top of page

Price Trasparency
SRA Regulations 2018

A legal disclaimer

As a firm which is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, we wish to provide as much transparency as to our fees as possible and are obliged to detail our charges for certain matters.

These include the following areas within which we act for individuals:

  1. Probate - the collection and distribution of assets belonging to a person following their death, where these are within the UK, and the matters are not contested.

  2. Immigration - the preparation and submission of immigration applications, excluding asylum applications;

  3. Immigration - the provision of advice and representation at the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) in relation to appeals against Home Office visa or immigration decisions, excluding asylum appeals;

  4. Criminal - the provision of advice and representation at the Magistrates Court in relation to summary-only road traffic offences dealt with at a single hearing;

  5. Employment - the provision of advice and representation to employees in relation to the bringing of claims before the Employment Tribunal against an employer for unfair dismissal or wrongful dismissal.

 

These are the following areas within which we act for businesses:-

  1. Employment – the provision of advice and representation to employers in relation to defending claims before the Employment Tribunal brought by an employee for unfair dismissal or wrongful dismissal;

  2. Debt Recovery – debt recovery up the value of £100,000

  3. Licensing – the provision of advice and assistance and representation in relation to licensing applications for business premise

Please see the information below under each header for the section relevant to your case.

General Information

Hourly rates

Where we refer to hourly rates, these are as follows:-

£260 per hour plus VAT – Senior Solicitors, Barristers (over 8 years qualified) and Partners

£220 per hour plus VAT – Solicitors & Barristers

£160 per hour plus VAT – Paralegals, Trainee Solicitors or Pupil Barristers
 

VAT

All our fees are subject to VAT at the prevailing rate, currently 20%.

Court/Tribunal fees and Disbursements

In many cases, there will be court application fees, and these are charged in addition to any of our fees. We will notify you of any relevant court fees and itemise these in your bill. More information on fees can be found on the gov.uk website https://www.gov.uk/court-fees-what-they-are.

Court fees are not subject to VAT.

Disbursements are often required in cases where we must for example instruct an expert, interpreter or where we incur travel expenses not already stated to be part of any agreed fee. Most disbursement but not all, will be subject to VAT. We will advise you in advance of any such instruction as to the cost of this.

Disbursements would also include any fees for counsel (a barrister).

Where you are a defendant in a criminal case, the court will pay for any interpreter required at the court hearings.

Services in relation to individuals

1. Probate

In relation to probate matters where a case includes the collection and distribution of assets belonging to a person following their death, where these are within the UK and the matters are not contested are fees are detailed as follows:

As client’s circumstances can be vastly different, it is not possible to provide the total cost of our probate service without having considered the complexity and individual needs of the case and whether we will be carrying the probate work in its entirety, applying for the grant or assisting at a later stage with the collection and distribution of assets. Each case is unique in terms of the number and complexity of applications which are required. We aim carry out an assessment of the work involved in administering the estate during an initial consultation for which we charge £260 plus VAT to enable us to provide you with an outline of what work is required and a fixed fee for this work to provide you with certainty as to our costs. In all probate matters, application fees are required to be paid to HMRC which do not form part of our fees. Once we have a greater understanding of your position, we will be able to advise you on the application fees required in your case.

All clients will be assigned a solicitor and a paralegal or trainee to work on your case.

Our fixed fees relating to non-contested probate matters on a simple estate range from £800-2,000 plus VAT. The fixed fee would be at the lower end of the range where, for example there is a valid will; one property; no other significant assets; 2-3 beneficiaries; no disputes between beneficiaries or other claims against the estate and no inheritance tax to pay which will not require a full account to HMRC.

The range for a more complex matter involving no valid will and more than one property; various investments and the payment of inheritance tax which requires a full account to HMRC would be £3- 4,000 plus VAT.

Contested probate matters will be charged on the solicitor’s hourly rate which is £220 or 260 per hour depending on seniority as set out above and within our terms of business which you will receive upon instruction and work carried out by a paralegal or trainee is charged at £160 per hour and there will be additional Application Fees as well as potential disbursements for experts and/or counsel. The range of such matters is £4-10,000 plus VAT.

​

We do not charge a percentage of property or investments as an alternative to or in addition to hourly rates.

Where we collect and distribute assets in the estate following the advertisement of the death and calculation and advice on inheritance tax due, this will be done at our hourly rates as above. In some circumstances where we consider that we are able to identify the likely time to be incurred in the collection and distribution of the assets, we are able to agree a fixed fee to provide further certainty as to costs.

Some typical fees and disbursements incurred in probate matters (subject to change) are:-

  • Probate application - £155

  • Advertising in the London Gazette – up to £84.60

  • Home valuation - £350 plus VAT

  • Valuation of assets – dependent on the level of assets

  • Inheritance Tax is also payable where the estate is valued over £250,000.

Time estimates in Probate matters

  • 4-8 weeks - Where only the grant of probate certificate is required, and the estate is not subject to inheritance tax, an application to the Probate Registry, depending on the level and complexity of any preliminary issues being resolved.

  • 2-3 weeks - for the Grant of Probate to be received from the Probate Registry following application.

  • 3-6 months for the valuation and sale of basic assets i.e. house, car or personal items;

  • 4-8 months for the valuation and sale of more complex and higher value assets;

  • Approximately 12 months for the entire process to be resolved, including all payments made.

  • Please be aware that there is a limitation period of 6 months, allowing a trustee to avoid the risk of being liable to a claim made on the estate if it were to be resolved earlier than that time.

2. Immigration

The preparation and submission of immigration applications, excluding asylum applications, and the provision of advice and representation at the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) in relation to appeals against Home Office visa or immigration decisions, excluding asylum appeals.

​

In such cases, it is usual for us to be able to offer a fixed fee for each of the various stages in immigration applications.

In order to decide on an appropriate fixed fee, we would invite you to consult with us in order to take instructions so that we may ascertain which applications are required. For this consultation, we usually charge a flat rate of £250 plus VAT. If further work is to be carried out before or immediately after this conference, the fixed fee may be higher, £400 plus VAT.

​

Should it be the case that, due to a lack of important information or uncertainty as to the route of your case at this stage, our charges would be at our hourly rates detailed above.

Our fixed fees will be based on the type of application or applications required and the complexity of your case, as well as any other work required before the applications can be made. To provide an approximation of the likely fixed fees in each application, please see the table below.

Applications for leave to remain.

​

The SRA price transparency rules cover the following types of applications:

  • Applications for naturalisation or registration under the British Nationality Act 1981

  • Applications on behalf of European Economic Area (EEA) nationals and their family members under the applicable EEA Regulations or Immigration Rules, including applications for permanent residence, residence cards, and registration certificates

  • Applications under the Immigration Rules, including:

  1. student and work experience visas

  2. visit visas (for tourism, or visiting friends / family)

  3. spouse and partners applications, including fiancé(e)s or proposed civil partners

  4. applications for work, business or study under the Points-Based System;

  5. dependent relative and family reunion applications

  6. ancestry visas

  7. other categories, such as applications based on long residence

​​

Our fees are based on the likely time required to be spent on your case, considering the solicitor's hourly rate plus VAT and disbursements.

 

These applications ordinarily take approximately 4-6 hours of work. Therefore, our fees will be approximately £1000 and £1500.

Additional family members will increase these fees at a rate of approximately £300 per person.

 

Fees for your case will vary within the range from the lower end where you are able to provide all relevant information required and there your case does not have any complexities. Fees may be at the higher end where it is a first-time application or extension or if there are more complex circumstances or additional paperwork to consider, or were there to be medical issues, criminal convictions, complicated personal situations, the requirement for an interpreter for instructions to be taken or for documents to be translated, the number of supporting documents or witnesses, the likelihood of a required attendance at a Home Office interview, and whether it is a fast tracked / premium application.

 

The services included will ordinarily be:-

  • Considering any documentation provided either prior to or following the consultation

  • Taking instructions during a consultation

  • Any follow up consultations required

  • Advising on applications to be made, time frame and prospects of success and any action required by either the applicant or ourselves prior to making the application

  • Taking witness statements where required

  • Drafting and submitting the application

  • Additional liaising with the Home Office regarding that application

  • Advising on the outcome of the application.

 

In addition to VAT, and Home Office application fees and any disbursements, there will be and further fees where we to be required to attend a Home Office interview, attend the Home Office or Tribunal for any reason relating to your case and were you to be unsuccessful, for advice and/or representation on appeal.

 

There are certain applications which are not subject to VAT.

​

Time Estimate

  • 2-3 weeks of instruction to submit the application, depending on whether all information is available within good time.

  • Once the application is submitted, the Home Office has its own guidance on timeframes which are detailed at the following link https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk- visas-and-immigration/about-our-services. These time frames are not certain as it will depend on the number of applications being processed at the time your application is submitted. The quoted time frames are between 8 weeks and 6 months dependant on the application, however, there is also a fast track/priority service which may be available, and we will advise you on this where appropriate.

​​​​

3. Immigration - 

Advice and Representation at the First-tier Tribunal

Our fees for such advice and representation for appeals against a Home Office decision to refuse a UK visa or residence permit would ordinarily be between £1,500-£2,000 plus VAT, Home Office / Tribunal fees and other disbursements. This excludes asylum applications or appeals.

Such fees would include:-

  • Considering any documentation provided either prior to or following the consultation

  • Taking instructions during a consultation

  • Any follow-up consultations required

  • Advising on appeal, time frame, prospects of success and any action required by either the applicant or ourselves before making the appeal

  • Drafting and submitting the appeal

  • Preparation of the appeal and representation/advocacy before the Tribunal.

  • Additional liaison with the Home Office regarding that application

  • Advising on the outcome of the application.

4. Criminal law

The provision of advice and representation at the Magistrates Court in relation to summary only road traffic offences dealt with at a single hearing.

​

Our fee structure for these type of driving matters would be based on a fixed fee depending on the type of case. Our fees would be between £400 to £2,500 plus VAT depending on complexity and plea. Matters dealt with at a single hearing would ordinarily be a guilty plea at the first appearance where sentence was passed on that same day, or alternatively, representation whereby the Crown discontinues the case, usually following instructions. For such an

 

appearance at the Magistrates Court, our fees would be at the lower end of the case for an attendance at court where very little preparation was required in advance of the hearing.

 

Where further preparation is required and/or an office or lengthy telephone consultation, the taking of instructions in order to advise on the evidence or make representations, the fee would be higher within the range.

 

Where the matter is listed for trial or a special reasons argument, a fixed fee would be between

£1,800-2,500 and again, would depend on the complexity, investigative work, witness statements and other preparation required.

 

All fees are subject to VAT and disbursements. There are no court fees to be paid in such matters. You may be required to pay a contribution towards or the entirety of the prosecution costs in your case if you are unsuccessful together with a victim surcharge and in addition to any financial penalty received.

 

Our fees will include:

 

  • Taking initial instructions;

  • Making representations to the Crown Prosecution Service to discontinue or substitute an alternative charge where appropriate;

  • Preparation and submission of any postal plea under the Single Justice Procedure;

  • Attendance at court for your first appearance;

  • Advising on the outcome of the appearance and appeal where appropriate;

  • Preparation of your case for trial/special reasons argument;

  • Taking of full and detailed instructions;

  • Conducting any investigative work, making requests for disclosure and/or drafting witness statements;

  • Representation at any further hearing/trial;

  • Advising on the outcome of the appearance/trial and on appeal where appropriate.

5. Employment

The provision of advice and representation to employees in relation to the bringing of claims before the Employment Tribunal against an employer for unfair dismissal or wrongful dismissal.

Private Fees

Each claim brought in the Employment Tribunal (ET) is distinct with often vastly different sets of circumstances. As each case is different, it is not possible to provide the total cost of our employment service without having considered the complexity and individual needs of the case.

We offer an initial consultation for which we charge £400 plus VAT to enable us to provide you with an outline of what work is required and whether we are able to offer a fixed fee for this work to provide you with certainty as to our costs. This would afford us an opportunity to assess how much work would be required taking into consideration the issues in the case, the preparation required and the likely length of the hearing.

 

We would estimate our costs for a straightforward claim with the hearing to be listed for no longer than 3 hours to be in the region of £2,500 to £3,000 plus VAT. If the matter is more complex, we would estimate our costs to be in excess of £3,000 plus VAT and charged at our hourly rate as above. You would be provided with a tailored cost estimate and our terms of business at point of instruction.

Our fees will include:

  • Taking initial instructions;

  • Continuing advice on prospects;

  • Drafting the ET1 form;

  • Negotiating with the other party to achieve potential settlement;

  • Preparation and submission of any further applications;

  • Preparation of your case for the hearing;

  • Taking of full and detailed instructions;

  • Proofing any potential witnesses;

  • Conducting any investigative work, making requests for disclosure and/or drafting witness statements;

  • Arranging representation for hearings (including briefing counsel);

  • Preparing bundles;

  • Advising on the outcome of the final hearing and avenues of appeal

There are no longer fees to pay the ET as part of making a claim. However, any disbursements such as expert witnesses and counsel’s fees would need to be paid in addition to our fees. Some of these disbursements may not be subject to VAT.

The ET is typically not cost bearing with the usual rule being that each party meets their own costs. There are exceptions that do apply such as when the claim is without merit or where there are elements of dishonesty or unreasonable behaviour. In those circumstances the ET could make a cost order against you and you could therefore be liable for paying all or some of the costs of the other party.

Claims made in the ET can often take several months to come to a hearing. This will ultimately depend on the complexity of the case and how busy the schedule is of the particular tribunal that your matter is assigned to. You would be provided with regular time estimates over the duration of your case.

Please note that is a time limit for bringing a claim in the ET for unfair or wrongful dismissal is 3 months less one day from the date you were dismissed. You would be required to contact ACAS for early conciliation in the first instance and would be issued with a certificate in order to lodge your claim in the ET. Any time whilst your potential claim is with ACAS is excluded from the limitation period.

‘No win, no fee’ (Damages Based Agreement - DBA)

In some circumstances we are able to accept instructions on a Damages Based Agreement (DBA) a form of ‘no win, no fee’ agreement. Accepting instructions on this basis would depend largely on the merit and value of your claim.

Under a DBA you would have to fund your own disbursements which could include expert witnesses or counsel’s fees (unless counsel agrees to enter the DBA). These fees may or may not attract VAT depending on the circumstances.

 

If you are successful with a claim under a DBA, we would deduct 35% from your damages. This amount would be inclusive of VAT. We would seek authority from you at the start of the case for damages to be paid to us in order for the deduction to be made. You would then receive your damages net of our costs. You would be provided with a breakdown upon the conclusion of your claim.​

Services in relation to businesses
1. Employment

2. Debt Recovery

​The provision of advice and representation to employers in relation to defending claims before the Employment Tribunal brought by an employee for unfair dismissal or wrongful dismissal

Each claim brought in the Employment Tribunal (ET) is distinct with often vastly different sets of circumstances. As each case is different, it is not possible to provide the total cost of our employment service without having considered the complexity and individual needs of the case.

We offer an initial consultation for which we charge £200 plus VAT to enable us to provide you with an outline of what work is required and whether we are able to offer a fixed fee for this work to provide you with certainty as to our costs. This would afford us an opportunity to assess how much work would be required taking into consideration the issues in the case, the preparation required and the likely length of the hearing.

We would estimate our costs for a straightforward claim with the hearing to be listed for no longer than 3 hours to be in the region of £2,500 to £3,000 plus VAT. If the matter is more complex, we would estimate our costs to be in excess of £3,000 plus VAT and charged at our hourly rate as above. You would be provided with a tailored cost estimate and our terms of business at point of instruction.

Our fees will include:

  • Taking initial instructions;

  • Ongoing advice

  • Drafting the ET3 form;

  • Negotiating, if appropriate, with the other party in order to settle the matter

  • Preparation and submission of any further applications;

  • Preparation of your case before the hearing

  • Taking of full and detailed instructions

  • Proofing any potential witnesses

  • Conducting any investigative work, making requests for disclosure and/or drafting witness statements;

  • Arranging representation for hearings (including briefing counsel);

  • Preparing bundles;

  • Advising on the outcome of the final hearing and avenues of appeal

 

Any disbursements such as expert witnesses and counsel’s fees would need to be paid in addition to our fees. Some of these disbursements may not be subject to VAT.

 

The ET is typically not cost bearing with the usual rule being that each party meets their own costs. There are exceptions that do apply such as when the claim is without merit or where there are elements of dishonesty or unreasonable behaviour. In those circumstances the ET could make a cost order against you and you could therefore be liable for paying all or some of the costs of the other party.

Claims made in the ET can often take several months to come to a hearing. This will ultimately depend on the complexity of the case and how busy the schedule is of the particular tribunal that your matter is assigned to. You would be provided with regular time estimates over the duration of your case.

Debt recovery up to the value of £100,000.

The total cost of the service we provide will be dependent on a number of factors. These can include the number of invoices, the length and complexity of the agreements in place, as well as the debtor’s position with regard to the debt.

The cost of drafting and sending a letter before action, depending on the complexity and after taking instructions, will be in the region of £400 to £800 + VAT. In the first instance, we would offer an initial consultation for which we would charge £400 + VAT.

Any work conducted beyond sending the letter before action would be charged at our hourly rates as outlined above and subject to our terms of business, which would be sent at the point of instruction.

Our fees do not include any disbursements, which would include court fees (if the matter were litigated), which are not subject to VAT. Counsel fees are also not included, which may or may not be subject to VAT. An idea of the court fees can be found by clicking on the following link: https://www.gov.uk/court-fees-what-they-are

Our fees would include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Taking full instructions

  • Ongoing advice

  • Negotiation with the other party, including forms of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)

  • Issuing and serving proceedings, including drafting of the particulars of claim and claim form

  • Briefing counsel (if necessary)

  • Preparation of your case before the hearing

  • Proofing any potential witnesses

  • Conducting any investigative work, making requests for disclosure and/or drafting witness statements;

  • Preparing bundles;

  • Advising on the outcome of the final hearing and avenues of appeal

It is difficult to predict the likely timescale for debt recovery. In some cases, the matter could be settled within days or weeks after the debtor has received the letter before action. In other cases, there may be an investigation required, or proceedings need to be issued and served for the matter to be decided at a court hearing. You would be provided with a time estimate at the start of your case and throughout.

bottom of page