Our Costs

Conveyancing Fees

Purchase, Sale, Remortgage and Lease extensions Fees

Fee quotes on residential sales and purchases for non business purposes 

Property Price BSG Fixed Fees
Upto £500,000 £1,500.00
£500,001 – £1,000,000 £2,000.00

Any sale or purchase over £1m is subject to agreement.

Additional Fees

We will charge an additional £250 where the property is leasehold

We will charge an additional £250 where the purchase process includes taking a mortgage

*Please note all fee quoted above are exclusive of VAT VAT is charged at the standard rate the details of which are found here: VAT rates – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)*

* These fees vary from property to property and can on occasion be significantly more than the ranges given above for example, if the matter becomes protracted. We can give you an accurate figure once we have sight of your specific documents.

Lease extensions 

£1,250 plus VAT and disbursements to be advised.

Remortgage

£850 plus VAT and disbursements to be advised.

Disbursements

Pre-Contract Searches (approx)* £500.00
Land Registry Priority Search £3.00
Land Registry Bankruptcy Search (per name) £2.00
Identity Checks (per name)* £30.00
Bank Transfer Charges* £35.00
File Storage Charges* £25.00

 

* Please note all disbursements marked * are exclusive of VAT which is charged at the standard rate the details of which are found here: VAT rates – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)” e*

Additional Information

  • Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as Land Registry fees which can also be self calculated at http://landregistry.data.gov.uk/fees-calculator.html . However, this is a complex website and you should speak to us about Land Registry fees which will in due course be set out in our client care letter. There may also be fees for obtaining copies of documents from the Land Registry (currently £3 per document). We will deal with the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.

 The standard Land Registry fees for a purchase are

£0-£80,000 £20.00
£80,001-£100,000 £40.00
£100,001-£200,000 £100.00
£200,001-£500,000 £150.00
£500,000-£1,000,000 £295.00
£1000,001 and Over £500.00

 

These fees will be higher if the property is a new build or a first registration

  • Stamp Duty Land Tax (on purchase). This depends on the purchase price of your property. In most purchases you can calculate the amount you will need to pay by using https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/calculate-stamp-duty-land-tax/#/intro  or if the property is located in Wales by using the Welsh Revenue Authority’s website here.  Not every transaction is straightforward and in some situations it may be necessary to take advice from accountantsStamp Duty Land Tax is a form of taxation which can be complex and as solicitors we are not tax advisers
  • There may be additional fees such as Landlord’s fees for providing a Leasehold pack which is a process relating to the sale of leasehold property where the managing agents or landlords have to provide essential information to provide to your purchaser’s solicitor.
  • On the purchase of leasehold property there may be fees for serving notices on your Landlord which may include notice of transfer.  This will depend on details set out in the lease you will purchase.
  • We will aim to provide a full estimated total upon formal request (This will give clients a clear understanding of the total cost of the transaction and so the full funds the client will need to complete it.)
  • How long will my house purchase take? On average we aim to complete purchases within 6-12 week from receipt of contract pack. 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 6-12 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 28 days. However, if you are buying a leasehold property that requires an extension of the lease, this can take significantly longer, between 2 and 4 months. In such, a situation additional charges would apply.
  • Please note all fee quotes are to be assessed subject to the complexity of the transaction.
  • Please note we reserve the right to charge additional fees outside of the quotations provided based on that complexity.
  • Please note that clients are to be notified in advance of any additional charges.

Steps involved in the Purchase of a residential property

The precise stages involved in the purchase of a residential property vary according to the circumstances. However, below are some of the key stages in the 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
  • 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 Tax
  • Deal with application for registration at Land Registry

Steps involved in the Sale of a residential property

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

  • Take your instructions and give you initial advice
  • Review title information and preparing a draft contract;
  • Provide title information, the contract and replies to the purchaser’s enquiries;
  • Obtain redemption figure from your mortgage company
  • Send final contract to you for signature
  • Agree completion date (date from which you will leave the property)
  • Exchange contracts and notify you that this has happened
  • Complete sale
  • Redeem any charge secured against the property and send you the balance

Litigation Fees

Court Claims

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 the other party disputes 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.

However, please note that for debt claims of £10,000 and below, these are known as ‘small claims matters’ in which case, generally whether or not the other party disputes your claim, you will not be able to claim back any of your legal costs apart from a small, fixed amount plus your court fees, in the event of your having issued court proceedings and your claim succeeding.

Accordingly, I just set out below, fees/likely costs involved for claims of over £10,000.

 

Debt value

Court fee

Our fee (incl. VAT)

£10,001 – £200,000

5% value of the claim

£1,000 to £2,000 plus VAT (and depending on whether or not payment is received sending a ‘letter before action’ and therefore whether or not court proceedings are required following that letter if no response is received to it).

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 7 to 14 days, providing you with advice on next steps and likely costs

Matters usually take from two to three weeks to several months from receipt of instruction from you to receipt of payment from the other side, depending on whether or not it is necessary to issue a claim. By way of example, if the matter pays up promptly in response to a letter before action, then the matter will usually only take a few weeks. If it is necessary to take court proceedings and the other side pays in response to those court proceedings but before we have to apply for judgement and default, then the matter will usually take at least two months. If the other party does not pay in response to the court proceedings prior to the entry of a judgement in default against that party and only then pays after receipt of the judgement in default, then the matter may take at least three or so months. If enforcement action is needed, the matter will take even longer to resolve.

 

Bringing and defending claims for unfair or wrongful dismissal

Our prices for bringing and defending claims for unfair or wrongful dismissal (exclusive of VAT, disbursements, and Counsel’s fees as explained below)

Simple case: £5,000 to £10,000

Medium complexity case: £10,000 to £30,000

High complexity case: At least £30,000 upwards

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 at least £2,000 per day (again excluding VAT). Generally, we would allow at least 1 to 5 days, possibly more, 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 (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 at least 6 to 12 weeks. If your claim proceeds to a Final Hearing, your case is likely to take at least 6 to 12 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.

 

Employment Claims For Unfair Or Wrongful Dismissal

EMPLOYMENT CLAIMS FOR UNFAIR OR WRONGFUL DISMISSAL – IMPORTANT INFORMATION

 

This is a basic guide but you would need to contact us so that particular matters can be clarified.

WRONGFUL DISMISSAL

If you have been given insufficient notice or no notice as required by your contract or by statute, you would be wrongfully dismissed.

UNFAIR DISMISSAL

This is a statutory “animal” where your employer has dismissed you for no lawful reason and/or has failed to follow a fair dismissal procedure.

Constructive dismissal is when you resign in circumstances where you can justify such resignation by the way in which your employer has treated you – that is by being in serious breach of the terms of your employment.

We set out below an indication of our charges for acting in cases of unfair dismissal and wrongful dismissal. If you work for less than two years for an employee, you may only have a wrongful dismissal claim because you will usually need to have worked for an employer for at least two years to be able to claim unfair dismissal or to receive a redundancy payment.

A wrongful dismissal case may involve unfair dismissal as well.

There are other types of claims but, within this short note, these are the details that we are obligated to give you under the Solicitors Regulatory Authority.

All you have to do is to contact us and we can see if we can assist you.

Our charges assume that your employment has already ended at the time you consult us.

The advantage of pre-resignation and pre-final disciplinary cases eventuating. It is  always sensible to consult your solicitor early rather than too late when certain  advantages and tacticals can be obtained by good advice.

For example, we can reach what is called a settlement agreement with your employer which is always the best because both sides have come to a comprise without rancour.

You should normally expect to pay a fee in the region of £500 to £1,200 plus VAT for advising on such an agreement in a simple case and, where the case is more complex, a higher fee should be anticipated.

(Either one of our fees earners will deal with the case throughout or we will instruct a barrister which will add to these fees).

Advice on such matters should be charged at the fee earners hourly rate shown in the departments’ indicative charging rates.

Advice prior to termination of employment is generally not covered by any legal expenses insurance policy they may have.

Employers may often contribute part if not all of your legal costs of a settlement agreement.

Our Pricing For Bringing Claims For Unfair Or Wrongful Dismissal

We stress that the figures below are an indication only.

You may wish to handle the claim yourself and only have our advice in relation to some of the charges.

This can also be arranged on your individual needs and will result in lower fees.

These figures after taking a case from the start of a claim until a full hearing and a lower fee may be appropriate if a case is resolved and not all the key stages set out below are necessary.

Simple case: £7,500 to £20,000 plus VAT and disbursements – estimated 20 – 50 hours of work;

Medium complexity case – £20,000 to £40,000 plus VAT and disbursements – estimated 50 – 90 hours work;

Higher complexity case – £40,000 to £55,000 plus VAT and disbursements- estimated 90 to 120 hours work.

You should note that many cases do settle and the impetus from Courts and Tribunals are for parties to meet and for there to be mediation and, in employment cases, judicial mediation.

Please note that all fees indicated above assume a claim will be heard in a London venue.

Outside of London, travelling time expenses will be greater than those assumed in the above figures and we should discuss with you at the time of instruction albeit that now, in the time of Covid, generally all employment cases are held remotely by one of the platforms, to include Microsoft teams.

Generally we would allow for a simple cases for 1-2 days, a medium case 2-3 days and a highly complex case 4 days.

Cases not covered by these figures in a very complex case such as whistle blowing allegations or cases in solving discrimination or equal play are likely to take 5 days or more in an Employment Tribunal.

DISBURSEMENTS

There are no longer fees payable to bring an Employment Tribunal claim unlike a County Court claim.

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as a specialist Barrister or the Court. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.

Barrister`s fees vary from about £2,500 to £5,000 per day plus VAT (depending on the seniority of the Advocate) for representing you at a Tribunal Hearing (including preparation).

TIMING

I would normally say, at the most, if a case goes to a hearing (final) as opposed to an interim one, this would take up to a year but, with Covid, unfortunately cases are taking much longer.

We will, of course, be able to give you a more accurate time scale once we have more information and as the matter progresses.

Employment Claims- Business Clients

We do have the expertise in hand in both bringing employment claims for employees and defending claims for unfair or wrongful dismissal.

Normally, we have a record of settling cases to avoid the heavy cost of a case proceeding to a hearing.

We set out the range of fees indicated depending on the stage reached when settled is reached.

THE STAGE REACHED WHEN SETTLED IS OBTAINED

Simple case £15,000 – £20,000 plus VAT and disbursements – estimated 20 to 40 hours of work

Medium complexity case £20,000 – £40,000 plus VAT and disbursements – estimated 40 – 80 hours work

High complexity case £40,000 to £80,000 plus VAT and disbursements – estimated 80 – 160 hours of work

Please note that these fees relate to London based cases. Outside of London, there will be travelling time and expenses will be greater obviously but, in these current pandemic times, most cases are remote, that is that platforms are used such as Microsoft Teams or CVP which cuts out these costs.

Factors that could make a case more complex:

  • if it is necessary to defend applications or 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 client 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 dismiss a pregnant woman  a “whistleblower” or
  • allegations of discrimination which are linked to the dismissal.

There will generally be an additional charge for our attending a Tribunal hearing of £ 4,000 to £5,000 a day plus VAT. The figure will depend on whether we act as your advocate or you want us to instruct a specialist barrister on your behalf. Some attendance may still be required by us.

Generally a simple case will take 1-2 days, a medium complexity case about 3 days and a complex case 4 or more days.

DISBURSEMENTS

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as a specialist Barrister or the Court. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process. The fees indicated about do not include disbursements.

Barrister`s fees will vary from about £4,000.00 to £5,000.00 per day plus VAT (depending on the seniority of the Advocate) for representing you at a Tribunal Hearing.

KEY STAGES

The fees set out above cover all of the work in relation to the 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 response or counterclaim;
  • reviewing and advising on claim or response from other party;
  • exploring settlement and negotiating settlement throughout the process;
  • preparing for and considering an employee’s schedule of loss and where appropriate preparing a Counter Schedule;
  • 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 the stages above are not required, our fees may be less than the total or in some cases they may be more.

LENGTH OF APPLICATION

Normally we would say that a settlement could be reached during pre-claimed conciliation of 8-12 weeks.

If it proceeds to a final hearing, we are talking about a year but again, during these Covid times, unfortunately it could take rather much longer.

We will, of course, be able to give you a more accurate time scale once we have more information and as the matter progresses.

Debt Recovery For Businesses Up To £100,000

Claims which you would need advice on.

Normally, we are talking in terms of an unpaid invoice which is not disputed and enforcement action is not needed.

If the other party disputes your claim at any point, we will discuss the further work required and give you the revised advice about costs, if necessary, which could be on a fixed fee e.g. if one letter is required or on an hourly rate if more extensive work is needed.

Fees are for claims filed on line.

Claims over £100, 000 cannot currently be issued on line.

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 the other party disputes 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.  Fees are for claims filed online.  Claims over £100,000 cannot currently be issued online.

 

Debt value Court fee Our fee Total
£3,000 – £5,000 £185 £500 plus VAT £720.00
£5,001 -£10,000 £410 £800 plus VAT £860.00
£10,001 -£100,000 Court fee is 4.5% value of the eg claim £4,500 for £100,000 £1,200 plus VAT and Court fee based on value Sample fee
£5,940 including court fee for £100,000 claim

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 and enquiries
  • sending a letter before action in accordance with the Civil Procedure Protocols for Debt Recovery, if applicable
  • receiving payment and sending onto you, or if the debt is not paid, drafting and issuing claim;
  • where no Acknowledgement of Service or Defence is received, applying to the court to enter Judgement in default;
  • when Judgement in default is received, write to the other side to request payment;
  • if payment is not received within 14 – 21 days, providing you with advice on next steps and likely costs.

Matters usually take 8 – 16 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 and additional charges will become payable depending on the type of enforcement action required.

 

Commercial Litigation

We have two senior litigation solicitors, assisted, by a trainee, with many years of experience in dealing with claims ranging from a small County Court debt to the Supreme Court.

We regard ourselves as pragmatic and can give you advice at each stage of the litigation.

We are a great believer in alternative forms of dispute resolution where possible. When we meet with you, we analyse the risk in each case and produce a case plan that we believe will best serve our clients’ situation and enable us to discuss with you the options available.

We do handle various forms of commercial dispute including:

  • commercial contracts and contractual disputes
  • construction litigation
  • contentious probate and related matters
  • partnership/shareholder disputes
  • personal insolvency and bankruptcy
  • professional negligence
  • IT litigation
  • business insolvency
  • company winding up
  • (separately, but for your reference) all forms of regulatory dispute for Tribunals.

PROPERTY LITIGATION

We act for many commercial and residential landlords.

Our objective is to achieve your needs efficiently and cost effectively.

The kind of cases we deal with include:

  • forfeiture claims and seeking relief from forfeiture
  • injunctions
  • landlord and tenant disputes
  • landlord and tenant insolvency
  • contractual disputes
  • dilapidations
  • possession actions, including squatters.
  • renewal of business tenancies
  • mortgage possession
  • recovery of rent and service charges
  • rent review
  • restrictive covenants
  • service charge disputes
  • section 20 procedures
  • adverse possession claims

We also deal with:

  • boundary disputes
  • party wall issues
  • professional negligence
  • rights of access
  • light and escape issues