Hourly Rates from:
Grade A
Solicitors and Chartered Legal Executives with over 8 years qualified experience;
From £330 /Hr
plus 20% VAT
Grade B
Solicitors and Chartered Legal Executives with over 4 years qualified experience but less than 8 years;
From £280 /Hr
plus 20% VAT
Grade C
Solicitors and Chartered Legal Executives with less than 4 years qualified experience;
From £230 /Hr
plus 20% VAT
Grade D
All other Fee Earners including Legal Assistants
From £75 /Hr
plus 20% VAT
Pay-As-You-Go Initial Consultation Options
We offer flexible consultation formats to suit your needs:
Meeting Only – Perfect if you simply want to discuss your matter in detail. We typically allow between 30 minutes - 2 hours for this option.
Meeting with Document Review – If you have documents you’d like us to review beforehand, we allocate 30 minutes for reading time followed by a 30-minute meeting or for as long as you require (we typically allocate up to 2 hours).
After your consultation, you’ll have the opportunity to decide how you’d like to proceed. We’ll outline our engagement options to ensure they meet your requirements.
Our Pay-As-You-Go Initial Consultation fees are based on our standard hourly rates. You only pay for the time you need, with a minimum of 30 minutes.
Conveyancy Fees
Sale, Purchase or Remortgage of a freehold or leasehold residential property in England or Wales
Our fees are calculated as 0.33% plus 20% VAT of the sale or purchase price of the property (subject to a minimum fee of £950 plus 20% VAT. If the property is Leasehold there is a charge of £500 plus 20% VAT in addition. We shall provide you with full terms of engagement together with details of costs for you to consider to enable you to make and informed decision to engage us. However, please see below an idea of costs and the work covered by us.
Please Note: We do not accept instructions with purchase transactions that require a lender (i.e a mortgage).
Purchase of a freehold residential property
Our fees cover all of the work* required to complete the purchase of your new home, including dealing with registration at the Land Registry and dealing with the payment of Stamp Duty Land Tax (Stamp Duty) if the property is in England, or Land Transaction Tax (Land Tax) if the property you wish to buy is in Wales.
Conveyancer's fees and disbursements
Legal fee 0.33% plus 20% VAT of the purchase price (subject to a minimum fee of £950 plus 20% VAT.
Electronic money transfer fee £35 plus 20% VAT for each transaction.
Disbursements
Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as search fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process. There are certain disbursements which will be set out in the individual lease relating to the Property. The disbursements which we anticipate will apply are set out separately below. This list is not exhaustive and other disbursements may apply depending on the term of the lease. We will update you on the specific fees upon receipt and review of the lease from the seller's solicitors.
HM Land Registry fee: From £20
Search fees: From £300
Anticipated Disbursements*
Notice of Transfer fee – This fee if chargeable is set out in the lease. Often the fee is from £100.
Notice of Charge fee (if the property is to be mortgaged) – This fee is set out in the lease. Often the fee is from £100
Deed of Covenant fee – This fee is provided by the management company for the property and can be difficult to estimate. Often from £100
Certificate of Compliance fee - To be confirmed upon receipt of the lease, but budget from £100
*These fees vary from property to property and can on occasion be significantly more than the ranges given above. We can give you an accurate figure once we have sight of your specific documents.
You should also be aware that ground rent and service charge are likely to apply throughout your ownership of the property. We will confirm the ground rent and the anticipated service charge as soon as this we receive this information.
Stamp Duty Land Tax or Land Transaction Tax
This depends on the purchase price of your property. You can calculate the amount you will need to pay by using HMRC's website or if the property is located in Wales by using the Welsh Revenue Authority's website.
The precise stages involved in the purchase of a residential leasehold property vary according to the circumstances. However, below we have suggested some key stages that you may wish to include:
Take your instructions and give you initial advice
Check finances are in place to fund purchase and contact lender's solicitors if needed
Receive and advise on contract documents
Carry out searches
Obtain further planning documentation if required
Make any necessary enquiries of seller's solicitor
Give you advice on all documents and information received
Go through conditions of mortgage offer
Send final contract to you for signature
Draft Transfer
Advise you on joint ownership
Obtain pre-completion searches
Agree completion date (date from which you own the property)
Exchange contracts and notify you that this has happened
Arrange for all monies needed to be received from lender and you
Complete purchase
Deal with payment of Stamp Duty/Land Transaction Tax
Deal with application for registration at Land Registry
How long will my house purchase take?
How long it will take from your offer being accepted until you can move into your house will depend on a number of factors. The average process takes between 15 - 24 weeks. It can be quicker or slower, depending on the parties in the chain. For example, if you are a first time buyer or purchasing a new build property. However, if you are buying a leasehold property that requires an extension of the lease, this can take significantly longer, between 4 and 8 months. In such, a situation additional charges would apply.
* Our fee assumes that:
this is a standard transaction and that no unforeseen matters arise including for example (but not limited to) a defect in title which requires remedying prior to completion or the preparation of additional documents ancillary to the main transaction
this is the assignment of an existing lease and is not the grant of a new lease
the transaction is concluded in a timely manner and no unforeseen complication arise
all parties to the transaction are co-operative and there is no unreasonable delay from third parties providing documentation
no indemnity policies are required. Additional disbursements may apply if indemnity policies are required.
Probate
Applying for the grant, collecting and distributing the assets
Grant Only: From £2,750 plus 20% VAT together with any disbursements listed below which will be charged in addition. The work includes obtaining the grant and sending on to you.
Probate Administration: We charge the time taken on your matter using the traditional hourly rate plus a value element depending on whether we are instructed to act as professional executors as follows:
Acting for Lay Executors: 0.5% (plus 20% VAT) of the gross value of the deceased’s main residence (or £2500 plus 20% VAT, whichever is the greater) and 1% (plus 20% VAT) of the value of the rest of the gross estate.
Acting as Professional Executors: 0.75% (plus 20% VAT) of the gross value of the deceased’s main residence (or £5000 plus 20%, whichever is the greater) and 1.5% (plus 20% VAT) of the value of the rest of the gross estate.
The hourly rates vary from £305 – £350 (plus 20% VAT ) depending on the grade of solicitor working on your matter.
We anticipate this will take between 5 to 20 hours work.
The exact cost will depend on the individual circumstances of the matter. For example, if there is one beneficiary and no property, costs will be at the lower end of the range. If there are multiple beneficiaries, a property and multiple bank accounts, costs will be at the higher end.
We will handle the full process for you. This estimate is for estates where:
There is a valid will
There is no more than one property
There are no more than 5 bank or building society accounts
There are no other intangible assets
There are 1-2 beneficiaries
There are no disputes between beneficiaries on division of assets. If disputes arise this is likely to lead to an increase in costs
There is no inheritance tax payable and the executors do not need to submit a full account to HMRC
There are no claims made against the estate
Disbursements in addition to this fee (where applicable VAT is included at 20%):
Probate application fee of £300
Bankruptcy-only Land Charges Department searches (£7.80 per beneficiary)
Estimate £250 Trustee Act Notices in The London Gazette and Local Newspapers – Protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors.
Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as court fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.
Potential additional costs
If there is no will or the estate consists of any share holdings (stocks and bonds) there is likely to be additional costs that could range significantly depending on the estate and how it is to be dealt with. We can give you a more accurate quote once we have more information.
If any additional copies of the grant are required, they will cost £1.50 (1 per asset usually).
Dealing with the sale or transfer of any property in the estate is not included.
How long will this take?
On average, estates that fall within this range are dealt with within 12-24 months. Typically, obtaining the grant of probate takes 8-12 weeks. Collecting assets then follows. Once this has been done, we can distribute the assets.
Employment
Our pricing for bringing and defending claims for unfair or wrongful dismissal
Simple case: £5,000 - £10,000 (excluding VAT, charged at 20%)
Medium complexity case: £10,000 - £25,000 (excluding VAT, charged at 20%)
High complexity case: £25,000 - £50,000 (excluding VAT, charged at 20%)
We charge based on an hourly rate which varies depending on the member of staff dealing with your matter. Our highest hourly rate is £350 plus VAT. The seniority of the members of staff dealing with your case will depend on its complexity. We will discuss this with you when you instruct us.
Factors that could make a case more complex:
If it is necessary to make or defend applications to amend claims or to provide further information about an existing claim
Defending claims that are brought by litigants in person
Making or defending a costs application
Complex preliminary issues such as whether the claimant is disabled (if this is not agreed by the parties)
The number of witnesses and documents
If it is an automatic unfair dismissal claim e.g. if you are dismissed after blowing the whistle on your employer
Allegations of discrimination which are linked to the dismissal
There will be an additional charge for attending a Tribunal Hearing and will be charged on a time basis based on the hourly rate (excluding VAT, charged at 20%). Generally, we would allow 1-5 days depending on the complexity of your case.
Disbursements
Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as court fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.
Counsel's fees estimated between £2,000 to £5,000 per day excluding VAT, charged at 20% (depending on experience of the advocate) for attending a Tribunal Hearing (including preparation)
Key stages
The fees set out above cover all of the work in relation to the following key stages of a claim:
Taking your initial instructions, reviewing the papers and advising you on merits and likely compensation (this is likely to be revisited throughout the matter and subject to change)
Entering into pre-claim conciliation where this is mandatory to explore whether a settlement can be reached;
Preparing claim or response
Reviewing and advising on claim or response from other party
Exploring settlement and negotiating settlement throughout the process
preparing or considering a schedule of loss
Preparing for (and attending) a Preliminary Hearing
Exchanging documents with the other party and agreeing a bundle of documents
Taking witness statements, drafting statements and agreeing their content with witnesses
preparing bundle of documents
Reviewing and advising on the other party's witness statements
agreeing a list of issues, a chronology and/or cast list
Preparation and attendance at Final Hearing, including instructions to Counsel
The stages set out above are an indication and if some of stages above are not required, the fee will be reduced. You may wish to handle the claim yourself and only have our advice in relation to some of the stages. This can also be arranged on your individual needs.
How long will my matter take?
The time that it takes from taking your initial instructions to the final resolution of your matter depends largely on the stage at which your case is resolved. If a settlement is reached during pre-claim conciliation, your case is likely to take 4-12 weeks. If your claim proceeds to a Final Hearing, your case is likely to take 3-24 months. This is just an estimate and we will of course be able to give you a more accurate timescale once we have more information and as the matter progresses.
Debt Recovery for a business to business debt that is undisputed
Court Claims
These costs apply where your claim is in relation to an unpaid invoice which is not disputed and enforcement action is not needed. If your matter is disputed, defended or enforcement action is required then the matter will be classed as a litigation matter and the hourly rate will apply. We shall advise you if this is necessary and discuss the matter and costs going forward.
|
Debt value |
Court Fee |
Our Fee (plus VAT) |
|
Up to £5,000 |
£205 |
£700 (plus 20% VAT |
|
£5,001 to £10,000 |
£455 |
£1,400 (plus 20% VAT |
|
£10,001 to £200,000 |
5% value of the claim |
7% value of the claim plus 20% VAT |
Anyone wishing to proceed with a claim should note that:
The VAT element of our fee cannot be reclaimed from your debtor.
Interest and compensation may take the debt into a higher banding, with a higher cost.
The costs quoted above are not for matters where enforcement action, such as the bailiff, is needed to collect your debt.
Our fee includes:
Taking your instructions and reviewing documentation
Undertaking appropriate searches
Sending a letter before action
Receiving payment and sending onto you, or if the debt is not paid, drafting and issuing claim
Where no Acknowledgment of Service or Defence is received, applying to the court to enter Judgement in default
When Judgement in default in received, write to the other side to request payment
If payment is not received within 14 days, providing you with advice on next steps and likely costs
Matters usually take 4-12 weeks from receipt of instructions from you to receipt of payment from the other side, depending on whether or not it is necessary to issue a claim. This is on the basis that the other side pays promptly on receipt of Judgement in default. If enforcement action is needed, the matter will take longer to resolve.