In order to comply with the requirements of the SRA Transparency Rules 2018, please see below worked examples of our fees in the following practice areas; Immigration, Probate, Conveyancing and Debt Recovery.

Please contact us for a detailed estimate specific to your proposed instruction.

• IMMIGRATION

Our legal fees

 

Our fees are calculated using an hourly rate between £120 - £240 plus vat (where applicable) which will depend on the level of experience of the solicitor or fee earner dealing with your matter.

 

To assist and provide you with more information, we have listed below a guide price range estimate covering the main types of application we undertake per applicant and depending on the complexity and seniority of the caseworker:

 

• Citizenship - Naturalisation and registration applications: £480 - £1,200 

        (Based on 3-6 hours work to complete). 

 

• European Economic Area (EEA) applications for EEA nationals and their family including permanent residence, residence cards and registration certificates: £480 - £1,200

        (Based on 3-6 hours work to complete).

 

• Immigration Rules applications including:                 

        (i)   Student and work experience visas, Visitor visas for tourism, visiting friends/family: £480 - £1,200

              (Based on 3-6 hours work to complete)

 

        (ii)  Spouse and partner applications including fiancé(e)s or proposed civil partners: £800 - £1,920

             (Based on 5-8 hours work to complete)

 

        (iii) Applications for work, business or study under the Points-Based System: £800 - £2,400

              (Based on 5-10 hours work to complete)

 

        (iv) Dependant relative and family reunion applications: £800 - £1,920

              (Based on 5-8 hours work to complete)

 

        (v) Ancestry visas: £800 - £1,920

             (Based on 5-8 hours work to complete)

 

        (vi) Other categories, such as applications on the basis of long residence:  £800 - £2,400

              (Based on 5-10 hours work to complete)

         

We are happy to discuss our fee estimates and hourly rates with you to give a closer estimate of the likely costs bearing in mind the level and complexity of your case. Our above fees do not include VAT which is charged at 20% where applicable.

 

• The exact number of hours it will take depends on the circumstances in your case such as:
• The complexity of your matter
• The amount of supporting evidence that we need to consider
• The language(s) you speak
• Whether you are applying with other dependants

 

If you are able to provide sufficient and concise evidence at our first meeting and clearly meet the applicable Immigration Rules, the legal costs are likely to be at the lower end of the costs estimate provided above.

 

Our above prices do not include the following applications or work:

 

• Asylum applications
• Statelessness applications
• Human rights / private life applications
• Applications for Secretary of State immigration bail
• Reconsideration and legacy requests
• Immigration services to business (e.g. applications for certificates of sponsorship or confirmation of acceptance for studies).
• Appeals, administrative review or judicial review.

 

We will of course be happy to provide you with an estimate of fees and disbursements on the above work on request.

 

Services included are:

 

The work will involve:

• Discussing your circumstances in detail and confirming the most appropriate application for you to make and any other options available to you;
• Giving you advice about the requirements of the Immigration Rules and whether you meet the criteria;
• If you do not fulfil the criteria, whether this can be overcome and how;
• Considering the supporting evidence you have provided which can take between 1-3 hours. The amount of hours depends on the number of documents, whether they need to be translated, whether anything is missing and how long it will take to obtain the missing documents;
• Where necessary, helping you obtain further evidence (such as medical reports and records, bank statements), including taking statements of any witnesses;
• Preparing your application and submitting it on your behalf;
• Giving you advice about the outcome of the application and any further steps you need to take.

 

The costs and services quoted here do not include:

 

• Any Home Office fees for making the application. You will pay this to the Home Office directly as part of the application process.
• Attendance at a Home Office interview if you are asked to attend an interview.
• Where the Home Office refuse your application, advice and assistance in relation to any appeal and related costs and disbursements.

 

Disbursements

 

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as Home Office fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.

 

These can include but not limited to:

• Home Office immigration and nationality application fees – see link.
• Home Office Immigration Health surcharge: This is an additional fee levied to pay the NHS and charged per person per year - see link.
• Interpreter fees: usually charged at £20-£25 per hour. The time needed will depend on the complexity of your case. Our firm speaks a number of languages and we will only seek an interpreter where necessary.
• Independent expert reports: may include but not limited to medical specialists, social workers, country experts. These are not required in many cases and we will let you know as soon as possible if we consider an expert report is necessary.

 

How long will my application take?

 

We cannot guarantee how long the Home Office will take to process your application and we would refer you to the Home Office’s current standards and processing times.

 

Once we have taken your instructions, received your full supporting documents and fees, we will be able to submit your application to the Home Office as quickly as possible. The time it takes will be subject to how quickly all relevant information and documentation takes to collate. If there is a deadline in which you require an application to be submitted, then we would work with you to complete and ensure it is submitted in time. 

• PROBATE

We are required to publish prices for probate work in relation to uncontested cases, where all the assets are in the UK. This includes both testate and intestate and taxable and non-taxable estates. However, there are a range of variables which could affect the price quoted (e.g. there is a separate cost for preparing tax returns).

APPLYING FOR THE GRANT, COLLECTING AND DISTRIBUTING THE ASSETS

 

We charge an hourly rate between £120 and £240 plus vat which will depend on the level of experience of the solicitor or fee earner dealing with your matter.

We anticipate this will take between 10 and 40 hours work and we estimate out total costs to be between £3,000-£9,600 plus VAT.

The exact costs 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. The above estimates are for estates where:

• There is a valid will
• There is no more than one property
• There are no more than 2-5 bank or building society accounts
• There are no other intangible assets
• There are 3-4 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

Where your matter falls outside the above criteria, we would of course be happy to provide a quote based on the specific circumstances the estate once we have your full instructions and relevant information.

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.

Disbursements (not included in our above costs) include but not limited to:

• Probate application fee: £300 (plus £1.50 per additional office copy)
• Probate notice in The London Gazette and in the Local Newspaper – Protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors: £150-£400.

Potential additional costs

 

• If there is no will or the estate consists of any share holdings (stocks and bonds) there are likely to be additional costs that could range significantly depending on the complexity of the estate and how it is to be dealt with. We can give you a more accurate quote once we have more information.
• 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 within 6-12 months. Typically, preparing papers and obtaining the grant of probate takes 3-6 weeks. Collecting assets then follows, which can take between 6-12 weeks. Once this has been done and statutory advertisements completed, we can then distribute the assets. This normally takes 1-2 weeks.

LARGER ESTATES AND INVOLVING PAYMENT OF INHERITANCE TAX

 

These will be dealt with usually on an hourly basis. Our hourly rate is between £120 to £240 + VAT. Estimates will be provided as soon as we have a clear idea of the nature and complexity of the task at hand following receipt of comprehensive instructions from our client.

• RESIDENTIAL CONVEYANCING

When you make an enquiry for us to conduct work on your behalf we will provide you with a detailed estimate of costs and timeframes and update you if there are any changes. Below are some worked examples to demonstrate how our fees are calculated. You will appreciate that there are many variables and so it is important that you discuss the specifics of your matter with us and only take these worked examples as a guide.

EXAMPLES:-

1. PURCHASE OF A FREEHOLD RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY IN THE PRICE BAND OF £200,000 to £500,000

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

• Legal fee: £1,195 + VAT
• For acting on behalf of the mortgage lender: £350 + VAT*
• Electronic money transfer fee: £25 + VAT
• VAT payable: £314

         Subtotal (inclusive of VAT): £1,884

* Not chargeable on cash purchases

 

Disbursements estimated

• Search fees: £250
• HM Land Registry fee: £150

         Subtotal: £400

Grand total: (Estimated fees and disbursements): £2,284

In addition there may be stamp duty, please see below.

Disbursements

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as Land Registry fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process. This list is not exhaustive and other disbursements may apply depending on your transaction.

Stamp Duty or Land Tax (on purchase)

This depends on the purchase price of your property and a number of other variables. For example:- ownership of other properties anywhere in the world; reliefs such as First Time Buyer Relief or Principal Main Residence Relief. 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. There are different rates for Non-Residential Properties and Corporate Purchases.

For example:

Purchase of Principal Main Residence at £500,000: £15,000

First time buyer at £300,000: £0

How long will my house purchase take?

How long it will take from your offer being accepted until you can move in to your house will depend on a number of factors. It could take as little as 4-6 weeks or as long as 4-6 months.

It can be quicker or slower, depending on the parties in the chain. For example, if you are a buyer with a long chain purchasing a new build property with a mortgage, it could take 12-16 weeks. However, if you are buying a leasehold property that requires an extension of the lease, this can take significantly longer, between 3 and 4 months. In such, a situation additional charges would apply.

Stages of the process

The precise stages involved in the purchase of a residential property vary according to the circumstances. However, below we have suggested some key stages that you may wish to note:

• 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 with you (if applicable)
• Send final contract to you for signature
• 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 Tax
• Deal with application for registration at Land Registry

2. PURCHASE OF A LEASEHOLD RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY IN THE PRICE BAND OF £200,000 TO £500,000

 

Our fees cover all 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 is in Wales.

 

Conveyancer's fees and estimated disbursements

 

Legal fee: The same as for the purchase of a freehold property (£2,284) plus a supplemental fee of £495 + VAT for additional leasehold work.

 

Total inclusive of VAT: £2,878

Anticipated Additional Disbursements for Leasehold Purchases

• Notice of Transfer fee – This fee if chargeable is set out in the lease. The fee is usally between £50 – £200.
• Notice of Charge fee (if the property is to be mortgaged) – This fee is set out in the lease. Often the fee is between £50 – £200.
• Deed of Covenant fee – This fee is provided by the management company for the property and can be difficult to estimate. Often it is between £100 – £300.
• Certificate of Compliance fee - To be confirmed upon receipt of the lease, as can range between £100 – £300.

 

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 especially the lease in question.

 

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

 

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 earlier examples given hold true for leasehold property purchases within the band.

Stages of the process

 

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 and satisfy Landlord’s Notice requirements
• Deal with payment of Stamp Duty/Land Tax
• Deal with application for registration at Land Registry and satisfy any compliance requirements on purchase

How long will my purchase take?

How long it will take from your offer being accepted until you can move in to your house will depend on a number of factors. The average process takes between 6-8 weeks. It can be quicker or slower, depending on the parties in the chain. For example, if you are a buyer, purchasing a new build property with a long chain and a mortgage, it could take 12-16 weeks. However, if you are buying a leasehold property that requires an extension of the lease, this can take significantly longer, between 3 and 6 months. In such, a situation additional charges would apply.

 

Our fees for both freehold and leasehold purchase assume:

a) 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

b) in leasehold cases this is the assignment of an existing lease and is not the grant of a new lease or involves an extension of a lease whether by consent or under statute

c) the transaction is concluded in a timely manner and no unforeseen complication arise

d) all parties to the transaction are co-operative and there is no unreasonable delay from third parties providing documentation

e) no indemnity policies are required. Additional fees may apply if indemnity policies are required.

3. SALE OF A FREEHOLD RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY IN THE PRICE BAND OF £200,000 to £500,000

 

Our fees cover all of the work required to complete the sale of your home, together with redeeming mortgages (if any) and work in association with this.

 

Conveyancer's fees

• Legal fee £1,250 + VAT
• For acting on behalf of the mortgage lender in redemption: £250 + VAT*
• Electronic money transfer fee: £25 + VAT
• VAT payable: £305

        Subtotal (inclusive of VAT): £1,830

*Not chargeable on mortgage free properties

 

Disbursements estimated

• HM Land Registry Office copies (£7 each): £14

        Subtotal: £14

Grand total: (Estimated fees and disbursements): £1,844

Disbursements

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such asas Land Registry fees and indemnity policies (where applicable). We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.

How long will my house sale take?

 

How long it will take for you to sell your house will depend on a number of factors. The average process takes between 6-8 weeks.

 

It can be quicker or slower, depending on the parties in the chain. For example, if you are at the top of the chain, it could take 12-16 weeks. However, if you are selling a leasehold property that requires dealing with numerous pre-contract enquiries, this can take considerably longer than the average, possibly 12 weeks.

Stages of the process

 

The precise stages involved in the sale of a residential property vary according to the circumstances. However, below we have suggested some key stages:

 

• Take your instructions and give you initial advice
• Check finances are in place to enable sale and contact the lender's solicitors, if needed
• Prepare and advise on contract documents
• Obtain relevant title documents and deeds
• Provide, receive and review your completed property forms
• Obtain further planning documentation, building regulation approvals, certificates, warranties and so forth
• Prepare and submit contract and support documentation to the purchaser’s solicitors
• Deal with purchaser’s solicitors pre-contract enquiries
• Send final contract to you for signature
• Agree completion date
• Exchange contracts and notify you that this has happened
• Arrange for all monies needed to be received from the purchaser’s solicitors
• Complete sale and account to you, repayment of mortgage (if applicable)
• Pay estate agent commission
  

4. SALE OF A LEASEHOLD RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY IN THE PRICE BAND OF £200,000 TO £500,000

 

Our fees cover all the work required to complete the sale of your home, including the redemption of a mortgage and the apportionment of service charges and ground rent.

 

Conveyancer's fees and estimated disbursements

 

Legal fee: The same as for the sale of a freehold property (£1,844) plus a supplemental fee of £495 + VAT for additional leasehold work.

 

Total inclusive of VAT: £2,438

Stages of the process

The stages involved in the sale of a residential leasehold property are similar to the freehold sale but vary according to the circumstances.

 

How long will my leasehold sale take?

 

How long it will take from you accepting your offer until you can move out will depend on a number of factors. The average process takes between 6-8 weeks. It can be quicker or slower, depending on the parties in the chain. For example, if you are at the top of the chain, it could take 12-16 weeks. However, if you are selling a leasehold property that requires extensive replies to pre-contract enquiries involving managing agents and freeholders, this can take significantly longer, between 3 and 6 months. In such a situation additional charges may apply.

Our fees for freehold and leasehold sales assumes that:

 

(a) 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

(b) if leasehold, the assignment of an existing lease and is not the grant of a new lease or involves an extension of a lease whether by consent or under statute

(c) the transaction is concluded in a timely manner and no unforeseen complication arise

(d) all parties to the transaction are co-operative and there is no unreasonable delay from third parties providing documentation

(e) no indemnity policies are required. Additional fees may apply if indemnity policies are required.

 

Remortgage and Transfer of Equity Work

 

Estimates are provided on application but fall into the range of £750 to £1,500 plus VAT. In addition there will be disbursements included but not limited to appropriate Land Registry fees and possible Stamp duty depending on circumstances.

• DEBT RECOVERY (up to £100,000)

We offer many different services to our clients in relation to debt recovery work and we are happy to meet with you to consider your requirements and how we may assist you. We will also provide you with details of our fees at our meeting which will be confirmed to you in writing.

As part of our service, we will:

• Provide you with an experienced solicitor to work on your matter
• Take your instructions and review documentation
• Undertake appropriate searchesSend a letter before action
• If payment is not received, draft and issue the claim at court
• Apply for a judgement in default if there is no acknowledgment of service or defence received
• Serve the judgment in default and request payment
• In the event of non payment of the judgment, advise you how the judgment can be enforced
• If the matter is defended, continue to act for you in relation to the claim until the conclusion of a trial or mediation
• If at any time payment is received, send it onto you

 

FIXED FEES

 

We can only apply fixed fees where your claim is in relation to an unpaid invoice which is not disputed and there are no contractual complications.

 

Example 1

Prior to issue of claim

 

Taking instructions, reviewing documentation, undertaking appropriate searches and relevant enquiries, and sending letter before action, receiving payment and sending onto you.

 

Legal costs: Our costs will be between £750-£1,500 plus VAT, totalling £900 - £1,800.

 

Disbursements: are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf. These can include but not limited to court fees (see below), barristers fees, expert fees, HM Land Registry title documents (£7 each) etc.

How long will this take?

We aim to have a letter before action ready to be sent within 2 weeks

 

Example 2

Court Claim

 

These costs apply where your claim is in relation to an undisputed debt and enforcement action is not needed. If the other party disputed your claim at any point, we will discuss any further work required and provide you with revised advice about costs if necessary, which could be on a fixed fee (e.g. if a one off letter is required), or an hourly rate if more extensive work is needed.

Our costs are below for drafting and issuing claim, applying for default judgment where no Acknowledgment of Service or Defence is received, serving the same and requesting payment from the otherside, if payment is not received, providing you with advice on next steps and likely costs:-.

Legal costs:

Claims up to £5,000: £750-£1,250 plus VAT, totalling £900-£1,500

Claims between £5,001 to £10,000: £1,000-£1,750 plus VAT, totalling £1,200-£2,100

Claims between £10,001 to £50,000: £1,500-£2,500 plus VAT, totalling £1,800-£3,000

Claims between £50,001 to £100,000: £2,500-£3,500 plus VAT, totalling £3,000-£4,200

Claims over £100,001: may be fixed by agreement

Disbursements: see disbursement examples above.

Court fees to issue a claim (from July 2018):

 

Claim amount                         Court fee             

Up to £300                                 £35                     

£300.01 to £500                       £50                     

£500.01 to £1,000                    £70                     

£1,000.01 to £1,500                 £80                   

£1,500.01 to £3,000                 £115                   

£3,000.01 to £5,000                 £205                   

£5,000.01 to £10,000              £455                   

£10,000.01 to £100,000         5% of the claim           

£100,000.01 to £200,000       5% of the claim           

More than £200,000                 £10,000                     

Court issue fees and other court fees are also available from:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fees-in-the-civil-and-family-courts-main-fees-ex50

Anyone proceeding with a claim should note that for a business to business claim the VAT element of our fees cannot be recovered from the debtor. Interest may take the debt into a higher banding of both court fee and our costs.

 

How long will this take?

 

We aim to have the claim prepared for issuing within 2 to 3 weeks of being instructed to issue proceedings. Following Notice of Issue, the debtor has 14 days to acknowledge service of the proceedings. If an acknowledgment of service has been lodged with the court, the debtor has a further 14 days to lodge a defence. Where no Acknowledgment of Service or Defence After the time limit for acknowledging or defending has expiredis received, Jthe judgment in default will be applied for within a few days. The court may take 2 - 4 weeks to return the Judgment in default judgment which will then be served by us within a few days.

POTENTIAL ADDITIONAL COSTS

 

We will always confirm to you any additional costs for work not included in our fees whether fixed or estimated. The following are examples of work which is will incur additional costs:

 

• additional correspondence or communication with you, or the debtor or third party
• negotiations
• enforcement action
• statutory demands
• arranging mediation
• contested or defended actions
• instructing barristers, experts or third parties
• attendances at court or at mediation

 

All additional work will be charged at our hourly rate of £240 plus VAT unless a fixed fee is agreed with you for any further aspect of our work. We will discuss any additional work with you and provide you with aill detailed estimate of our fees.