Prices and service information

The Solicitors Regulation Authority requires law firms to publish price and service information for certain types of work. This page covers the four we offer. For all other work we give you a written quote or estimate before we start. Prices are shown excluding VAT, which is charged at the prevailing rate, currently 20%.

Residential conveyancing

For clients buying or selling a home.

Our fees

We act on most residential sales and purchases for a fixed fee, agreed and confirmed in writing before we start. The fee depends on the value of the property, whether it is freehold or leasehold, and how complex the transaction is. We give you a written quote before we start, and it does not change unless the transaction does.

How long it takes

A straightforward freehold transaction typically takes 6 to 10 weeks from instruction to completion. Leasehold, chains and mortgage timing can extend this. We tell you promptly if anything threatens the timescale.

What is included

Taking your instructions and giving you initial advice
Checking how the purchase is funded, and dealing with your mortgage lender or the solicitor acting for it where relevant
Carrying out searches and raising and answering enquiries
Reviewing the contract and title, and reporting to you
Exchange of contracts and completion
Dealing with Stamp Duty Land Tax and registration at the Land Registry

Likely disbursements

Costs payable to third parties, which we handle on your behalf. VAT applies to some of them.

Search fees (local authority, water and drainage, environmental) — set by the providers and confirmed in your quote
Land Registry fees — set by the Land Registry and depending on the price
HM Land Registry official copies and searches — small fixed amounts
Stamp Duty Land Tax — depending on the price and your circumstances (calculate at gov.uk)
Bank transfer fee — a small fixed amount per transfer, confirmed in your quote

Key stages

Instructions taken and quote confirmed
Searches, enquiries and contract review
Report to you and signing
Exchange of contracts (the point it becomes binding)
Completion — keys and money change hands
Post-completion: Stamp Duty and Land Registry

Probate & estate administration

For clients dealing with the estate of someone who has died (uncontested, assets in the UK).

Our fees

We can help with as much or as little as you need — from obtaining the grant of probate only, to administering the whole estate. We charge either a fixed fee for a defined piece of work, or on a time-spent basis for full administration. Which applies, the hourly rate and an estimate of the total are all confirmed in writing before we start.

How long it takes

A typical estate is dealt with in 6 to 12 months. Obtaining the grant usually takes the first few months; collecting assets and distributing follows. More complex estates, or those with property to sell or inheritance tax to pay, can take longer.

What is included

Identifying the legal personal representatives, beneficiaries and the type of grant needed
Obtaining the date-of-death values of assets and liabilities
Preparing the relevant HMRC inheritance tax forms and the probate application
Applying for the grant of probate or letters of administration
Collecting in the assets and settling debts and liabilities
Distributing the estate and preparing estate accounts

Likely disbursements

Costs payable to third parties, which we handle on your behalf. VAT applies to some of them.

Probate application fee — set by HM Courts & Tribunals Service
Official copies of the grant — small fixed amount each
Bankruptcy searches — small fixed amount per beneficiary
Statutory notices to creditors (if placed) — charged at the publication's own rate

Key stages

Initial meeting and scope agreed
Valuing the estate and preparing HMRC forms
Applying for the grant
Collecting assets and paying debts and any inheritance tax
Distributing to beneficiaries and preparing accounts

Business debt recovery (up to £100,000)

For clients a business recovering an undisputed debt.

Our fees

For undisputed business debts we work to a clear, staged basis. A letter before action is charged as a fixed fee; issuing and pursuing a court claim is charged either as a fixed fee by claim value or on a time-spent basis. The figures are agreed with you in writing before we act. We will always tell you the likely cost against the size of the debt first.

This pricing covers undisputed debts. If the debtor disputes the debt, it becomes a contested matter and we will give you separate advice and costs.

How long it takes

Many debts are paid at the letter-before-action stage, within 2 to 4 weeks. If a claim has to be issued and isn't defended, judgment typically follows within a few weeks; enforcement adds more time. A disputed debt is a different matter and priced separately.

What is included

Reviewing the debt and the paperwork behind it
Sending a letter before action giving the debtor a deadline to pay
Where needed, issuing a court claim and applying for judgment
Advising on enforcement options if the debtor still does not pay

Likely disbursements

Costs payable to third parties, which we handle on your behalf. VAT applies to some of them.

Court issue fee — set by HMCTS and depending on the amount claimed
Enforcement fees (e.g. bailiffs, charging orders) — depending on the method used
Barrister's fees — only if the matter becomes contested (we would advise first)

Key stages

Review and letter before action
Court claim issued (if unpaid)
Judgment obtained
Enforcement, if required

Employment tribunal claims (unfair & wrongful dismissal)

For clients an employer or employee in an unfair or wrongful dismissal claim.

Our fees

We act on a time-spent basis and give you the hourly rate and an estimate at the start, with updates as the matter develops. What a claim costs depends heavily on how far it goes, and we tell you the likely range for your case before you commit to it.

The number of hours, and therefore the cost, depends on the stage at which the case is resolved. Many cases settle before a hearing, which reduces the fee.

How long it takes

The time it takes depends on whether the claim settles and how busy the tribunal is. Cases that settle at conciliation may resolve in weeks; cases that run to a final hearing commonly take 6 to 12 months, sometimes longer.

What is included

Taking your initial instructions and reviewing the papers, and advising on the merits and likely compensation
Entering into pre-claim conciliation (Acas) where appropriate
Preparing the claim or response
Exchanging documents and preparing witness statements
Preparing for and attending the final hearing

Likely disbursements

Costs payable to third parties, which we handle on your behalf. VAT applies to some of them.

Barrister's (counsel's) fees — where a barrister is instructed for advice or the hearing, quoted for your case before they are instructed

Key stages

Advice on merits and Acas early conciliation
Claim or response filed
Disclosure of documents and witness statements
Preparation for hearing
Final hearing

Who will carry out your work

Your matter will be handled by one of our solicitors and supervised by Robert Festenstein, Head of Legal, a solicitor with more than two decades' experience across commercial, dispute, property and private client work. You will be told at the outset who is dealing with your matter and who supervises them. Our solicitors are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

How we charge

Depending on the matter, we work to a fixed fee agreed in advance, or on a time-spent basis at an agreed hourly rate with an estimate given at the start and kept under review. Whichever applies, you will have it in writing before we begin, and we will tell you promptly if anything is likely to change it.

Ask for a quote

Tell us what you need and we'll send you a written quote or estimate.

Book a consultation