Pricing

It’s important that our clients get value from us which is why we provide complete transparency on the cost of the work we do.  See below for an outline of our fees.

Uncontested Probate

Team:   

Paula Murphy (Director, Supervisor)

Helen Phillips (Director, Supervisor)

Average cost based 2017-18 annual data for completed files:  £3,184.80

Billed on an hourly rate of up to £200 plus VAT   

This is an average figure – each individual file cost will vary depending on the complexity of the matter.

Likely Disbursements:    

Probate Registry Fee: £2

Copy Document Fee: £1.50 per copy

Swear Fee: £8.00

Bankruptcy Search Fee  £2.00 per beneficiary

Section 27 Notice Fee    £384.14 approx

Applying for the grant, collecting and distributing the assets

We anticipate this will take between 7.5 and 17.5 hours work at £200 per hour plus VAT at 20%. Total costs estimated at -£1,500-£3,500 (+VAT at 20%). If we are appointed as executors of the estate, we would also agree with you at the outset a value element calculated on a percentage of the value of the estate.

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 quote is for estates where:

• There is a valid will
• There is no more than one property
• There are no more than 4 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

Disbursements which are payable in addition to this fee (where applicable VAT is included at 20%):

• Probate application fee of £273
• Bankruptcy-only Land Charges Department searches (£2 per beneficiary)
• £ 97.20 Post in The London Gazette – Protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors.
• £150.01 Post in a Local Newspaper – This also helps to protect against unexpected claims.

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, there are additional complicating factors 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. There may also be Inheritance Tax payable
• 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 6-8 months. Typically, obtaining the grant of probate takes 4-6 months. Collecting assets then follows, which can take between 2-6 weeks. Once this has been done, we can distribute the assets, which normally takes 2-4 weeks.

No two estates are the same and the work involved in administering an estate depends upon the circumstances of each individual case. The illustration above gives an idea of the average cost of dealing with an estate for you. Therefore, we would advise you to contact us for a more accurate estimate tailored to your particular circumstances.

Employment Tribunals

Team:

Mike Green (Director, Head of Litigation, Supervisor)              

Average range of costs:  £5,000 – £10,000

Billed on an hourly rate of up to £200 plus VAT

Example template (Range of costs)

Our pricing for bringing and defending claims for unfair or wrongful dismissal

Simple case: £2,000 to £5,000 (excluding VAT, charged at 20%)

Medium complexity case: £5,000 to £10,000 (excluding VAT, charged at 20%)

High complexity case: £10,000 to £15,000 (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 lowest hourly rate is £125 and our highest hourly rate is £200. 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 of £1000 per day (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 £500 to £2000 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 to 10 weeks. If your claim proceeds to a Final Hearing, your case is likely to take 50 to 75 weeks. 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 (up to £100,000)

Our pricing for bringing and defending claims in general civil litigation. These may include, building disputes, contract disputes and professional negligence claims. 

Team: Mike Green (Director, Head of Litigation, Supervisor), Tom Blake (Solicitor)

Average range of costs:  £15,000 – £45,000              

Billed on an hourly rate of £25 to £200 plus VAT

We charge based on an hourly rate which varies depending on the member of staff dealing with your matter. Our lowest hourly rate is £125 and our highest hourly rate is £200. 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 
• The number of witnesses and documents
• Disputed disclosure of documents 
• The need for expert witnesses

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 £500 to £2000 per day excluding VAT, charged at 20% (depending on experience of the advocate) for attending a courthearing (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 correspondence, including compliance with relevant Pre-Action Protocols
• Preparing claim or defence
• Reviewing and advising on claim or defence from other party
• Exploring settlement and negotiating settlement throughout the process
• Preparing or considering a schedule of loss
• Preparing for (and attending) any case management hearings, including where appropriate the costs budget
• 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
• Preparing instructions to third parties such as counsel and experts.
• Preparation and attendance at trial, 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 any pre-action protocol, your case is likely to take 4 to 20 weeks. If your claim proceeds to a trial, your case is likely to take 50 to 75 weeks. 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.

Small Claims 

Our pricing for bringing and defending claims in general civil litigation which are below £10,000 in value. These may include, building disputes, contract disputes and consumer problems.

Team:   Mike Green (Director, Head of Litigation, Supervisor)  Tom Blake (Solicitor)

Billed on fixed fee basis dependent on the value of the claim.

The fees set out below 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 correspondence, including compliance with relevant Pre-Action Protocols
• Preparing claim or defence
• Reviewing and advising on claim or defence from other party
• Exploring settlement and negotiating settlement throughout the process
• Preparing or considering a schedule of loss
• Preparing for (and attending) any case management hearings, including where appropriate the costs budget
• 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
• Preparing instructions to third parties such as counsel and experts.
• Preparation for trial, including instructions to Counsel (not Counsel’s fee for the trial)

Matters which are not covered:

• Any application which it is necessary to make to the court (including the application fee)
• Any application to the court made by an opposing party.
• Any appeal either by you or an opposing party
• Disbursements, including Counsel’s fees, expert fees and court fees.

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 £3500 to £750 per day excluding VAT, charged at 20% (depending on experience of the advocate) for attending a court hearing (including preparation)

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 your claim proceeds to a trial, your case is likely to take 30 to 50 weeks. 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.

Fee scale

 All PGM fees are plus VAT and disbursement

Please note, unlike higher value claims, it is most unusual to recover your own legal costs in small claims cases.

Conveyancing

Team:   Paula Murphy (Director, Supervisor)

Visit our Conveyancing Calculator to obtain fees, here.

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. The average process takes between 12-16 weeks.

It can be quicker or slower, depending on the parties in the chain. For example, if you are a first-time buyer, purchasing a new build property with a mortgage in principle, it could take 12 weeks. However, if you are buying a leasehold property that requires an extension of the lease, this can take significantly longer, between 4 and 6 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 is an outline of the stages in a straight forward transaction:

• 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
• 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