Transparency in Price & Service

The following information is provided to give you an understanding of our general prices for particular areas of work that we undertake. Please be aware that this information is not to be regarded as an offer of engagement, as the terms of our instruction will be agreed in our Client care letter and terms of business, which are sent to you at the outset of a matter

Conveyancing: online quote generator

We have provided an online quote generator for purchase, sale, remortgage and purchase & sale transactions. The instant quote is provided online and can be emailed to you directly.

The quote will detail legal fees and disbursements.

Please note that the fees may not apply to more complex transactions, such as small holdings and those including farmland. A bespoke quotation should be obtained in respect of these types of matters.

Our Online Quote Generator

Court claims – 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 (eg 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:

• you may not be able to recover our fees from your opponent. Even if you can you may not be able to recover the VAT, e.g. if you are VAT registered;
• 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 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 21 days, providing you with advice on next steps and likely costs.

Matters usually take around 3 to 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.

Motoring offences: Fixed fee

Drink driving offence, guilty plea—fixed fee £550 + vat

Fee includes:

• two 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 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, of £255 + vat per hour. 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 to 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.

Employment tribunal: Range of costs

Our pricing for bringing and defending claims for unfair or wrongful dismissal are calculated on the following hourly rates exclusive of VAT:

Partner: £255.00 per hour

Solicitors and Legal Executives with over four years’ post qualification experience -£218.00 per hour

Other solicitors and legal executives £177.00 per hour

Trainee Solicitors, paralegals and fee earners of equivalent experience £126.00

 

Simple case: £3,500-£6,000 (excluding VAT)

Medium complexity case: £7,000-£17,000 (excluding VAT)

High complexity case: £18,000-£50,000 (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), whether the claims were brought in time
• 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 £2,500 per day (excluding VAT). Generally, we would allow 1-5 days depending on the complexity of your case.

Disbursements

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as tribunal fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process. If counsel is instructed and we also attend we would normally charge between £900.00 per day and £2,500 per day depending on the complexity of the case and the level of fee earner from this firm required to attend.

Counsel’s fees estimated between £1,750.00 to £2,750.00 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 evidence 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
• Liaising with you throughout the process by email, telephone, letter and at face to face meetings

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 1-3 months. If your claim proceeds to a final hearing, your case is likely to take 9-15 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.

Probate : Range of costs and fixed fee

How we can help you when someone dies

We know how upsetting and stressful it can be when a loved one dies.  Dealing with the associated legal, tax and administrative process may add to the distress.  We can help and support you as the executor (where there is a Will) or the administrator (where there is no Will) as much as you wish and offer the following options:
Bespoke
Probate Application/Grant Only
Advice/checking

Which option is right for you?

Bespoke

Although the executor or administrator can choose to deal with matters personally, we are often involved in dealing with the entire estate.  This involves going through the papers to find out what assets and liabilities must be taken into account and obtaining valuations as appropriate.  We will then compile and submit the application to the Probate Registry for the Grant of Representation and, where necessary, liaise with H M Revenue & Customs regarding Inheritance Tax and Income Tax requirements.

Once the Grant has issued, we will send copies to the banks, company registrars etc to collect in the funds or transfer the assets to the beneficiaries.  We will then pay any debts and specific gifts left to beneficiaries and arrange for any property to be placed on the market.  We will prepare an Estate Account for approval and distribute the estate in accordance with it once approved. The Estate account is a document that sets out the details of all of the assets made and the balance due to the beneficiaries. This may be needed in the future if beneficiaries ever need to establish what they have inherited. Once the administration of the estate is finalised, we will distribute the estate.  During the administration of the estate, we will work closely with you.

Costs
Our when we are instructed on a bespoke basis are based on the time that we spend on the file at our hourly rate (link to hourly rate).  Each estate is different, and an accurate cost estimate will be given in each estate as soon as possible.  You will be kept fully updated about this.

For example, a straightforward estate when all the assets are in the UK would cost somewhere in the region of £1,000 – £3,000 plus VAT.

A straight forward estate would be 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 more than 5 beneficiaries
• There are no disputes between beneficiaries on division assets
• There is no Inheritance Tax payable and the executors do not need to submit a full account to HMRC
• There no claims against the estate

Payments in addition:

• Probate Court fee (£273 plus £1.50p per sealed copy of the Grant)
• Bankruptcy Searches £2 per beneficiary
• Other payments (valuation fees, unclaimed assets search fee, claims notices) may also be incurred.

If there is the property, the cost of the sale/transfer will be dealt with separately. (link to property)

In the administration of more complex estates, fees may be calculated both by reference to the time spent and also by reference to a value element based on the size of the estate or the value of the financial benefit.  The value element reflects the importance of the transaction and the consequent responsibility falling on the firm.  You will be advised of this if the value element affects the amount of the fees being sought.

Timescales

The first step of administering an estate is to ascertain what the estate comprises.  Depending on the value and type of assets, it may or may not be necessary to apply for a Grant of Representation from the Probate Registry.

If the deceased owned a property in their sole name, it is always necessary to obtain this Grant.  If the deceased did not solely own property, it will depend on the value of the assets in their names.

A Grant of Representation is a court order which confirms the authority of the person (or people) dealing with the estate.  If there is a Will, the executors apply for a Grant of Probate.  If there is no Will, the next of kin (the administrator) applies for Letters of Administration.

In order to apply for a Grant of Representation, the following steps must be taken:

1. Go through the deceased’s personal papers to find out what assets and liabilities need to be taken into account and obtain formal valuations as at the date of death of all assets including bank and building society accounts, insurance policies, bonds, stocks and shares, the property and contents (obtaining professional valuations as appropriate). This usually takes four to six weeks but is very much dependant on how quickly we receive responses.
2. Compile and submit the application to the Probate Registry for the Grant of Representation. If there is a Will, the original is sent to the Probate Registry and is retained by them – the original Will is not returned to us with the Grant.  The Probate Registry aims to issue the Grant within ten working days of receiving the application.  If it is necessary to file a report with HMRC and/or pay Inheritance Tax, the Grant of Representation is usually received within four to six weeks.
3. Notify the beneficiaries.
4. Once the Grant is issued, it must be lodged with the holders of the assets e.g. banks, building societies, company registrars, to collect in the funds or transfer the assets to the beneficiaries.  We will seek your instructions on whether assets are to be sold or transferred.  It can take in the region of six weeks to receive any encashed funds or confirmation of transfers.
5. When sufficient monies have been released, we will pay any debts and any specific payments left to beneficiaries unless you specifically tell us otherwise.
6. Ascertain and maintain the insurance of any property
7. Arrange for any property to be sold
8. Place advertisements in accordance with the Trustee Act to protect the estate against unknown claims.
9. Prepare and submit tax returns to finalise the tax affairs of the deceased and consider whether a claim for refund of overpaid income tax should be made to HMRC.
10. If a trust arises e.g. because a beneficiary is under 18 or under the age specified in the Will, seek financial advice and set up appropriate investments for the money until due to the beneficiaries

It is not usually possible for us to say precisely how long the administration will take.  This depends on what the estate comprises, what arises (e.g. where share certificates are missing or where an investment cannot be encashed without incurring penalties) and matters can be complicated further if a beneficiary cannot easily be located, if a claim or dispute arises in the estate or, e.g. there is a business that needs to be wound up or a property remains to be sold.  In cases where the deceased was in receipt of a means tested benefit, the Department for Works and Pensions may decide to investigate and claim back any overpayments made.  This may take months to resolve.

Probate/Grant Only Application

If you apply personally for probate, you will have to attend an interview at the Probate Registry.  To avoid this, we can prepare the papers to apply for a Grant of Representation, but you can obtain the information that is required from the banks, insurance companies and can arrange the valuation of the property etc. Once the Grant has been obtained, we will supply you with copies so that you can contact the banks etc, collect in the funds and deal with the distribution of the estate yourself.

This service involves an initial meeting to discuss the estate and to advise what information needs to be obtained.  Once we receive the requisite details, we will prepare the papers to apply for a Grant of Representation and submit the application.  Once the Grant has issued, we will provide copies that can be produced to the banks etc to release the money.

Costs:

£650 plus VAT (where the application is made directly to the Probate Registry)

£1,200 plus VAT (where the form IHT400 is required for HMRC before an application can be made to the Probate Registry)

Between £1,500.00 + VAT – £2000.00 + VAT (where the form IHT400 is required and where there is inheritance tax to pay)

Payments:

• Probate Court fee (£273 plus £1.50 per sealed copy of the Grant)

Optional extras:

If you require our assistance in dealing with other matters, there will be an additional charge based on the amount of time spent and we will advise you of this e.g. distributing the estate, income tax, capital gains tax and any subsequent inheritance tax queries raised by HMRC, preparing a deed of variation, liaising with the Department for Works & Pensions.

If there is a property, the cost of the sale/transfer will be dealt with separately.

Advice/checking service

If you intend to deal with the estate personally, including applying for the Grant of Representation, we offer you up to thirty minutes to advise of the procedure and to advise on how the probate papers should be completed.  If you wish us to check the application before you submit it to the Probate Registry, we offer a further appointment of up to thirty minutes to do this.

Costs:
£200 inclusive of VAT for initial advice;
£200 inclusive of VAT for checking service

Payments
You will be responsible for ascertaining and paying these.

Timescales
From receiving the information drafts will provided within the fortnight and you will then need to make arrangements to swear the papers at your convenience. We will then submit the application.

NB The Probate Registry aims to process grants within 10 working days but there are currently delays at the Probate Registry.

WIQS Client Charter

We are pleased to inform you that we are one of the first firms in Wales to become an accredited member of WIQS and we are proud to have achieved the high standards of practice and integrity required to achieve this. This Scheme’s logo is your guarantee that our practice will provide high quality will drafting, probate and estate administration services.

What we will do for you

We will carry out our work for you in accordance with the good practice standards of the Law Society’s Wills and Inheritance Protocol. This means that we will:

• treat you with dignity and respect;
• be polite and considerate;
• use clear language and keep legal jargon to a minimum;
• explain what the costs are likely to be and how we charge;
• advise you on the issues and the options for dealing with them;
• explain what you can expect from us;
• carry out our work in a timely manner;
• respond promptly to your enquiries, and keep you informed of our progress.

If you would like to find out more about WIQS, please visit the following website: www.lawsociety.org.uk/accreditation/specialist-schemes/wills-inheritance-quality/wiqs-client-charter