Legal Costs

What services are included?

Sale of your house

Our price assumes you only have one mortgage to repay and one registered legal title to sell.

Preparing a contract and submitting it to the buyer’s solicitors

Dealing with pre contract legal enquiries raised by the buyer’s solicitors

Exchanging contracts with the buyer’s solicitors to make a legally binding contract to sell, and completing the sale on the agreed date

Paying your estate agents and then accounting to you for any net proceeds

Purchase of a house

We have assumed that you are buying a single registered title

Investigating the legal title to the property including raising enquiries with the seller’s solicitors and reviewing & reporting to you on their replies

All land searches

The mortgage work and advising you in connection with your mortgage offer (but not making any disclosures to your lender required by conditions in your mortgage offer – all clients have different requirements – if your lender stipulates a disclosure an additional charge may be made – typically in the range £75.00 to £100.00 plus vat)

Negotiating the terms of the purchase contract

Preparing a report on the legal title and the results of the land searches

Exchanging contracts with the seller’s solicitors to make a legally binding contract to purchase the property and to complete the purchase

Preparing and submitting the HM Revenue & Customs Stamp Duty Land Tax Return and calculating the amount of Stamp Duty Land Tax payable. 

Registering your purchase and mortgage at the government’s Land Registry

What is not included in the price?

When we provide our quote, it is not always possible to forecast every legal issue that might arise. If there is an unforeseen problem or an issue crops up once we have had chance to read the contract papers, we will advise you if there is an additional fee. This might happen if there are two registered titles or the legal title is leasehold or not registered or possible legal, planning or boundary defects. If this happens, we will advise you of the likely costs.

How long does it take?

We offer a priority service for an additional fee. Let us know If you are interested.

Your sale or purchase will always depend on how quickly the seller can move out or the speed of your buyer, but we will do all we can to deal with the paperwork quickly as possible.

You can help by returning documents we send promptly if there is anything you do not understand please give us a ring.

The average time it takes is between 6 weeks and 6 months. If you do not yet have a mortgage, or are buying and selling it is likely it will take at least 4 months. Leasehold properties  always take longer.

Who will do the conveyancing work?

All work is completed by qualified solicitors, our support staff are all experienced and supervised by the solicitor working on your house move.

Who will carry out this work?

The legal work and advice is provided by partners or solicitors in this with different levels of experience.

Our charges are either

Fixed fee, or
Hourly rates

Our fixed fees assume all work is completed at our office but we are happy to arranged home / nursing home / hospital visits. We chargefixed fee for this service of £75.00 +vat per visit and if two of our solicitors have to make a home visit an additional charge of £75.00 +vat  per visit is made. Please note we may require elderly or vulnerable clients to be accompanied by a family member at home though for reasons of solicitor confidentiality we may request to consult our client privately.

Should there be any significant difficulties of if the matter does not proceed then our fees will be such lesser sum as is reasonable having regard to the amount of work done by that stage together with VAT and any disbursements incurred.  This will be based upon the hourly rate of the person dealing with this matter. Members of CiLex are charged at the same rate as solicitors. The hourly rates are shown above.

Probate and Estate Administration Fixed Fee

Work which is not included in the fixed fee & Estates where the gross estate value exceeds £325,000

Estates where Service level 1 applies but there is additional work as above at hourly rates typically the range of costs is from £1150 plus vat, on average £1650 plus vat.

Estate where Service Level 2 applies but there is additional work as above at hourly rates typically the range of costs is between £2250 plus vat and £3250 plus vat.

For estates which are complex where the gross value of the estate is over £325,000 and tax is payable or there are tax reliefs or exemptions our full Estate Administration Pricing applies. This includes applying for the grant, collecting and distributing the assets and dealing with any other relevant parties. Our charges are based on hourly rates. The range of costs is: £3250 plus vat to £6000 plus vat but an average fee is £4500 plus vat.

All professional costs, whether fixed fee or hourly rate, are subject to VAT at the current standard rate of 20%

Payments to third parties (disbursements) are added to our professional fees these are shown below.

Transfer of property after a gift in a will £450.00 including vat plus Land Registry fees typically £33.00 (no vat) for a house value £100,001 to £200,000 this fee varies depending on the house value.

The sale of a house is not included in our estate administration work, a quote can be obtained using our residential conveyancing quote calculator.

Disputes relating to the will or intestacy, between beneficiaries or claims against the estate are not included and further costs will apply at hourly rates in connection with litigation. A quote for such services can be provided.

Disbursements

Disbursements are fees that we pay to court, for example or charges for certain services or documents that may be necessary in the administration of an estate. Disbursements will usually include the following, and there may sometimes be others:

Paying your own legal costs

In privately funded cases we can offer fixed fees for many types of cases and a competitive hourly rate in all other cases. We offer a free 15-minute consultation over the telephonewith a member of our legal team in order to assess your individual case and the level of representation you require. We can agree a fixed fee from the outset of your case tailored to your personal requirements.

Fixed-price Immigration Legal Advice

Our team of accredited legal professionals are dedicated to obtaining the best result possible in your circumstances. We offer a high-quality service, value for money our team are always available to guide you and ensure that you benefit from our experience and expert advice.

We offer:

A fixed fee

The range of costs below will depend on:

• The amount of time we spend calculated at an average hourly rate of £175.00 per hour plus vat if applicable
• The languages you speak
• Any other dependents involved in your application
• How much evidence you must have to support your application
• The urgency involved

If the legal service you require is not shown below, please telephone for a quote. The costs shown do not include appeals. Costs may be more if all the factors mentioned above are involved.

What services are included in our price?

• All meetings and telephone consultations to discuss your case in detail and to plan your application.
• Explaining the rules and how you can best meet them, explaining the procedures
• Explaining the evidence you will need to produce
• Preparing and submitting the application with your evidence in support, making appointments for biometrics,
• All letters to the Home Office, letters of representation
• Informing you of the result of your application and any conditions

How long will it take?

The service standards and average times at the Home Office are seen here: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-visas-and-immigration/about-our-services

Our work will usually take between up to 2 months depending on complexity you can help You can help by returning documents we send promptly and letting us have your supporting evidence without delay. If there is anything you do not understand please give us a ring.

Our work in connection with an appeal may take up to 4 months depending on complexity. In country appeals could take up to 6 months and overseas application up to 18 months all depending on your own circumstances.

Examples of Additional fees (disbursements)

All disbursements will need to be paid for separately in addition to the fees for our services (Examples of disbursements include Home Office/visa application fees, Tribunal fees (currently £140 per person), Immigration Health Surcharges (IHS) Fees, interpreting/translation services, medical reports fees, expert report fees, travel expenses (if attendance required) etc.

Attending a Hearing Centre, Further Submission Unit, Home Office or Visa Application Centre outside the Manchester Area can incur travelling costs and will be discussed on request.

A barrister can be instructed upon request and barrister’s fees can be negotiated on an individual basis.

Find updated list of Home Office Fees.

Who will carry out this work?

The legal work and advice is provided by solicitors or Level 2 caseworkers who are Accredited by the Law Society with different levels of experience. From time to time they are assisted by trainee solicitors. All work is supervised by an Accredited Supervisor. We do not employ unqualified consultants.

Who will carry out this work?

The legal work and advice is provided by Partners Solicitors or Chartered Legal Executives sometimes assisted under supervision by trainee solicitors, legal assistants or para-legal’s in this department with different levels of experience.All work is supervised by solicitors who are Accredited by the Law Society either as Family Law Panel Members or Children Panel Members.

Our Price Promise

• We promise to provide the same high level of service whether or not you pay a Fixed Fee or an hourly rate.
• We promise that the Fixed Fee quoted for your divorce will not change unless you ask us for services that the Fixed Fee does not cover

Our Fixed Fee

What is included in the Fixed Fee ?

• One meeting in our office with your solicitor.
• Preparation of the divorce/dissolution petition & any supporting documents.
• Obtaining your approval to the documents. We will amend them so please check the draft documentsvery carefully.
• Any necessary letters to your spouse/partner if an amendment to the divorce papers is needed after we have heard from your spouse then we will amend the divorce papers before issue in court .
• As a result of the last two paragraphs a total of two free amendments (before sending the papers to Court) are included in the price
• Sending the divorce papers to Court.
• Receiving your spouse/partner’s acknowledgment of the divorcepetition sending it to you preparing the application for Decree Nisi  & statement in support of the petition & sending it to Court.
• Advising you of the date of your Decree Nisi.
• With your authority applying for Decree Absolute.
• Telephone calls emails and letters in order to carry out the above work.

What is not included in the Fixed Fee?

• A new petition on different grounds
• The fees of Barristers, Court fees, translators or interpreters, experts and process servers
• Divorces that are defended or do not proceed by consent.
• Obtaining your Marriage Certificate if you cannot get it yourself.
• Amendments to the Court documents (other than amendments included in the fixed fee above.
• Legal advice in relation to property, finances or children. Emails, letters, phone calls not included in the fixed fee
• Attendances at Court and advocacy in Court.
• Recovering costs that your spouse or partner has been ordered to pay to you.

What happens to fees and legal costs paid in advance if we reconcile or get back together?

• Any fees paid to the Court, Barristers, translators orinterpreters’ experts and process servers cannot be refunded.
• If you get back together before an application for decree nisi we will refund 50% of the fixed fee provided it has been paid in full.If not, you will owe us 50% of the fixed fee.
• If the application for decree nisi has been made then you will owe the full fixed fee.

What happens to fees and legal costs paid in advance if we reconcile or get back together?

• Any fees paid to the Court, Barristers, translators orinterpreters’ experts and process servers cannot be refunded.
• If you get back together before an application for decree nisi we will refund 50% of the fixed fee provided it has been paid in full.If not, you will owe us 50% of the fixed fee.
• If the application for decree nisi has been made then you will owe the full fixed fee.

Your Obligations to Us

You will provide reasonable instructions to us in a timely way.

We will need you to provide us with

• Your original Marriage Certificate or an official certified copy
• Evidence of your identity.
• Accurate spelling of your name, the name of your spouse/partner and the children.
• Payment of the Fixed Fee, Court fees and VAT in advance unless we agree instalment payments. We always ask for fees payable to barristers, translators or interpreters , experts and process servers to be paid in advance.

We reserve the right to withdraw the Fixed Fee Scheme from you or to make an additional hourly charge where we do not receive reasonable and timely instructions from you and for work not included in the fixed fee.

Fixed Costs for special applications to the Court that may be requested by you but are not included in our Fixed Fee

Everyone’s circumstances are different and so our Fixed Fee divorce costs cover the work that we know every couple seeking a divorce or dissolution will require from us. There are additional fixed fee charges for certain services that are not needed by every couple seeking a divorce or dissolution.  These are shown below

Please note if you need any of these additional items we will tell you about it before and will let you know why the additional Court application is necessary.

The prices below include VAT and are in addition to the fixed fee (if required by you) :

 Note from time to time the Government increases court fees.  The above fees are correct as at 1^stMarch 2016.  If court  fees are increased then any increase will be payable by you

Try our Fixed Fee Detailed Case Assessment.

The assessment lasts for up to one hour either at our office or on the telephone. This costs £150.00 plus vat £30.00 total £180.00 in advance either by credit or debit card over the phone or at our office.

Our Fixed Fee Detailed Case Assessment is one of our most popular services – our clients want expert legal advice at an affordable fixed price. After the assessment you will benefit from clearly understanding your legal position.

We will agree legal costs in advance for each stage of your case. We will keep you informed about costs throughout your case and if our estimate has to change for any reason then we will let you know straight away.

We will carefully assess your needs and tailor our services to suit your budget. There are a number of easy payment options including credit cards and monthly instalments and we do not make an additional charge for card processing. We can also agree fixed fees for certain types of work.

If we are not able to price the whole piece of work at the outset, perhaps because it is not yet clear exactly what will be involved, we will agree a pricing arrangement for each stage as soon as we are able to do so. It may be that you will prefer an hourly rate for the initial work and then a fixed fee for the rest once the scope becomes clear. Many combinations are possible, all with the aim of making sure that you get clarity, transparency and a pricing structure you are happy with.

Our charges are based on the time we spend dealing with a case.   Depending on who undertakes the work on this matter the following hourly rates will be charged.

• CiLex denotes a Member of Chartered Institute of Legal Executives

VAT at 20% will be added to the hourly rate shown above. Other levels of fee earner not shown above will be charged at £134.00 per hour plus vat.

Once we fully understand your needs, we will assign your case to the most appropriate member of our team. All work done by the team is ultimately supervised by the Team Leader or one of the other partners in the team. The lawyers in our team are supported by paralegals and other assistants to ensure that your case is handled efficiently and cost-effectively.