Service information

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* £1,250.00
• Administration costs £50.00
• Electronic money processing and transfer fee £50.00
• Electronic conveyancing and ID verification fee £40.00
• VAT payable £278.00

Disbursements (excluding Stamp Duty)

• Search fees £350.00 (subject to variation and please see below)
• HM Land Registry fee £150.00 (subject to variation and please see below)
• Bankruptcy search fee £2.90 (per person)
• SDLT and AP1 form filing fee £9.60
• Land Registry search fee £3.90

Estimated total: £2,184.40

*Our fee assumes that:

• this is a standard transaction with a purchase price of less than £1,000,000.00 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.
• the transaction is concluded in a timely manner and no unforeseen complications arise.
• all parties to the transaction are co-operative and there is no unreasonable delay from third parties providing documentation.
• no indemnity policies are required. Additional disbursements may apply if indemnity policies are required.
• it is a cash purchase and in the event that there is a mortgage there will be a lender fee in the region of £175.00 and the amount we will confirm as soon as we receive your mortgage offer.

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.

Search fees

The search fees are an estimate only. The local authority search fee is a fee not set by conveyancers and these fees will vary depending on the location of the subject property.

HM Land Registry registration fee

Kindly note that this fee will depend on the purchase price of the property. You can calculate the amount you will need to pay by using HMLR’s website.

Stamp Duty or Land Tax (on purchase)

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.

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 4 and 6 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 up to 3 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

• 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

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

• Legal fee* £1,500.00
• Administration costs £50.00
• Electronic money processing and transfer fee £50.00
• Electronic conveyancing and ID verification fee £40.00
• VAT payable £328.00

Disbursements (excluding Stamp duty)

• Search fees £350.00 (subject to variation and please see note below)
• HM Land Registry fee £150.00 (subject to variation and please see note below)
• Bankruptcy search fee £2.90 (per person)
• SDLT and AP1 form filing fee £9.60
• Land Registry search fee £3.90

Estimated total: £2,484.40

*Our fee assumes that:

• the property being purchased is not a newly built property and in the event that it is, or the existing lease is less than 10 years old, an additional sum of £350.00 plus VAT shall be payable for the additional work that is required to be carried out in this type of transaction.
• the property is not being purchased under any of the government Help to Buy schemes and in the event that it is there will be an additional charge of £150.00 plus VAT for the additional work that is required to be carried out by us.
• this is a standard transaction with a purchase price of less than £1,000,000.00 and that no unforeseen matters arise including for example (but not limited to) a defect in title which requires remedying prior to completion or the preparation of additional documents ancillary to the main transaction.
• this is the assignment of an existing lease more than 10 years old and is not the grant of a new lease.
• the transaction is concluded in a timely manner and no unforeseen complications arise.
• all parties to the transaction are co-operative and there is no unreasonable delay from third parties providing documentation.
• no indemnity policies are required. Additional disbursements may apply if indemnity policies are required.
• it is a cash purchase and in the event that there is a mortgage there will be a lender fee in the region of £175.00 and the amount we will confirm as soon as we receive your mortgage offer.

Disbursements

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as search fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process. There are certain disbursements which will be set out in the individual lease relating to the Property. The disbursements which we anticipate will apply are set out separately below. This list is not exhaustive and other disbursements may apply depending on the terms of the lease. We will update you on the specific fees upon receipt and review of the lease from the seller’s solicitors.

Anticipated Disbursements

• Notice of Transfer fee – This fee if chargeable is set out in the lease. Often the fee is between £75.00 and £175.00.
• Notice of Charge fee (if the property is to be mortgaged) – This fee is set out in the lease. Often the fee is between £75.00 and £175.00.
• 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 £75.00 and £150.00.
• Certificate of Compliance fee – To be confirmed upon receipt of the lease, as can range between £75.00 and £150.00.

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

You should also be aware that ground rent and service charges are likely to apply throughout your ownership of the property. We will confirm the ground rent and the anticipated service charge as soon as we receive this information.

Search fees

The search fees are an estimate only. The local authority search fee is a fee not set by conveyancers and these fees will vary depending on the location of the subject property.

HM Land Registry registration fee

Kindly note that this fee will depend on the purchase price of the property. You can calculate the amount you will need to pay by using HMLR’s website.

Stamp Duty or Land Tax (on purchase)

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.

Stages of the process

• Take your instructions and give you initial advice
• Check finances are in place to fund purchase and contact lender’s solicitors if needed
• Receive and advise on contract documents
• Carry out searches
• Obtain further planning documentation if required
• Make any necessary enquiries of seller’s solicitor
• Give you advice on all documents and information received
• Go through conditions of mortgage offer
• Send final contract to you for signature
• Draft Transfer
• Advise you on joint ownership
• Obtain pre-completion searches
• Agree completion date (date from which you own the property)
• Exchange contracts and notify you that this has happened
• Arrange for all monies needed to be received from lender and you
• Complete purchase
• Deal with payment of Stamp Duty/Land Tax
• Deal with application for registration at Land Registry

How long will my house purchase take?

How long it will take from your offer being accepted until you can move in to your house will depend on a number of factors. The average process takes between 4 and 6 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 up to 3 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.

Our fees cover all of the work required to complete the sale of your property, including dealing with the repayment of any mortgages and dealing with the removal of the charge(s) registered at the Land Registry.

Conveyancer’s fees

• Legal fee* £1,250.00
• Administration costs £50.00
• Electronic money processing and transfer fee £50.00 (per bank transfer)
• Electronic conveyancing and ID verification fee £40.00
• VAT payable £278.00

Disbursements

• Land Registry Office Copy Entries and Title plan fee £7.80

Estimated total: £1,675.80

*Our fee assumes that:

• this is a sale of a freehold property and in the event that it is a sale of a leasehold property any additional documentation such as leases that will need to be obtained from the Land Registry will be charged at £3.90 per document. Please note that this is a disbursement payable directly to our document provider.
• this is not a sale of a leasehold property and in the event that it is you would be required to pay a fee for a management pack that is directly payable by us to your freeholder or the managing agent. Typically, these fees vary between £150.00 and £275.00 and can on occasion be significantly more than the ranges provided. We can give you an accurate figure once we are made aware of the sum that is required to be paid to the freeholder or your managing agent.
• this is a standard transaction with a purchase price of less than £1,000,000.00 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.
• the transaction is concluded in a timely manner and no unforeseen complications arise.
• all parties to the transaction are co-operative and there is no unreasonable delay from third parties providing documentation.
• no indemnity policies are required. Additional disbursements may apply if indemnity policies are required.

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as payments to the Land Registry. 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 from your acceptance of the offer until you can move out of your house will depend on a number of factors. The average process takes between 4 and 6 weeks.

It can be quicker or slower, depending on the parties in the chain. For example, if you are selling and the prospective buyer does not have a related sale, it could take up to 4 weeks. However, if the prospective buyer has a related sale, which becomes delayed, your sale may be delayed and it could take up to 6 weeks or more before the sale is completed.

Stages of the process

• Take your instructions and give you initial advice
• Obtaining title deeds and documents
• Preparing draft Contracts and submitting these to the buyer’s solicitors
• Taking your instructions and responding to the buyer’s solicitors enquiries
• Send final contract to you for signature
• Approve draft Transfer and obtain your signature
• Agree completion date (date from which you will transfer ownership of the property)
• Exchange contracts and notify you that this has happened
• Complete sale
• Deal with repayment of any mortgages and apply to discharge the mortgage at the Land Registry
• Payment of sale proceeds

We can help you through this difficult process by obtaining the Grant of Probate on your behalf. We will also undertake the collecting and distributing of assets.

How much does this service cost?

We anticipate this will take between 10 and 35 hours work at £250.00 per hour. Total costs estimated at £2,000.00 – £7,500.00 (+VAT), excluding disbursements.

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 5 bank or building society accounts
• There are no other intangible assets or foreign or other assets
• There are 2-4 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 not included in this fee:

• Probate application fee of £155.00
• Swearing of the oath (per executor) plus £2.00 for each exhibit or schedule referred to – £5.00
• Bankruptcy-only Land Charges Department searches – £2.75 per beneficiary
• Post in The London Gazette – Protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors – £83.40
• Post in a Local Newspaper – This also helps to protect against unexpected claims – £75.00 – £150.00

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

Potential additional costs

• If there is no will or the estate consists of any shareholdings (stocks and bonds) there is likely to be additional costs that could range significantly depending on the estate and how it is to be dealt with. We can give you a more accurate quote once we have more information.
• If any additional copies of the grant are required, they will cost £0.50 (1 per asset usually).
• Dealing with the sale or transfer of any property in the estate is not included.

As part of our process we will:

• Provide you with a dedicated and experienced probate solicitor to work on your matter
• Identify the legally appointed executors or administrators and beneficiaries
• Accurately identify the type of Probate application you will require
• Obtain the relevant documents required to make the application
• Complete the Probate Application and the relevant HMRC forms
• Draft a legal oath for you to swear
• Make the application to the Probate Court on your behalf
• Obtain the Probate and securely send five copies to you
• Collect and distribute all assets in the estate

How long will this take?

On average, estates that fall within this range are dealt with within 1-3 months. Typically, obtaining the grant of probate takes 2-4 weeks. Collecting assets then follows, which can take between 2-4 weeks. Once this has been done, we can distribute the assets, which normally takes 1-2 weeks.

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

Simple case: £6,500 – £10,000 (excluding VAT)
Medium complexity case: £10,000 – £20,000 (excluding VAT)
High complexity case: £20,000 – £35,000 (excluding VAT)

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 no additional charge for attending a Tribunal Hearing and our attendance at the hearing is included within the costs quoted as set out above.

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. Please note that these costs payable by you are in addition to the costs quoted above.

Counsel’s fees for a one day Tribunal Hearing will be between £2,500 plus VAT – £4,000 plus VAT (depending on experience of the advocate). If the hearing is longer than a day, an additional fee between £1,500 plus VAT – £2,000 plus VAT will be charged by the advocate for each additional day.

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 3 – 4 weeks. If your claim proceeds to a Final Hearing, your case is likely to take 12 – 16 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.

Applications for Settling in the United Kingdom and for leave to remain

Hourly rate: £250.00 plus VAT

On average, this type of work takes between 6 – 8 hours to complete. This means that on average costs are between £1,800.00 and £2,400.00. All figures include VAT unless specifically stated.

The exact number of hours it will take depends on the circumstances in your case. Such as:

• The amount of supporting evidence that we need to consider
• Which language(s) you speak
• Whether you are applying with other dependants

If you are able to provide sufficient evidence at our first meeting and clearly meet the applicable Immigration Rules, the cost is likely to be at the lower end of this range.

What services are included

The work will involve:

• discussing your circumstances in detail and confirming whether this is the most appropriate application for you to make and what other options may be available to you;
• giving you advice about the requirements of the Immigration Rules and whether you meet the criteria.
• if you do not fulfil certain criteria, whether this can be overcome and how, which on average takes 1 ½ hours;
• considering the supporting evidence you have provided, which we anticipate will take 2 to 3 hours*;
• where necessary, helping you obtain further evidence (such as medical records and bank statements), including taking statements of any witnesses;
• preparing your application and submitting it on your behalf, which we anticipate will take 2 hours;
• Attendance at a Home Office interview: if the Home Office ask you to attend an interview, we will give you clear advice (and discuss the possibility of us attending with you) at the appropriate time. This could be between 1 and 2 hours of work.
• giving you advice about the outcome of the application and any further steps you need to take.

*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

Disbursements (not included in costs set out above):

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

• Interpreters fees at £65 per hour. This kind of application will normally require between 6 – 8 hours with an interpreter, depending on the complexity of your case.
• Independent expert reports e.g. medical experts. These are not required in many cases: we will let you know as soon as possible if we consider an expert report is necessary.
• If there is an interview and we do attend with you, there will be additional disbursements in respect of our mileage/travel expenses.

The costs 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.
• Where the Home Office refuse your application, advice and assistance in relation to any appeal

How long will my application take?

We cannot guarantee how long the Home Office will take to process your application. Read the current processing times.

We will normally be able to submit this type of application within 2 weeks of you instructing us, but we will let you know at the earliest opportunity if it is likely to take longer than this.

Please note the anticipated number of hours and fees are an estimate based on the facts above. All applications are likely to vary and of course, we can give you a more accurate estimate once we have more information about your specific case.

Fixed fee – £1,500.00 inclusive of VAT

Fee includes:

• 2 hours attendance/preparation:
• considering evidence
• taking your instructions
• providing advice on likely sentence
• Attendance and representation at a single hearing at the Magistrates Court

The fee does not include:

• instruction of any expert witnesses
• taking statements from any witnesses
• advice and assistance in relation to a special reasons hearing
• advice or assistance in relation to any appeal

The key stages of your matter set out below are based on the presumption that you have entered a guilty plea and have a date for your hearing.

• Meet with your solicitor to provide instructions on what happened.
• We will consider initial disclosure, and any other evidence and provide advice.
• Arranging to take any witness statements if necessary (this will have an additional cost and an hourly rate of £200.00 plus VAT will be charged and typically 2 additional hours would be spent per witness statement).
• We will explain the court procedure to you so you know what to expect on the day of your hearing, and the sentencing options available to the court.
• We will conduct any further preparatory work, obtain further instructions from you if necessary and answer any follow up queries you have.
• We cannot provide a timescale of when your hearing will take place, as this depends on the court listing for that day.
• We will attend court on the day and meet with you before going before the court. We anticipate being at court for half a day.
• We will discuss the outcome with you. If advice is required on appeal, this will carry an additional cost.

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.

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 21 days, providing you with advice on next steps and likely costs

Matters usually take 4 – 12 weeks from receipt of instructions from you to receipt of payment from the other side, depending on whether or not it is necessary to issue a claim. This is on the basis that there are no delays at the court and the other side pays promptly on receipt of Judgement in default. If enforcement action is needed, the matter will take longer to resolve.

The requirement to publish information on website regarding complaints procedure

We want to give you the best possible service. However, if at any point you become unhappy or concerned about the service we have provided then you should inform us immediately, so that we can do our best to resolve the problem.

In the first instance it may be helpful to contact the person who is working on your case to discuss your concerns and we will do our best to resolve any issues at this stage. If you would like to make a formal complaint, then you can read our full complaints procedure here. Making a complaint will not affect how we handle your case.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority can help you if you are concerned about our behaviour. This could be for things like dishonesty, taking or losing your money or treating you unfairly because of your age, a disability or other characteristic.

You can raise your concerns with the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

What do to if we cannot resolve your complaint

The Legal Ombudsman can help you if we are unable to resolve your complaint ourselves. They will look at your complaint independently and it will not affect how we handle your case.

Before accepting a complaint for investigation, the Legal Ombudsman will check that you have tried to resolve your complaint with us first. If you have, then you must take your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman:

• Within six months of receiving a final response to your complaint and
• No more than six years from the date of act/omission; or
• No more than three years from when you should reasonably have known there was cause for complaint.

If you would like more information about the Legal Ombudsman, please contact them.

Contact details

Visit: www.legalombudsman.org.uk
Call: 0300 555 0333 between 9am to 5pm.
Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
Legal Ombudsman PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton, WV1 9WJ