Fees

In our conveyancing matters we usually agree a fixed fee with you at the outset of the matter. Below is the general guide we use in giving you a personalised quote. We will set out our fixed fee and any disbursements specific to your matter upon taking your initial instructions. You should refer to this, your client care letter, for more specific and personalised costs 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).Our fees quotes are usually based on the price you are paying to purchase your property. However, they can be subject to change depending on where in England & Wales the property is located.The table below gives a rough guide as to our legal fees:

If the property you intend to purchase is unregistered, this means the current owners are not registered as owners of the property with the Land Registry, this can create extra work in getting the property registered for the first time, incurring an additional fee of £460.00 plus VAT.

In undertaking your instructions we will also encounter some disbursements which the firm will need to pay on your behalf. We handle the payment of these on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.We will ask you for payment of the search fees upfront, all other costs and disbursements will be included within your personalised completion statement and included within the balance we ask you for in advance of completing your purchase. This should be used only as a general guide:

We usually purchase a search pack which includes all the standard searches and reports necessary to complete the initial property checks. Our Search Pack price is currently in the region of £300.00

The search pack includes:

Pre completion we will need to complete a Bankruptcy Search against each of the buyers at a cost of £4.00 per person. At the same time we will also complete an Official Search of Whole with priority at a cost of £3.00.

Once completion has taken place we will need to register you as the owner(s) with the Land Registry.

The fee to register you as the owner(s) of your property depends on the purchase price and how the application is made. We make use of the Land Registry’s portal giving you access to the best rates. You can calculate the amount you will need to pay by using the Land Registry Fee Calculator (http://landregistry.data.gov.uk/fees-calculator.html)

At present the most common fees paid by us are:

Our charge for bank transfers is £25.00 plus VAT, per CHAPS payment required.In a purchase this is usually one payment sending your purchase price to the Sellers solicitors.

Any deposit payment made by CHAPS will incur an additional fee.

This depends on the purchase price of your property. You can calculate the amount you need to pay by using HMRC’s website. https://www.stampdutycalculator.org.uk/

There is an additional charge of £4.80 per document filed online via our high specification case management system. This fee applies when we do your Stamp Duty Return and complete your Land Registry Registration. In a purchase this represents a total cost of £9.60.

A rough guide to our legal fees for a purchase of a leasehold property are listed below. These can also be subject to change depending on where in England & Wales the property is located.

If the property you intend to purchase is unregistered, this means the current owners are not registered as owners of the property with the Land Registry, this can create extra work in getting the property registered for the first time, incurring an additional fee of £460.00 plus VAT.

The disbursements incurred on the purchase of a leasehold property include those listed above for a freehold purchase. They include the search fees, bank transfer fees, stamp duty & document filing fees.

When your property is leasehold there are often extra costs associated with maintaining the lease. There are certain disbursements which will be set out in the individual lease relating to the property.The additional disbursements which we anticipate will apply are set out here. However, this list is not exhaustive and other disbursements may apply depending on the term of the lease. We will update you on the specific fees upon receipt and review of the lease from the seller’s solicitors.

Some extra disbursements which may be incurred during your purchase of a leasehold property include:

• Notice of Transfer Fee – This fee if chargeable is set out in the lease. Often the fee is between £40.00 – £100.00
• Notice of Charge Fee (if the property is to be mortgaged) – This fee is set out in the lease. Often the fee is between £40.00 – £100.00
• 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 £90.00 – £150.00
• Certificate of Compliance Fee – To be confirmed upon receipt of the lease. Can range between £60.00 – £120.00

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 anticipated service charge as soon as we receive this information.

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 and 8 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 6 weeks. However if you are buying a leasehold property that requires an extension of the lease, this can take significantly longer, between 3 and 6 months. In such a situation additional charges would apply.

Our fee assumes that:

1. This is a standard transaction 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
2. This is the assignment of an existing lease and is not the grant of a new lease
3. All parties to the transaction are co-operative and there is no unreasonable delay from third parties providing documentation
4. No indemnity policies are required. Additional disbursements may apply if indemnity policies are required.

The precise stages involved in the purchase of a residential property vary according to your circumstances. However, below we give a very basic outline of the tasks necessary for us to complete your property purchase:

1. Take your instructions and give you initial advice. Your instructions will be confirmed in writing in your personalised Client Care Letter.
2. We need to check the relevant finances are in place to fund the purchase and to contact any lenders solicitors, if necessary.
3. Receive and advise on contract documents
4. Carry out searches
5. Obtain further planning documentation, if required
6. Make any necessary enquiries of the Seller’s solicitor
7. Give you advice on all documents and information received
8. Go through the conditions of any mortgage offer with you
9. Send final contract to you for signature
10. Draft Transfer
11. Advise you on joint ownership
12. Agree completion date (date from which you own the property)
13. Exchange contracts and notify you that this has happened
14. Arrange for all monies required to be received from any lender and you
15. Complete the purchase
16. Deal with the payment of Stamp Duty Land Tax
17. Deal with the application to register you as the owners of the property at the Land Registry

In our conveyancing matters we usually agree a fixed fee with you at the outset of the matter. Below is the general guide we use in giving you a personalised quote. We will set out our fixed fee and any disbursements specific to your matter upon taking your initial instructions. You should refer to this, your client care letter, for more specific and personalised costs information.Our fees cover all of the work required to complete the sale of your home, including dealing with the repayment of any outstanding mortgages and dealing with your chosen estate agent.

Our fees quotes are usually based on the sale price of your property. However, they can be subject to change depending on where in England & Wales the property is located.

The table below gives a rough guide as to our legal fees:

The additional fee will be added to our standard fees, as above, & included on our invoice.

In undertaking your instructions we will also encounter some disbursements which the firm will need to pay on your behalf. We handle the payment of these on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.

We will need to download office copy entries to ensure you are the registered owner of the property you are instructing us to sell. This will also highlight any charges (mortgages or loans) secured against the property which will need to be paid from the sale price. These cost £3.00. At the same time we usually request the registered Title Plan which costs a further £3.00.If the buyer’s solicitors require sight of any official deed or paperwork, they might do so in completing their pre-completion checks, which we are unable to locate, if those papers have previously been registered with the Land Registry we can request a document search. This comes with a charge of £3.00.

We will pay your estate agent fees from the sale price before sending the net sale proceeds to you. The amount payable will be agreed between you and your estate agent at the outset of your sale. We can also market a property for you via our Property Shop. We charge 1.25% of the agreed sale price plus VAT. This covers both the marketing and legal fees involved in the sale.

We can also simply market your property, our fee for this is 1% of the agreed sale price.

If you choose us to market your property there would be an additional disbursement covering the purchase of an Energy Performance Certificate. The cost of this is in the region of £100.00.

Our charge for any bank transfers is £25.00 plus VAT, per CHAPS payment required.In a sale this will usually include one charge for any mortgage repayment required and then one more to send the net sale proceeds to you.

Any additional payments will incur additional bank transfer fees; ie if you and your partner each have separate bank accounts and wish for the net sale proceeds to be split or if you instruct us to pay off a loan or other type of debt before sending you the proceeds.

A rough guide to our legal fees for the sale of a leasehold property are listed below. These can also be subject to change depending on where in England & Wales the property is located.

If the property you intend to sell is unregistered, this means that you are not registered, with the Land Registry, as owners of the property. This can create extra work in the finding & ensuring we have all relevant documents to successfully complete the first registration for the property. This incurs an additional fee of £350.00 plus VAT.

If you are selling a leasehold property there may be additional costs involved in transferring the lease to your buyer. These usually include the landlord’s legal fees in relation to any Notice of Assignment. The cost of this can vary but is often in the region of £40.00 – £100.00.

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.

How long it will take from your acceptance of an offer until you hand over the keys will depend on a number of factors. The average process takes between 6 and 8 weeks.It can be quicker or slower, depending on the parties in the chain. For example, if you are selling to a first time buyer, whom already have a mortgage agreed in principle, it could take 6 weeks. However if you are selling a leasehold property that requires an extension of the lease, this can take significantly longer, between 3 and 6 months. In such a situation additional charges would apply.

Our fee assumes that:

1. This is a standard transaction 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
2. This is the assignment of an existing lease and is not the grant of a new lease
3. All parties to the transaction are co-operative and there is no unreasonable delay from third parties providing documentation
4. No indemnity policies are required. Additional disbursements may apply if indemnity policies are required.

The precise stages involved in the sale of a residential property vary according to your circumstances. However, below we give a very basic outline of the tasks necessary for us to complete your property purchase:

1. Take your instructions and give you initial advice. Your instructions will be confirmed in writing in your personalised Client Care Letter.
2. We need to check you are the registered owners of the property you wish to sell by checking with the Land Registry and through locating any deeds and paperwork relating to the property.
3. Checking through the above documents
4. Prepare contract documents
5. Liaise with you to answer any necessary enquiries of the Buyer’s solicitor
6. Send final contract to you for signature
7. Agree completion date (date from which you need to vacate the property)
8. Exchange contracts and notify you that this has happened
9. Complete the sale and confirm to you when the sale price has been received, send to you the net proceeds of sale
10. Arrange for the estate agent to release the keys to your buyer and pay their fees

In our conveyancing matters we usually agree a fixed fee with you at the outset of the matter. Below is the general guide we use in giving you a personalised quote. We will set out our fixed fee and any disbursements specific to your matter upon taking your initial instructions. You should refer to this, your client care letter, for more specific and personalised costs information.Our fees cover all of the work required to complete your re-mortgage, including dealing with two sets of lenders, removing the existing charge and replacing it with the new charge at the Land Registry.

Our fees for a simple and straightforward re-mortgage are £350.00 plus VAT.

If the re-mortgage includes a Transfer of Equity the fees are £450,00 plus VAT.

Our fee assumes that this is a standard transaction and that no unforeseen matters arise and that all parties to the transaction are co-operative and there is no unreasonable delay from third parties in providing documentation.

In undertaking your instructions we will also encounter some disbursements which the firm will need to pay on your behalf. We handle the payment of these on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.We will ask you for payment of the search fees upfront, all other costs and disbursements will be included within your personalised completion statement. The information here should only be used as a general guide.

We usually purchase a search pack which includes all of the standard searches and reports necessary to complete the initial property checks. Most lenders request such checks are carried out before securing a loan against a property. Our Search Pack price is currently in the region of  £300.00 The search pack includes:

Coal Mining Report

Pre completion we will need to complete a Bankruptcy Search against each of the buyers at a cost of £4.00 per person.At the same time we will also complete an Official Search of Whole with priority at a cost of £3.00.

Once the re-mortgage has taken place we will need to remove the existing mortgage or charge from the property’s entry with the Land Registry. We will also need to register your new mortgage or charge with them.

The fee for the Land Registry to do the above is dependent on the amount you wish to borrow. The fee is usually in the region of £40.00 to £135.00.

We make use of the Land Registry’s portal giving you access to the best rates. You can calculate the amount you will need to pay by using the Land Registry Fee Calculator (http://landregistry.data.gov.uk/fees-calculator.html)

Our charge for any bank transfer is £25.00 plus VAT, per CHAPS payment required.In a simple re-mortgage this will usually be one payment to redeem the existing mortgage.

If your new mortgage is higher than the existing one and there is a reasonable sum due back to you, we may pay you via CHAPS and this would incur and additional fee of £25.00 plus VAT.

How long it will take from your initial instructions to us until the re-mortgage is complete will depend on a number of factors. The average process takes between 6 and 8 weeks.Our fee assumes that:

1. The matter is a standard transaction and that no unforeseen matters arise.
2. All parties to the transaction are co-operative and there is no unreasonable delay from third parties providing documentation
3. No indemnity policies are required. Additional disbursements may apply if indemnity policies are required.

The precise stages involved in the re-mortgage of a residential property vary according to your circumstances. However, below we give a very basic outline of the tasks necessary for us to complete your re-mortgage:

1. Take your instructions and give you initial advice. Your instructions will be confirmed in writing in your personalised Client Care Letter.
2. We need to check the relevant finances are in place to fund the re-mortgage and to contact the new lenders solicitors
3. Contact your existing lender
4. Carry out searches
5. Go through the conditions of the new mortgage offer with you
6. Advise on any other information as relevant to repayment of the existing mortgage
7. Prepare a Completion Statement detailing the finances of the transaction and advising you on any balance due or payable by you
8. Agree completion date (date on which the re-mortgage will take place)
9. Arrange for mortgage monies to be received from the new lender and you, if necessary
10. Redeem the existing mortgage
11. Deal with the application to remove the existing charge and register the new charge over the property with the Land Registry

We offer a fixed fee service for dealing with the paperwork up to the point of gaining Grant of Probate. Our fee for this is £1100.00 plus VAT.Should you wish for us to finalise the estate to include applying for the Grant of Probate, then collecting and distributing the assets the charges are higher and more difficult to predict.

We anticipate a probate matter based on the limitations below will take between 5 and 8 hours work at £185.00 per hour. Total costs for our time spent on your matter are estimated at £1,000 – £1,500 plus VAT.

We will handle the full process for you. The quote is for estates where:

• There is a valid Will
• There is no more than one property
• There are no more than two bank or building society accounts
• There are no other tangible assets
• There are no more than four 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

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.

As well as the estimated charges above covering time spent on your matter we will also charge additional fees depending on the value of the estate.

There is a 1% charge against the total value of the estate less any property value.

Finally we charge 0.5% of the property value. If you instruct our Property Department to undertake the marketing of the property within the estate this additional charge is not applicable. However, marketing fees will apply, see the costs information for Sale of Property.

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as court fees. We handle the payment of these on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.The costs necessary to obtain the Grant of Probate include:

Probate Application Fee of £157.00

Swearing of the Oath Fees £7.00 per executor

If there is no Will or the estate consists of any share holdings (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 50p each.

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 2 – 3 months. Typically, obtaining the grant of probate takes 4 – 6 weeks. Collecting assets then follows which can take a further 2 – 3 weeks. Once this has been done, we can distribute the assets, which normally takes a further 2 – 3 weeks.

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

Factors which 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
• Compile 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

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 for attending a Tribunal Hearing, including preparation, estimated costs are in the region of £600.00 plus VAT per day. The cost of such fees depends on the experience of the advocate.

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 a 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 the 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 the stages 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.

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 2 to 3 months. If your claim proceeds to a Final Hearing, your case is likely to take approx. 9 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.

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 is received, write to the other side to request payment
• If payment is not received within x days, providing you with advice on next steps and likely costs

Matters usually take 10 to 14 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.