Assisted probate · Crawley & Horsham

Assisted probate.
Done with you.

Keep control of the estate, with experienced help through the paperwork.

Being an executor brings responsibilities you may never have dealt with before. I’m Richard Smith. I work alongside you to gather the information, organise valuations, work through the relevant paperwork and respond to questions within our agreed scope.

You remain the executor and make the decisions. We agree the work and a fixed fee before starting.

Schedule a call Email Richard

Free initial conversation. No obligation. No cold calls or canvassing.

Fixed fee, agreed before work begins

Help with as much or as little as agreed

Local, personal, one-to-one support

Done with you

Experienced support.
Decisions stay with you.

You want to do the right thing for the family. You may also be facing unfamiliar paperwork, figures and official correspondence at a difficult time.

We work through it together. I help you understand and meet the requirements relevant to your application, organise the information and keep track of what needs to happen next.

We agree the support and its limits before starting. Where a question needs separate legal or other specialist advice, we identify that need and discuss the next step.

Talk through the help you need

Gather the information
Work through the assets, liabilities and valuations needed to establish the estate’s position.
Identify the beneficiaries
Organise information about those entitled to benefit, identifying questions that need clarification or specialist advice.
Work through the paperwork together
Help with the relevant tax reporting and the steps towards an online or paper probate application, within the agreed scope. We work through what is needed before you submit.
Respond to questions
Support with correspondence and requests for further information, within the work and follow-up limits agreed at the outset.

Your role and mine

Your estate responsibilities.
My practical support.

You remain the executor.

You make the decisions, control the estate’s money and remain responsible for administering it. You approve the information and take the steps required of you as executor.

I work alongside you.

I provide the agreed support with information, paperwork and correspondence. I do not hold estate assets, collect money, manage investments or distribute inheritances. Those responsibilities remain with you.

This is a “done with you” service. You retain control, with professional experience and practical support to help you manage the process.

Spend on the help you need

A fixed fee.
A clear plan.

Keeping more of the estate for its beneficiaries starts with understanding what you are paying for. Choose the support you need, with a fixed quote agreed after we discuss the work.

Agreed before you commit.

Your written quote sets out the work included, the total payable and any separate costs. If the work required changes, we discuss it and agree any revised scope and fee before proceeding.

One-off support

Forms-only &
estate preparation

£850 · No VAT added

Help gathering estate information and valuations, organising beneficiary details and working through the relevant paperwork, including initial letters on behalf of the executors, within the agreed scope.

This is a defined preparation package, not ongoing administration of the whole estate. Your written scope confirms which follow-up questions are included and any limits. Further work is discussed and agreed separately before proceeding.

Additional support, where needed

Inheritance Tax
administration

+ £1,750 · No VAT added

This fee is added only if there is an Inheritance Tax liability, assessed when your written invoice is prepared. It covers the agreed IHT reporting support, HMRC correspondence and up to four hours of negotiations.

The four-hour allowance applies to HMRC negotiations. Your written scope separately sets out the reporting work included. Any work beyond the agreed scope or allowance is discussed and quoted before you decide whether to proceed.

The forms-only and estate-preparation fee is £850. If the additional IHT service applies, the combined service fee is £2,600. No VAT is added. Fees are fixed, subject to discussion and assessment of the work required when your written invoice is prepared. Probate Registry fees and disbursements are additional, as are any taxes, valuations and separately instructed legal or other professional services. You see the agreed work and charges before committing.

Ask Richard for a fixed quote

Savings compared with other providers vary. No particular saving or probate timescale is guaranteed.

A straightforward start

First, let’s work out what you need.

Have a conversation

Tell me a little about your situation. The initial conversation is free and there is no obligation to use the service.

Agree the help and the fee

If the service is suitable, you receive a clear written scope and fixed quote. You decide whether to go ahead.

Work through it together

We follow the agreed plan through information gathering, paperwork and the questions covered by your package. You stay informed and retain control of decisions and estate money.

A real person to talk to

Hello, I’m Richard.

My financial-services background and professional experience inform the practical support I provide through The Finance Zone. You speak directly to me, with straightforward explanations and a plan we work through together.

Read client reviews on Google

Based in Crawley. Here to help.

Supporting Crawley, Horsham and surrounding areas. Ask about a local meeting or home visit, or an evening or weekend appointment.

Appointments and visits are by arrangement. We’ll discuss availability and any relevant costs before you book.

From the case records

Past cases.
Clearer expectations.

A few examples of the time recorded between submission and grant. Client names and exact dates are omitted for privacy.

Five selected completed cases supplied by Richard
Anonymised case	Submission to grant
Case A	9 days
Case B	44 days
Case C	22 days
Case D	13 days
Case E	15 days

These are selected historical examples, not a complete performance record or a forecast. The recorded period runs from submission to grant; it is not the time to prepare an application or complete the wider estate administration. Each estate is different. HMRC and Probate Registry processing can affect timing. No grant date or completion time is guaranteed.

Recent client feedback

In their own words.

“He explained everything in detail, answered all of my questions”

Excerpt from a Google review · Name and posting date omitted

“…professional, understanding and open with all aspects of my mother's probate.”

Excerpt from a Google review · Name and posting date omitted

Selected excerpts from recent reviews on The Finance Zone’s Google business listing. These describe individual experiences and do not guarantee a particular result. The original public reviews include the reviewers’ names and posting dates.

Read the reviews on Google

Understand what you are arranging

The grant is one stage.
The estate is the wider job.

Obtaining the grant and administering the whole estate are different tasks. A service that helps you obtain the grant may leave further administration for you to complete.

Know what your agreement covers.

The wider administration can include collecting assets, dealing with property, paying debts and expenses, keeping estate accounts and distributing inheritances. You retain responsibility for these tasks and arrange any separate professional help needed.

My fixed-fee support covers the work we agree in writing. It does not mean taking control of estate funds or managing the whole estate for you.

See the packages and their limits

Is this right for you?

Support that fits
your situation.

The service may suit you if you want to manage the estate yourself, with practical help keeping the administration organised.

A useful first conversation if you…

Are an executor or administrator and want to stay involved.
Want a clear quote before committing to support.
Need help organising records, correspondence and next steps.

If there is a dispute, a challenge to a will, overseas property, insolvency or a legal claim, specialist advice may be needed. We’ll discuss suitability before accepting work.

Your questions, answered

A few things you may be wondering.

Can I apply for probate myself?

Yes. You can apply yourself if you are entitled to do so. Whether probate is needed depends on how the assets are held and the requirements of the organisations involved. There is no single estate-value threshold that applies to every situation. See the official GOV.UK probate guidance.

How does “done with you” work?

We agree the support you need with estate information, valuations, beneficiary details and relevant paperwork, then work through it together. Your agreement explains any follow-up support and its limits. You remain the executor or administrator, make the decisions and control estate funds. This service does not replace the need for an authorised professional where reserved legal work or specialist advice is required.

How much will it cost?

Forms-only and estate preparation costs £850. An additional £1,750 applies only if there is an Inheritance Tax liability, assessed when a written invoice is prepared. That service includes HMRC negotiations limited to four hours. Where both apply, the combined service fee is £2,600. No VAT is added. Probate Registry fees and disbursements are extra. Fees and the work included are agreed following discussion and assessment; the initial conversation is free.

How long does probate take?

Timing depends on the estate, the information available and the organisations involved, including HMRC and the Probate Registry. I cannot guarantee a grant date or a completion time. We’ll discuss the steps and keep the administration organised.

Will you hold or control estate money?

No. I do not hold estate assets, collect money, manage investments or distribute inheritances. You keep control of estate funds, remain responsible for the estate and approve decisions. I provide the support agreed in your package.

Is my enquiry confidential?

Your details are used to deal with your enquiry. They are not sold or shared for third-party marketing. Necessary service providers may process information to run the website, maintain the website and deliver email. Read the privacy notice below. Please do not send bank details, identity documents or confidential estate records in an initial enquiry.

Let’s talk

Keep the costs clear.
Get a helping hand.

Tell me where you are with probate. We’ll work out which information, paperwork and follow-up support you need, and whether working together makes sense.

Free initial conversation. No obligation to proceed. No cold calls or canvassing. Prefer a message? Use SMS or WhatsApp.

Call Richard07740 076226 Send an SMSText 07740 076226 Message on WhatsAppChat directly with Richard ↗Emailrichard@thefinancezone.co.uk

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Contact Richard directly

Choose a time to talk.

Schedule a call at a time that suits you, or send me an email. The initial conversation is free, with no obligation to proceed.

Schedule a call Email Richard

richard@thefinancezone.co.uk

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