Lewes House, 32 High Street, Lewes, East Sussex BN7 2LU 01273 405900 Mon to Fri 09:30 to 17:00 SRA 350911
Astburys Solicitors · Lewes · since 2001 Speak to John
★ Lewes · 32 High Street · since 2001 · SRA 350911

A Lewes High Street practice. 25 years, one principal, fixed fees published.

Lewes House at 32 High Street sits on the ridge between the Castle gate and the Cliffe. John Astbury, qualified solicitor since 1989, founded the practice in November 2001 and has held the same hand on the file ever since. The work is wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney, probate and conveyancing on fixed fees you can read before you ring. Disputes, landlord-and-tenant and commercial matters on transparent hourly rates with a free first call. Member of Solicitors for the Elderly. A small, friendly practice that publishes its prices.

See the fixed fees Speak to John
Since 200125 years on Lewes High Street
SRA 350911Sole practice, regulated and recognised
Solicitors for the ElderlySpecialist body for older and vulnerable clients
Fixed feesWills, LPAs, probate and conveyancing, published
Eastward view along Lewes High Street, the ridge that Astburys Solicitors has occupied at Lewes House, 32 High Street, since 2014
LEWES HIGH STREET · LOOKING EAST FROM THE CASTLE GATE Lewes House sits on the ridge, between the Castle and the Cliffe. The office is at No. 32.
25 years on Lewes High Street

Founded November 2001. At Lewes House since August 2014.

One principal

John Astbury, qualified 1989. The same hand on the file throughout.

Fixed fees published

Wills from \u00a3350. Probate from \u00a3750. Conveyancing from \u00a31,300.

SRA 350911

Recognised sole practice, Solicitors for the Elderly member.

WHAT THE PRACTICE DOES · FOUR LINES, FIXED FEES ON THREE

The work John has done for Lewes residents since 2001. Plain prices, no surprises.

A high-street firm typically lists fifteen practice areas. We list four, because four is what one principal can deliver to a Lewes catchment without dropping a file. Three are fixed-fee on the headline figure. The fourth runs on a published hourly rate with a free first telephone call.

01

Wills & Lasting Powers of Attorney

From £350 single will, £550 mirror wills

Single will £350 + VAT. Mirror wills for couples £550 + VAT. Single Lasting Power of Attorney £300 + VAT plus the Office of the Public Guardian court fee. Pair of LPAs £500. Couple, one each £500. Couple, two each £650. Court fees and witnessing arranged in-house. Free initial telephone consultation. Home and care-home signing visits where you cannot easily reach the High Street office. John is a member of Solicitors for the Elderly, the national body for lawyers serving older and vulnerable clients.

02

Probate & estate administration

From £750 grant-only, no IHT

Grant-only matters with no inheritance tax £750 + VAT fixed. Grant-only with IHT £1,200 + VAT fixed. Full estate administration £3,000 to £10,000, quoted in writing once the size and complexity of the estate is known. The fee includes Probate Office paperwork, HMRC IHT400 / IHT205 forms where required, estate accounts, executor liaison, beneficiary distribution. The matter is held throughout by the principal you first met, not handed to a paralegal queue.

03

Residential conveyancing

Banded fixed fees from £1,300

Freehold sales and purchases banded by price: £0 to £300,000 = £1,300 + VAT, £300,001 to £500,000 = £1,450 + VAT, £500,001 to £750,000 = £1,700 + VAT, £750,001 to £1,000,000 = £2,200 + VAT, over £1m quoted in writing. Leasehold adds £200 + VAT. Typical disbursements (searches £250 to £450, Land Registry from £3.90, SDLT admin £4.80, bank transfer £15.60, AML £14.40, bankruptcy search £5.80) itemised in writing before exchange. One direct line to the principal throughout.

04

Disputes, landlord & tenant, commercial

£295/hr, £150 + VAT initial interview, first call free

Dispute resolution, debt recovery, residential and commercial landlord-and-tenant, employment, business start-up, contract drafting, intellectual property, literary royalties, commercial property. Hourly rate £295 + VAT (20 percent). Initial interview up to one hour £150 + VAT. First telephone call is free. The breadth here is real: 25 years of commercial and civil litigation experience from earlier London and Brighton practice underpins the day-to-day Sussex work. John has handled livestock-ownership matters and film-rights questions as well as the bread-and-butter caseload.

FIXED FEES · PUBLISHED BEFORE YOU RING

The fee schedule, on one page, with the disbursements named.

We publish what we charge. The full disbursement list (searches, Land Registry, SDLT, AML, bank transfer, bankruptcy) is itemised in writing before you exchange or sign. VAT at the prevailing rate, currently 20 percent, on solicitor\u2019s fees only.

Wills & LPAs

  • Single will\u00a3350 + VAT
  • Mirror wills (couple)\u00a3550 + VAT
  • Single Lasting Power of Attorney\u00a3300 + VAT + court fee
  • Pair of LPAs (one person)\u00a3500
  • Couple, one each\u00a3500
  • Couple, two each\u00a3650

Probate

  • Grant-only, no IHT\u00a3750 + VAT
  • Grant-only, with IHT\u00a31,200 + VAT
  • Full estate administration\u00a33,000 to \u00a310,000

Full administration quoted in writing once the size and complexity of the estate is established.

Residential conveyancing (freehold)

  • Up to \u00a3300,000\u00a31,300 + VAT
  • \u00a3300,001 to \u00a3500,000\u00a31,450 + VAT
  • \u00a3500,001 to \u00a3750,000\u00a31,700 + VAT
  • \u00a3750,001 to \u00a31,000,000\u00a32,200 + VAT
  • Over \u00a31mQuoted in writing
  • Leasehold supplement+ \u00a3200 + VAT

Other matters

  • First telephone callNo charge
  • Initial interview (to 1 hour)\u00a3150 + VAT
  • Hourly rate\u00a3295 + VAT
  • Typical disbursementsSearch \u00a3250 to \u00a3450
  • Land Registry from\u00a33.90
  • Bank transfer (CHAPS)\u00a315.60
John Astbury, principal and founder of Astburys Solicitors, qualified 1989, founded the practice in Lewes in November 2001
John Astbury · principal · qualified 1989 · founded the firm November 2001.
THE PRINCIPAL · ONE NAME ON THE DOOR, ONE HAND ON THE FILE

John Astbury. Lewes solicitor since 2001.

John qualified as a solicitor in 1989 after the Law Society Finals, trained at a City of London firm, then practised in Brighton at DMH Solicitors where he made associate in 2000. In November 2001 he left to set up his own practice in Lewes, with the intent (his words) of building "a firm that would be unpretentious, informed, personal, trustworthy and wise". The practice has been on Lewes High Street ever since, at Lewes House since August 2014.

The bench: 25 years of commercial and civil litigation experience from earlier London and Brighton practice, alongside the day-to-day Sussex wills, LPAs, probate and conveyancing work. Member of Solicitors for the Elderly, the national specialist body for lawyers acting for older and vulnerable clients. Participant in the Institute of Cancer Research Will for Free scheme, the November Willaid fortnight, and free-will schemes for St Peter & St James Hospice and Amnesty International. Member of Lewes Chamber of Commerce and Lewes Rotary Club; speaker for the YouthSpeak public-speaking programme in Lewes schools.

  • Qualified · Law Society Finals 1989
  • Founded Astburys · November 2001, central Lewes
  • SRA · 350911 (recognised sole practice)
  • Member · Solicitors for the Elderly
SPECIALISM · OLDER CLIENTS, LIFE-INTEREST TRUSTS, ENDURING POWERS

The kind of estate planning that needs one solicitor, not a queue.

Three pieces of work in particular sit at the centre of what John does. The first is the life-interest trust within a will, sometimes called an immediate post-death interest trust, where one spouse leaves the underlying capital of the family home to children of an earlier marriage while granting the surviving spouse the right to occupy the property for the rest of their lifetime. It is the standard second-marriage solution and it needs drafting that survives a contested will challenge thirty years later.

The second is the registration of an Enduring Power of Attorney executed before October 2007 (the cut-off date when EPAs were replaced by LPAs). Older Lewes clients with EPAs in the bottom drawer still need the registration done correctly when mental capacity becomes an issue; the form is EP2PG and the notification requirements are exact.

The third is Inheritance Tax planning around the residence nil-rate band tapering at the \u00a32 million estate threshold, which catches a surprising number of long-Lewes-resident homeowners whose property value has crept past the threshold without them noticing.

  • Life-interest trusts within second-marriage wills.
  • EP2PG registration of pre-2007 Enduring Powers.
  • Residence nil-rate band tapering at \u00a32m.
  • Solicitors for the Elderly bench member.
25 YEARS · 2001 TO TODAY

2001, John sets up the practice in central Lewes. 25 years on, the firm is on Lewes High Street still, at Lewes House since August 2014.

The practice was set up in November 2001 with the intent of being unpretentious, informed, personal, trustworthy and wise. Those five words come from John\u2019s own framing of why he left a larger Brighton firm to go independent after twelve years of City and South Coast practice. The bet then was that a Lewes resident with a will to write, an LPA to register, or a probate to administer would rather speak to the same solicitor twice than be passed through a paralegal queue. 25 years of repeat instructions, family-to-family referrals and quiet word-of-mouth on the High Street is the evidence the bet was right.

The Lewes High Street position has been a constant. The practice opened in central Lewes in November 2001, relocated to Lewes House at 32 High Street in August 2014, and has held the same address since. A minute west from the office takes you to the Castle gate. A minute east takes you to the Cliffe. The South Downs Way runs the ridge above the town. Members of Lewes Chamber of Commerce and Lewes Rotary; the annual skittles tournament fundraiser is a fixture in the High Street trader calendar.

“A firm that would be unpretentious, informed, personal, trustworthy and wise.” John Astbury, on the intent for the practice, 2001
1989 John Astbury qualifies as a solicitor after the Law Society Finals.
1989-2000 Practises in London and Brighton: City of London training, then DMH Solicitors in Brighton, reaching associate in 2000. Commercial and civil litigation, debt recovery.
2001 November. Sets up Astburys Solicitors in central Lewes. The intent: "a firm that would be unpretentious, informed, personal, trustworthy and wise".
2014 August. Relocates the practice to Lewes House, 32 High Street, the building it has occupied ever since. A minute from the Castle gate, a minute from the Cliffe.
2015 SRA-recognised sole practice, identifier 350911. Joins Solicitors for the Elderly. Participates in the Willaid scheme, the Institute of Cancer Research Will-for-Free scheme, free wills for St Peter & St James Hospice and Amnesty International.
2020 Members of Lewes Chamber of Commerce. Annual skittles tournament fundraiser becomes a fixture in the High Street trader calendar.
2026 25 years on Lewes High Street, the same hand on the file throughout. Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney, probate and conveyancing on published fixed fees. The wider commercial and dispute work remains on the books.
CLIENT VOICE · FROM THE WHAT-PEOPLE-THINK-OF-US PAGE

Four lines from real clients. Initials, as published.

“With very grateful thanks for taking on and delivering superb service in difficult circumstances.”
TS · estate matter
“Thank you so much for all the work you have done on my will and Power of Attorney.”
JM · wills and LPA
“Please convey my thanks to Mr Astbury for his help and advice, and for taking part in the Willaid scheme.”
JL · Willaid
“Thank you to you and your team for all your help and assistance with my late step-father’s probate.”
GR · probate
CATCHMENT · LEWES, THE OUSE VALLEY, THE SOUTH DOWNS RING

Lewes town and the immediate ring of Ouse Valley and Downs villages.

The High Street itself, the Cliffe, Southover. Out to the South Downs villages: Kingston, Iford, Rodmell, Southease, Telscombe. East to Glynde, Beddingham, Firle, Selmeston. North to Ringmer, Barcombe, Plumpton, Cooksbridge. South to Newhaven and the Ouse mouth. Home and care-home signing visits within Lewes town and the immediate village ring are part of the standard service, at no extra charge, for clients who cannot easily reach 32 High Street. Visits further afield quoted in advance.

Lewes Castle Barbican, the Norman gatehouse a minute’s walk west of Lewes House at 32 High Street
The Castle Barbican. Norman gatehouse, a minute\u2019s walk west of Lewes House.
SPEAK TO JOHN · THE FIRST CALL IS FREE

Tell us what the matter is. We\u2019ll come back the same working day.

The first telephone call to ask whether you need legal advice at all is free. Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney, probate and conveyancing run on the fixed fees published above. Other matters run on a transparent hourly rate with an initial interview, up to one hour, at \u00a3150 + VAT.

  • Phone · 01273 405900
  • Email John direct · jastbury@astburys-law.co.uk
  • Walk in · Lewes House, 32 High Street, Lewes BN7 2LU (by appointment)
  • Home or care-home visit · for clients who cannot easily reach the office

Get in touch with the practice

We come back inside one working day. The first call is free, no commitment. For Will-for-Free and Willaid enquiries, please mention the scheme in the note above so we can check eligibility.

VISIT · LEWES HOUSE

The Lewes office

Lewes House
32 High Street
Lewes, East Sussex BN7 2LU

Phone · 01273 405900

Email · jastbury@astburys-law.co.uk

Walk from · one minute east of the Castle Barbican, one minute west of the Cliffe, two minutes from the Town Hall, five minutes from Lewes station

Parking · Mountfield Road, West Street and Westgate car parks are all within five minutes\u2019 walk; the High Street itself is paid on-street only

Stairs note · the office is on an upper floor of Lewes House. If stairs are a difficulty, a home or care-home visit is part of the standard service for wills and LPA signings. Please mention it on the first call and we will arrange.

OPENING HOURS · LEWES OFFICE

When the practice is staffed

  • Monday09:30 to 17:00
  • Tuesday09:30 to 17:00
  • Wednesday09:30 to 17:00
  • Thursday09:30 to 17:00
  • Friday09:30 to 17:00
  • SaturdayClosed
  • SundayClosed

Out of hours, the form above is the fastest way to start a matter. We come back the next working morning. Wills and LPA signings are by appointment and can be scheduled within or just after the office day, so the two witnesses are easier to gather. November is the Willaid fortnight: free wills by appointment.

Lewes House, 32 High Street, Lewes BN7 2LU. One minute east of the Castle Barbican. One minute west of the Cliffe. Open in Google Maps ↗
FAQ · FIVE QUESTIONS THE PRACTICE GETS MOST

Short answers. Bring the rest to the call.

How much does a single will cost, and what is included in the fee?

A single will is £350 + VAT (£420 total). Mirror wills for a couple are £550 + VAT (£660 total). The fee covers the initial conversation about what you want the will to do, the drafting, one round of revisions, the signing meeting with two independent witnesses arranged at our High Street office or, if you cannot easily reach the office, at your home or care home. Storage of the original will at our office is included at no further charge. The first telephone call to ask whether you need a will at all is free.

I cannot get up the stairs to your office, or I prefer not to come into the High Street. Can you come to me?

Yes. Home and care-home visits for the signing of wills and Lasting Powers of Attorney are part of the standard service for clients who cannot easily reach 32 High Street. There is no extra charge for visits within Lewes town and the immediate ring of villages (Kingston, Iford, Rodmell, Glynde, Beddingham, Ringmer, Plumpton); we will quote in advance for visits further afield. The first call to arrange this is free.

How long does probate take, and what does grant-only versus full administration mean?

A "grant-only" matter is where the executor wants to handle the estate themselves and only needs us to obtain the Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration from the Probate Office. That is £750 + VAT fixed (no IHT) or £1,200 + VAT (with IHT), and from instruction to grant typically runs 8 to 16 weeks depending on the Probate Office queue. Full estate administration is where we handle the whole thing: collecting in the assets, paying liabilities, lodging IHT400 or IHT205 with HMRC, preparing estate accounts, paying beneficiaries. That is £3,000 to £10,000 quoted in writing, and runs typically 6 to 12 months depending on complexity, jointly-held property, and HMRC clearance.

I want to leave my house to my children but let my surviving spouse continue to live in it. Is that possible?

Yes. A life-interest trust within a will (sometimes called an immediate post-death interest trust) lets you leave the underlying capital of the house to your children while granting your surviving spouse the right to occupy the property for the rest of their lifetime, or to move and have the trust hold the replacement property. It is a standard solution for second marriages where each spouse has children from a previous relationship. The trust is drafted as part of the will at the standard £350 + VAT single-will fee, with a small uplift if the trust needs additional drafting for unusual circumstances. We will quote any uplift in writing before you commit.

I am over 60. Is it true I can have my will written for free?

In certain cases, yes. We participate in the Institute of Cancer Research’s "Will for Free" scheme for clients aged 60 and over, which covers a single will or mirror wills at no charge in exchange for the scheme requesting (not requiring) that you consider a legacy to the charity. We also write free wills for St Peter & St James Hospice supporters, for Amnesty International supporters, and during the November Willaid fortnight. None of these schemes obliges you to leave anything; they ask. Call us to check which scheme is open and whether you qualify.