This page provides general information about how MP Estate Planning UK Ltd charges for its services, and how the fees of the regulated firms the Company works with are charged separately. The Company is an estate planning consultancy registered in England and Wales (Companies House number 14774020).
The Company’s fee structure
The Company generally charges a flat fee for its consultancy services. A flat-fee structure means that:
- The fee is agreed and disclosed in writing in advance of any engagement;
- The fee does not increase if a discussion runs longer than expected;
- There is no hourly meter running during client conversations.
The exact fee for any particular client depends on what the client is asking the Company to do. The Company’s typical practice is to give an indicative fee at the end of the initial consultation, and to put the full fee in writing before the client decides whether to engage the Company.
The initial consultation
The Company offers an initial consultation at no charge. There is no obligation on a prospective client to instruct the Company at the end of an initial consultation. The initial consultation is a general discussion in which the Company seeks to understand the client’s circumstances and identify which regulated professionals (if any) may need to be involved. No advice is given and no documents are signed during an initial consultation.
Fees of regulated professionals are separate
It is important to understand that the Company’s fee covers only the Company’s own consultancy services. Where regulated work is to be carried out — for example, the drafting of a will or trust deed by an SRA-regulated solicitor, or regulated financial advice from an FCA-authorised adviser — the fee for that work is charged separately by the relevant regulated firm.
- SRA-regulated solicitor work — for example, drafting of legal documents, regulated legal advice — is charged by the solicitor firm. The Company works with Feakes & Co Ltd (SRA number 654837) for matters of this kind. Feakes & Co Ltd quotes its own fees directly to the client and is responsible for its own client-care obligations under the SRA Standards and Regulations.
- Specialist tax advice from a Chartered Tax Adviser is charged by the relevant CTA firm.
- Regulated financial advice from an FCA-authorised adviser is charged by the relevant adviser firm.
Before any client decides to proceed, the Company’s practice is to make sure that the total likely cost — including any fees of the regulated firms that will be involved — has been clearly explained.
What affects the level of fees
The factors that commonly influence the level of fees in UK estate planning work include:
- The size and complexity of the estate (a straightforward estate with a single property and modest savings is generally simpler than an estate with business interests, agricultural land or assets in multiple jurisdictions);
- Whether trusts are being considered, and if so what type;
- Whether the client has been UK-domiciled for the full lifetime (cross-border position may add complexity);
- Whether there are unusual family circumstances (for example, a vulnerable beneficiary, a previous marriage, or estranged family members);
- Whether time-sensitive issues are involved (for example, a client receiving a diagnosis or considering a property sale).
The Company will discuss which of these are relevant during the initial consultation, before any fee is quoted.
Payment and consumer rights
Where the Company charges a fee, the Company’s invoice is for the Company’s consultancy services only. The Company does not collect fees on behalf of any regulated firm; clients pay regulated firms directly.
Clients have the rights set out in the Consumer Rights Act 2015 in respect of services purchased from the Company. The Company’s complaints procedure is available on request. For complaints about any regulated firm involved in a client matter, the client may also have rights under the complaints procedure of the relevant regulator (for example, the SRA’s complaints process for solicitors and, in some circumstances, the Legal Ombudsman; the Financial Ombudsman Service for FCA-authorised advice).
How to find out a fee for your circumstances
Because the right fee depends on the work to be carried out, the most practical way to find out the likely cost for an individual’s circumstances is to arrange an initial consultation. There is no charge and no obligation:
- Phone: 0117 440 1555
- Email: answers@mpestateplanning.uk
- Office: Pill Road, Abbots Leigh, England, BS8 3RA