15 Oct 2017
Moore Probate Research: leading the way in transparent fees
Our clients come to us for help locating missing beneficiaries. They need to find them as quickly, and as cost effectively, as possible. At Moore Probate Research, we are absolutely committed to delivering value for money and our clients tell us we stand out for cost effectiveness and client service. Our standard hourly rate is £80.00 plus VAT. To reach a fee quote for a given case, we think of cases in terms of hours – how many hours do we need to finalise this matter?
Because we’ve seen so many cases over the years, we’re very good at assessing how many hours a project is likely to take. So we don’t arrive at our fee budgets by black magic or guesswork and you don’t have to wonder why we quoted one figure or another figure – if we think a given job needs ten hours to finish, we’ll quote you £800.00 and a 30 hour project would be £2,400 and so on. And, if you’re shopping around, because you know how we’ve arrived at our estimate you can ask our competitors how many hours their budget allows them before deciding who to instruct.
Of course, we can’t claim to always get it exactly right. In some case we need less time than we thought and so our invoice is less than the agreed budget. In some others, we do have to ask for a budget extension. However, such an extension should not be significant and we certainly wouldn’t come back to you for a second one.
In either event, the fee represents the work done. With fixed fees, much touted in some quarters, it is inevitable that some matters work in the genealogists’ favour and some in the client’s. The clients who lose this particular game of chance effectively subsidise the clients lucky enough to win it. Also, bear in mind that the genealogist will have factored their risk into their fixed fee quote and the chances are it’ll be pitched higher than it could be.
At the end of a matter, we send you our itemised invoice, giving a breakdown of costs as standard – how many hours we spent, how many certificates, wills and other documents we bought – so you’re always able to advise your clients how the money was spent.
What our clients say:
“You are simply the very best probate research company I have found in my 11 year career and what I like most is that you are upfront with your fees and costs with no surprises.”
Vidal Martin – V Martin Legal Services