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Don’t let Probate add to the pain

Expert accountants simplifying Probate with clarity, care and tax expertise
saving families time, money and stress.

What is Probate and why it can feel overwhelming?

Probate is the legal process that gives an executor the authority to deal with someone’s estate after they die - from valuing assets and settling debts to ensuring everything is passed on according to the will or Intestate rules.

But at a time of grief, even straightforward tasks can feel heavy.

The volume of paperwork, the need to contact multiple institutions, the pressure of meeting HMRC deadlines and the fear of making a mistake all add to the emotional strain of bereavement.

At GSM, we aim to lift as much of that burden as possible. Our probate specialists handle the complex, time-sensitive work with clarity and care, giving you space to focus on your loved ones while we ensure every detail is managed properly and respectfully.

email: mail@gsmaccountants.co.uk

Probate with Clarity & Care
from GSM

GSM 7-Step Guide to Probate

At GSM, we understand that Probate isn’t just a legal process. It’s personal. It’s about honouring someone’s wishes and handling everything with clarity, accuracy and dignity.

We make the process clearer, calmer and more manageable, combining Probate expertise with deep financial understanding.

Whether you’re acting as an executor now or planning ahead, If you’d like to talk through your situation or simply need reassurance about where to start, we’re here to help and provide Probate with clarity & care.

Download your FREE
GSM 7-Step Guide to Probate now

You don’t have to face Probate alone, GSM will guide, advise and advocate for you every step of the journey.

Why GSM?

Lower, transparent pricing

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Unlike many banks and solicitors who charge a percentage of the estate value, GSM takes a fairer and more transparent approach. We charge only for the time spent, using clear hourly rates that reflect the level of expertise involved. With property often being the largest asset and London values continuing to rise, a percentage fee can lead to unnecessarily high costs. Our time-based structure means clients pay only for the work required.

Faster Probate

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Because our probate team combines deep tax knowledge with efficient estate administration, we complete cases quickly and accurately, helping to keep overall costs down while ensuring every detail is handled with care.

Tax expertise to protect inheritance

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Our team has deep experience in IHT, CGT and estate tax planning. We protect more of your inheritance through expert valuations, reliefs and tax-efficient handling.

Handled by qualified accountants who understand estates and Inheritance Tax inside-out.

Empathy first. Expertise always

What GSM can do for you?

  • Register the death with HMRC & gather key documents
  • Value the Estate
  • Complete & submit Inheritance Tax (IHT) Forms
  • Apply for the Grant of Probate
  • Collect Assets & Pay Debts
  • Handle Tax Matters During Administration
  • Distribute the Estate to Beneficiaries

At GSM we provide non-contentious probate services and advise in a practical, empathetic and transparent way.

Your Questions Answered

No. GSM is licensed by the ICAEW to carry out Non-contentious probate in a cost effective and efficient manner.
This depends on the estate, but GSM’s financial expertise and structured process speed up the timeline significantly.
We can still help. We support next of kin through intestacy cases.
GSM offers clear, fair time-based fees with no hidden charges.
Yes. GSM handles all tax matters and can assist you in arranging valuations for every type of asset.

For any more questions you may have, call 020 7935 3793 or email...

mail@gsmaccountants.co.uk

Reassurance for you and your loved ones.

Planning Ahead?

Getting things in order

Thoughtful preparation can spare your loved ones unnecessary stress at an already difficult time.

GSM helps you organise your affairs clearly and comprehensively - from ensuring your will reflects your wishes to making sure key documents, assets and financial information are structured and accessible.

With everything in good order, you gain peace of mind knowing your estate can be managed smoothly, efficiently and exactly as you intend.

Gifting in Lifetime

Lifetime gifting can be a meaningful way to support loved ones and reduce the eventual tax burden on your estate .

However, doing it well requires careful planning.

GSM provides clear guidance on allowable gifts, exemptions and the long-term implications of different choices. We help you give confidently and strategically, making sure your generosity delivers the greatest benefit without creating unintended tax consequences.

Inheritance Tax Planning

Inheritance Tax can significantly reduce what you pass on, but with the right planning many people can minimise or even eliminate unnecessary liabilities.

GSM can analyse your personal and financial circumstances to identify reliefs, exemptions and structuring opportunities tailored to you.

Our specialist team helps you protect more of your estate, ensuring your wealth goes to the people and causes you care about.

Don’t put more of your money than required into the hands of the Chancellor.
Speak to a GSM Probate specialist today on 020 7935 3793 and take the next step with confidence, whether you’re planning ahead or handling an estate right now.

A trusted Probate partner for you and the families you serve

Why partner with GSM?

GSM is a specialist in probate and estate administration, with over a century of experience in inheritance tax, capital gains tax and estate administration.

We help protect more of your clients’ wealth through expert valuations, accurate tax handling and efficient estate management.

Working with us means your clients and their families receive expert guidance at every stage, easing complexity, saving time and reducing the risk of costly errors.

The result is a smoother probate experience for them and a stronger, more trusted service offering for your business.

Looking for a trusted partner to support your clients through Probate?

GSM has over 100 years of experience

Enquire about partnering with GSM

Call 020 7935 3793

Get in touch today for clear, compassionate and expert Probate support for you, your family or your clients.

“GSM & Co has been our accountants, both with our family and personal business, for many years. We have established a very good working relationship based on mutual respect and a clear understanding always from the firm of our requirements. We have gradually been divesting ourselves of our business interests and GSM & Co has handled the necessary work with competence, rapidity, enthusiasm, and a necessary degree of good humour. Jenny Tolmie has overseen the voluntary liquidation of family companies, and the reallocation of the funds thereby created including lifetime gifting. The quality of the advice on IHT issues throughout has been excellent and has helped shape our actions as a family. The fact that GSM & Co have many members of staff who have been with the firm for many years has given a continuity of support that has always been reassuring.”

Sue Page & Simon Page

"When our father passed away, we were concerned about finding an appropriate solicitor to handle the probate on the family estate. That was until we spoke to Jenny and her team at GSM. Not only did they have all the wills and land registry information in their safe, but they have been closely running all of our family's financial matters for almost 70 years. It makes complete sense for accountants to be able to handle such affairs. And we were thrilled to find out that policy had changed to enable those closest to the actual numbers and financial mechanics of our family to take us through the process. GSM were clear. They were well priced. They took care of me and my sister as we were navigating a difficult time. We cannot recommend GSM enough."

Richard Newman

Our charging structure

Whilst the more traditional method of charging for Probate services by banks and solicitors was a fixed percentage fee of the estate value, being central London accountants we made a conscious decision to charge based on time spent at our hourly charge out rates. Given an individual’s highest value asset is usually their home and property values in London and the surrounding areas continue to rise rapidly, we felt this was a much fairer and transparent approach to take.

Our 2026 hourly charge rates, which are updated annually, are as follows:

Partner
£300*
Tax Manager
£244*
Supervisor
£144*
Tax Assistant
£120*

*All rates quoted are subject to VAT. In addition any disbursements paid such as probate registration fees, postage and other costs would also be charged on the account.

Every probate case will vary in relation to the time taken to complete the process as it depends on a wide variety of factors including nature and complexity of assets, correspondence with third parties, the need to undertake valuations for specific assets, complications in the process with HMRC or the Probate office and locating beneficiaries to name but a few. However we firmly believe that as accountants with extensive tax and probate knowledge we are best placed to prepare probate work in a quick efficient manner thus helping to keep the overall costs down.

Whilst we cannot give specific quotes for reasons mentioned above, we have provided some illustrations of our charges based on previous probate cases and our experience. Please bear in mind these charges are just an indication and each case will differ depending on the complexity of each estate:

1. If the executors/next of kin gather all information for the deceased estate and prepare the Inheritance Tax form along with the probate application form then would like our firm to review the schedule of assets, relevant forms and IHT calculations

Our fees would usually be in the range of £2,000 to £2,500 + vat;

2. If the executors/next of kin gather all information for the deceased estate and would like our firm to review the schedule of assets, prepare the Inheritance Tax form along with the probate application form, calculate Inheritance Tax liability and submit the returns to HMRC & the Probate office

Our fees would usually be in the range of £3,500 to £6,000 + vat;

3. If the executors/next of kin would like our firm to gather all information for the deceased estate, prepare the schedule of assets along with Inheritance Tax form and the probate application form, calculate Inheritance Tax liability and submit the returns to HMRC & the Probate office

Our fees would usually be in the range of £6,000 to £11,000 + vat;

4. If the executors/next of kin would like the full suite of services including everything in 3. above along with Estate administration including the collection of assets, payment of liabilities and distributions to beneficiaries

Our fees would usually be in the range of £8,000 to £18,000 + vat;

If the estate is deemed a complex estate with multiple assets, complicated issues and multiple beneficiaries our fees could be in excess of £20,000 + vat. In the instance we are dealing with a complex estate this is likely to be known from the outset and we will advise you of this as soon as we can.

We do not deal with contentious probate cases but we can refer you to a solicitor who will be able to assist you in such cases.

To view our licence with ICAEW (reference number C005302274) please visit https://www.icaew.com/regulation/probate-services  and click on ICAEW probate register.

We aim to provide all our clients with an exceptional level of service. However in the event you are dissatisfied with the service we are providing to you please contact our Head of Legal Practice Jennifer Tolmie who will endeavour to handle your complaint in a timely fashion and to your satisfaction.

In the unlikely event that she is not able to satisfy your complaint you can ask Richard Hill (another partner in our firm) to look into your complaint, you can make a complaint to ICAEW https://www.icaew.com/regulation/complaints-process/make-a-complaint  or you can make a formal complaint to the Legal Ombudsman https://www.legalombudsman.org.uk/make-a-complaint/

Our firm has professional indemnity insurance in place in accordance with the requirements of ICAEW and details of our cover will be provided in our standard terms of engagement. In addition the ICAEW has a Probate compensation scheme

https://www.icaew.com/regulation/probate-services/information-for-consumers/probate-compensation-scheme-arrangements