining the inventory of assets vary according to the value of the estate and currently are :

• under £50,000            :  no fee
• £50,000 to £250,000 : £271
• exceeding £250,000  : £543

In addition each certificate of confirmation:   £8 

Petition to have an executor dative appointed: £19