Fees

How much does it cost?

Transparent fees

It is understandable that the cost of legal services will often be a concern to clients. We strive to provide all our clients with a firm quotation from the start.

Cost effective legal services

We do not offer cheap legal services and believe that if a Will only costs £50 that is not enough. We offer a cost effective service and 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.
  
• 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 when we may ask for an interim fee at the time we lodge the application in the Sheriff Court.

Free no obligation preliminary discussion

We understand that every client is different. We do not charge for initial meetings; taking time at the start of our relationship to ascertain how best we can best work together is a good investment which will benefit both parties.

Here is a short summary of our fees, current from 1 December 2021.

Notary Public

Notarisation services	Fees
Standard notarisation	£80
Drafting Affidavit, Declaration, Certificate or other short documents*	£150
Assistance obtaining Apostille from Foreign and Commonwealth Office**	£70
Certifying copies of documents as true copies - fees for each copy	£35
Initiating verification of degree with Higher Education Degree Datacheck	£45

*If advice or more complicated drafting is required there would be a further charge at the rate of no more than £200 an hour.

**Fees do not include postage or the cost of the Apostille, currently £30

More information on Notary Public

Will writing services

Will writing services	Fees
Standard Will - individual	£240
Mirror Will - couples	£440

Where a more complicated Will is required the fee will be higher and a quotation will be given after an initial consultation.

More information on Will Writing services

Powers of Attorney

Power of Attorney services	Fees
Power of Attorney - individual	£230
Power of Attorney - couples	£420

The dues for registering each document with the Office of the Public Guardian are £81.

More information on Powers of Attorney

Executry fees

Assistance with part of the estate administration

We are happy to consider providing assistance only with those parts of the administration where you request our input; this would reduce the fees payable by the estate and might mean for instance that we would only assist the executors with the application to the Sheriff Court for confirmation.

The fee would depend on the individual circumstances of the case. Please contact us to discuss your requirements on 0131 564 1044.

Assistance with the whole of the estate administration

Executry - whole of the estate administration	Fees (estimate)
Small estates	£900 - £1,500
Medium size straightforward estate The administration will be straightforward, there is no inheritance tax to pay, there is a valid Will, an executor willing to act, a small number of beneficiaries and no family disputes or claims against the estate	£1,500 - £3,500
Medium to large size more complicated estate There is a valid Will and an executor already appointed and able to act, there may be a variety of assets and multiple beneficiaries, potential disputes or claims against the estate, spouse or other exemptions apply although the estate may be over the inheritance tax limit	£3,500 - £8,000
Larger estates with potential for complex issues A valid Will exists and an executor able to provide instructions, multiple assets and beneficiaries, potential family or other disputes, a liability for inheritance tax, multiple tax schedules required, related relief and exemption claims	£8,000 upwards

Additional work will be required where

• There is no Will or no executor remaining willing or able to act, in which case the Sheriff Court has to appoint an executor
  
• A bond of caution is required in cases of intestacy; this is a type of insurance policy which provides security for the beneficiaries
  
• There are any disputes between the beneficiaries or the executors.
  

In these circumstances an additional fee will be payable and will be charged at no more than £200 an hour.

The fees indicated above do not include the cost of any property conveyancing.

In each case we will give you as accurate an assessment of fees as is feasible at the start.

Sheriff Court dues

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

More information on Executry services

Contact us

Quill Legal would be very happy to answer any queries you may have and to assist you with any work which you wish to instruct.

Set up a call with Kay at Quill Legal for a preliminary discussion on 0131 564 1044 or send us an email.