Residential Conveyancing

To put you at ease we can confirm that we are –. Regulated and monitored by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SAR). Credited by the Law Society’s Conveyance Quality Scheme which demonstrates best practice, technical expertise, and assured quality of service to you, the client.

Quote Generator

Our Quote Generator will provide you with a quotation from our standard client fee scale. The quote will be produced based on the information that you provide to the system. The quote will be for a solicitor to deal with standard and straight forward transaction. The solicitors dealing with your enquiry will either be Stuart Temple or Sally Harrison. Stuart has 15 years’ experience after qualifying as a Solicitor in 2004. Sally joined Kitching Walker in 1996 and has practiced conveyancing since then.

The cost we charge can increase if, for example, the transaction becomes more complicated than anticipated.

We have no fee referral arrangements with third parties.

Our fees cover all of the work that we are able to anticipate being required to complete on your sale, purchase or re-mortgage transaction. This includes the following:-

  • Purchase

    • Dealing with registration at the Land registry.
    • Dealing with a payment of Stamp Duty Land Tax (Stamp Duty) for proprieties in England.
    • Land Transaction Tax (Land Tax) if the property you are purchasing is in Wales.

  • Sale or Re-Mortgage

    • Dealing with redemption of any mortgage registered against the title to the property

Further costs can be incurred in respect of a purchase in relation to things such as Declarations of Trust in respect of ownership, second charges and Help to Buy initiatives.

Disbursements are cost related to your matter that are payable to third parties. These include Land Registry fees and search fees amongst other costs. We handle the payment of these disbursements for you.

The average time for a standard purchase is 12-14 weeks. This is dependent on the length of the chain and whether mortgage funding is required.

The quote provided by the quote generator is valid whether we meet you face to face in our office or all work is done via post, email and telephone. If you require any further information on this please do let us know.

Lasting Powers of Attorney

Lasting Power of Attorney (LPAs) is an important legal document which allows you to nominate who you want to make decisions for you, should you lose the capacity to make your own decisions.

Fiona Wray

There are two different types of LPAs:-

  1. Property and Financial Affairs
  2. Health and Welfare

Our fixed fees are based on the number of LPAs we are preparing:-

  • Single LPAs (an individual is making one type of LPA) costs £300.00 + VAT.
  • Two LPAs (a couple are making one LPA each or an individual is making both types) costs £450.00 + VAT.
  • Four LPAs (a couple is making both types) costs £900.00 + VAT.
  • This service includes:-
    • An initial no obligation consultation up to an hour and a half at our office with Fiona Wray whose specialist area is preparation and advice.
    • A home visit may be possible depending on your circumstances and location.
    • Advice about the pros and cons on making LPAs.
    • Advice about your choice on Attorneys.
    • Advice about the different ways Attorneys can be appointed.
    • Advice about Attorneys duties once they have been nominated and appointed as your Attorney.
    • Advice about preferences, instructions and drafting common clauses that may be required to be inserted into your LPA.
    • A second meeting to sign the LPA, discussions on your professional certificate provider and whether a capacity assessment is required.
    • Arranging for your Attorneys to sign the LPA.
    • Registration of the LPA at The Office of the Public Guardian

Exclusion from our quote

  • Fees of others for obtaining capacity assessment.
  • Office of the Public Guardianship registration fees which are currently £82.00 per Lasting Power of Attorney. This is also subject to your financial position.

Probate and Estate Administration

We wish to make it clear to you from the start how much our services are going to cost. Our work is dealing with Probate and Estate Administration which is charged on a time spent basis at an hourly rate of £200.00 per hour.

No two estates are the same and we understand that some clients will be able to deal with part of the administration of any estate themselves. Though some individuals will want us to deal with the estate from start to finish. On receiving the initial information and having an idea of what will be included in the administration of a particular estate we can tailor our services to suit your needs. We will give a good estimate of overall costs in our Client Care letter following initial meetings and discussions with you.

Here are some examples of the type of work which may be undertaken and the potential costs invalued:-

  • Grant Only

    This option is for clients who are capable and willing to do the majority of the estate of administration themselves. Kitching Walker will only be involved in preparing the Probate application papers for you and submitting the application to the Probate Registry. We will also deal with any general enquiries raised by the Probate Registry. This price includes the following:-

    • Drafting of the Oath for you to swear.
    • Preparation of Inheritance Tax Return (IHT205).
    • Face to face consultation with Paula Parkin
    • Obtaining Grant of Representation (Probate of Letter of Administration) from the Probate Registry
    • £600.00 – 800.00 (plus VAT and Disbursements Probate court fee £273.00 plus £1.50 office copy)

    What is not included in this service?

    • Preparation of IHT400. This is a further form required when an IHT205 cannot be used.
    • Preparation of IHT217. This is used to transfer a nil rate band.
    • Preparing renunciations or Powers of Attorney relating to the estate.
    • Advice relating to the actual administration of the estate.
    • Contacting third parties such as banks, service providers, government departments and/or beneficiaries.
    • Collecting in and distributing the estate.
    • The transfer to a beneficiary of sale of a property incorporated in the estate.

    If you would like to add any of these services listed above we will be able to tailor our quote to include these. Please do contact us to discuss the same. We expect to be able to finalise a Grant only service within the first 6 weeks of instruction subject to any unforeseen delays that are beyond our control.

  • Estate adminstration for estates

    The work involved in administrating an estate can include the following depending on the assets involved, IHT position and beneficiaries.

    • Contacting the various organisations to notify them of the death and request the required information (e.g. banks, building societies, pension companies, insurance companies, share registrars, HMRC, DWP, utility companies etc) obtaining valuation of assets.
    • Contacting the estate beneficiaries.
    • Checking the identity of beneficiaries and carrying out bankruptcy searches
    • Preparation of Inheritance Tax Return either IHT205 or IHT400 (there may also be foreign assets, business assets, agricultural property or lifetime gifts that must be accounted for)
    • Settlement of Inheritance Tax either by direct payment from the deceased person’s bank(s) or from your own funds
    • The transfer of one property (without mortgage) to beneficiaries
    • Placing notices for unknown creditors
    • A search of the Unclaimed Assets Register if required
    • Arranging insurance for a single property

    Other work which may be necessary may include:-

    • Arranging payment of Inheritance Tax by instalments
    • The sale of property (any conveyancing fees would be charged separately and deducted from the proceeds of the sale)
    • Dealing with any personal possessions
    • Liaising with Accountants regarding income tax affairs or Financial Advisers regarding sale or transfer of assets
    • Dealing with any disputes that may arise
    • Variation of the estate
    • Dealing with any business interests
    • Tracing missing beneficiaries
    • Locating missing wills
    • Any expenses, such as the Probate Registry fee, oath swearing fee, Land Registry fees

    A simple estate generally costs in the region of £2,500.00 plus VAT and disbursements but costs can reach £5,000.00 plus VAT depending on the time spent. A simple estate can take between 6 months and a year to complete.

    For a more complex estate fees can begin at £4,000 plus VAT. If there are a large number of assets or complex IHT matter, foreign jurisdictions, no Will, tracing beneficiaries costs can range considerably depending on how the estate is to be dealt with and the work involved.

It is difficult to give an estimate of timescales for these services as it will very much depend on your individual circumstances and many factors that will be beyond our control. We will let you know how long we estimate the service will take as soon as we have more details about the estate, but a complex estate can take between one and two years to complete.

Standard Wills

From £220.00 + VAT (individual) or £375.00 + VAT (couple making wills on similar terms)

A standard Will is suitable for most people with relatively straight forward estates.

A single Will with Life Interest is £250 + VAT.

What is included in this service:-

  • An initial, no obligation consultation at our office with Fiona Wray. A home visit may be possible depending on your circumstances and location
  • A second meeting at our office to sign the will
  • We will provide both witnesses (if signed at our offices) and ensure that the will is correctly signed
  • Appointment of executors
  • Appointment of guardians for minor children
  • Specifying who would inherit if any beneficiaries die before you
  • Specifying what age children will inherit
  • Will written in plain English
  • A comprehensive commentary explaining the terms of the will
  • Lifetime storage

When might a standard Will not be suitable:

  • If you require inheritance tax planning advice
  • If you require advice relating to life policies, pensions or mortgages
  • If you want to set up a trust in your will
  • If you are wanting to disinherit people from your estate
  • If you have foreign assets
  • If you have business interests
  • If we require an assessment of your capacity to make the will
  • Multiple or highly complex trusts
  • Advice relating to foreign assets
  • In depth advice relating to business interests
  • Drafting letters of wishes
  • Arranging an assessment of your capacity to make the will

Wills for a couple with Life Interest

£450.00 + VAT

Bespoke service

If the above fixed fee options aren’t suitable for you, you still have some options:

  • Once we know more about your circumstances and requirements we will try wherever possible to offer a bespoke fixed fee option at the initial consultation. As the initial meeting is on a no obligation, you won’t be committing to anything until the fee has been agreed.
  • On the rare occasion that it’s not possible to offer a fixed fee at the outset, we could agree to proceed on our Hourly Rate basis (Fiona Wray’s hourly rate is £200.00 inclusive of VAT). This is only likely to be the case if it’s difficult to estimate the amount of work required at the outset, for example, if we will have to liaise with third parties such as financial advisers and accountants.

Other Costs

  • Inheritance Tax advice will be time costed Minimum of £500 plus VAT for a couple
  • Codicil with one clause alteration: £100+ VAT
  • Severing the Joint Tenancy and Application To the Land Registry: £120+ VAT
  • Registering Lasting Power of Attorney £200+ VATRegistering Enduring Power of Attorney: £200+ VAT
  • Deed of Gift (no mortgage on the house): £425 + VAT
  • Assistant Rate (Alice’s hourly rate): £110
  • Travel Costs (home visit within 15 miles): £30 + VAT Longer distances will be charged on a time basis at £100 an hour