Cost Estimates

We are on hand to guide you through every step of your claim.

Example of our costs: Business to business debt that is undisputed

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.

	Court fee (based on amount claimed, plus interest)	Our fee (incl. VAT)
Up to £5,000	Claim up to £300.00 – £35.00 £300.01 to £500.00 – £50.00 £500.01 to £1,00.00 – £70.00 £1,000.01 to £1,500.00 – £80.00 £1,500.01 to £3,000.00 – £115.00 £3,000.01 to £5,000.00 – £205.00	£150.00 (£180.00) £175.00 (£210.00) £250.00 (£300.00) £395.00 (£474.00) £595.00 (£714.00) £695.00 (£834.00)
£5,001 – £10,000	£455.00	£1,400.00 (£1,680.00) – £2,000.00 (£2,400.00)
£10,001 – £50,000	5% value of the claim	£1,500.00 – £2,000.00 plus vat at 20%

Please note the following

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 the 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 90 days, providing you with advice on the next steps and likely costs.

How long will the process take?

Matters usually take 10-12 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 the other side pays promptly on receipt of Judgement in default. If enforcement action is needed, the matter will take longer to resolve.

Probate: Estimate – Administration of an Estate Value

Work involved:

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 9 and 18 hours work at £220.00 per hour

Legal costs estimated are between £2200.00 – £4,000.00

Plus VAT at 20% (£440.00 – £800.00)

Plus Disbursements *:

Probate court fee of £215 (£0 if Estate is less than £5,000.00).
Fee for the swearing of the oath (per executor) £7.00
Bankruptcy-only Land Charges Department searches (£2.00 per beneficiary) £2.00.
Post in The London Gazette – Protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors £62.15 plus £12.43 VAT.
Post in a Local Newspaper – This also helps to protect against unexpected claims £185.00 plus £37.00 VAT.

* Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as court fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements as part of the transaction.

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 example 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 between 1- 4 beneficiaries.
There are no disputes between beneficiaries on the 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.

Included in our fee, 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 two copies to you.
Collect and distribute all assets in the estate.

Potential additional costs:

If there is no will or the estate consists of any shareholdings (unit trusts, gilts, stocks and bonds) there are 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 each (1 per asset usually).
Dealing with the sale or transfer of any property in the estate is not included.

On average, estates that fall within this range are dealt with within 6-12 months. Typically, obtaining the grant of probate takes 12-16 weeks. Collecting assets then follows, which can take between 10-14 weeks. Once this has been done, we can distribute the assets, which normally takes 4-6 weeks.

Fixed Costs of Making a Lasting Power of Attorney

The costs will depend on the type of Lasting Power of Attorney that you choose to make.

Single Lasting Power of Attorney for one person (either Property and Affairs or Health and Welfare):

Service	Our Fees
Legal costs	£150.00
VAT	£30.00
Court fee	£82.00
Total	£262.00

Lasting Power of Attorney for both Property and Affairs and Health and Welfare:

Service	Our Fees
Legal costs	£250.00
VAT	£50.00
Court fee	£164.00
Total	£464.00

Lasting power of Attorney for both Property and Affairs and Health and Welfare for two people (a total of 4 Lasting Power of Attorneys)

Service	Our Fees
Legal costs	£500.00
VAT	£100.00
Court fee	£328.00
Total	£928.00

Freehold Residential Purchase: Cost Estimates

Legal fee for purchase is based on the property value.

Property Value	Legal Fee
£100,000 to £150,000	£525
£150,000 to £200,000	£595
£200,000 to £250,000	£645
£250,000 to £300,000	£695
£300,000 to £400,000	£750
£400,000 to £500,000	£850
£500,000 to £750,000	£1150
£750,000 – £1,000,000	£1,350

Legal fee for acting on behalf of the mortgage lender £100 where the amount borrowed is up to £500,000

Legal fee for completion of SDLT Form £25.00

Legal fee electronic money transfer fee £25.00

Plus VAT at 20%

Disbursements. These are costs related to your transaction that are payable to third parties, such as Land Registry fees. We handle these costs as part of the transaction.

Disbursement	Fee
Local authority search fee	£100- £250.00
Water drainage search fee	£65.00 – £75.00
Ground Sure Home Buyers Report	£60.00
Bankruptcy search fee	£2.00 per name
HMLR Official search fee	£3.00 per search
Search fees can range in total between	£250 – £400.00

HM Land Registry registration Fee is based on the property value, for more information click here.

In addition to searches, you may also have to pay Stamp Duty or Land Tax on the purchase price of your property. You can calculate the amount you will need to pay using the HMRC’s website or if the property is in Wales by using the Welsh Revenue Authority’s website here.

Leasehold Residential Purchase: Cost Estimates

Legal fee for purchase is based on the property value.

Property Value	Legal Fee
£100,000 to £150,000	£555
£150,000 to £200,000	£595
£200,000 to £250,000	£675
£250,000 to £300,000	£695
£300,000 to £400,000	£775
£400,000 to £500,000	£875
£500,000 to £750,000	£1150
£750,000 – £1,000,000	£1350

Legal fee for acting on behalf of the mortgage lender £100 where the amount borrowed is up to £500,000

Legal fee for completion of SDLT Form £25.00

Legal fee electronic money transfer fee £25.00

Plus VAT at 20%

Disbursements. These are costs related to your transaction that are payable to third parties, such as Land Registry fees. We handle these costs as part of the transaction.

Disbursement	Fee
Local authority search fee	£100- £250.00
Water drainage search fee	£65.00 – £75.00
Ground Sure Home Buyers Report	£60.00
Bankruptcy search fee	£2.00 per name
HMLR Official search fee	£3.00 per search
Search fees can range in total between	£250- £400.00
Notice of Transfer fee	£50- £150.00
Notice of Charge fee	£50- £150.00
Deed of Covenant fee	£250- £350.00
Certificate of Compliance fee	£50- £150.00

HM Land Registry registration Fee is based on the property value, for more information click here.

In addition, you may also have to pay Stamp Duty or Land Tax on the purchase price of your property. You can calculate the amount you will need to pay using the HMRC website or if the property is in Wales by using the Welsh Revenue Authority website here.

For leasehold purchases please also be aware that ground rent and service charges are likely to apply throughout your ownership of the property. We will confirm these costs to you as soon as we receive this information.

Freehold Residential Sale: Cost Estimates

Legal fee for sale is based on the property value.

Property Value	Legal Fee
£100,000- £150,000	£525
£150,000- £200,000	£550
£200,000- £250,000	£595
£250,000- £300,000	£675
£300,000- £400,000	£695
£400,000- £500,000	£795
£500,000- £750,000	£950
£750,000- £1,000,000	£1,100

Legal fee for redeeming a mortgage £150.00

Legal fee for electronic money transfer £25.00

Plus VAT at 20%

Disbursements. These are costs related to your transaction that are payable to third parties, such as Land Registry fees. We handle these costs as part of the transaction.

Disbursement	Fee
HMLR Official Search fee	£3.00 per search

Leasehold Residential Sale: Cost Estimates

Legal fee for sale is based on the property value.

Property Value	Legal Fee
£100,000 – £150,000	£550
£150,000 – £200,000	£575
£200,000- £250,000	£625
£250,000 – £300,000	£695
£300,000- £400,000	£725
£400,000- £500,000	£825
£500,000- £750,000	£975
£750,000- £1,000,000	£1,150

Legal fee for redeeming a mortgage £150.00

Legal fee for electronic money transfer fee £25.00

Plus VAT at 20%

Disbursements. These are costs related to your transaction that are payable to third parties, such as Land Registry fees. We handle these costs as part of the transaction.

Disbursement	Fee
HMLR Official Search fee	£3.00 per search
Seller’s Leasehold Pack	£300.00 – £500.00
Landlord’s Solicitors License signing fee	£300.00 – £500.00

Cost Estimates May Vary

All of these fees and disbursements for both purchase and sale can vary and may on occasion be significantly more than the ranges given above. We can give you a more accurate figure once we have sight of your specific documents.

Increased costs for any purchase or sale may be incurred if additional work is required in dealing with your transaction, for example:

If the legal title to the property is defective or if the property/part of the property is unregistered
If building regulations or planning permission has not been obtained
If crucial documents have not been provided

Business or Contract Advice

Fixed Fee Service:

In some cases we are able to offer a limited fixed fee service for providing advice in relation to pre-litigation business or contract disputes with a value of less than £25,000.00 that have occurred in and are subject to the laws of England and Wales.

This service will include:

A review of your dispute and supporting documentation (maximum of 2 hours)
A report on prospects of success, any potential defence and advice for recommended next steps
If appropriate, an estimate of costs for any legal action you may wish to pursue in relation to the matter

Cost:

Fixed fee service including a 1 hour consultation £500.00 plus VAT

Fixed fee service without a 1 hour consultation £250.00 plus VAT

If the amount in dispute is more than £25,0000.00, involves a large volume of documentation to be reviewed, or is already litigated then our hourly rates will apply for all work and we will be happy to provide you with an estimate of our costs for undertaking the work on an hourly rate basis.

Hourly rates: