Overview
Quality is not as expensive as you might think. We are happy to agree our fees in advance. Our clients know about the likely costs of a case and are always kept fully up-to-date with costs.
We offer initial consultation between £170.00 – £400.00 (plus VAT) depending on the expertise of the Solicitor dealing with the meeting.
We may be able to provide a fixed fee to assist you.
Legal Aid
Legal Aid may be available however this subject to financial eligibility tests which change from time to time. To view the most up to date information please go to https://www.gov.uk/civil-legal-advice. If you are in doubt whether your case is covered by the legal aid scheme please Contact Us.
Civil Litigation Fees
Debt recovery
Our debt recovery team has over 6 years of experience in delivering high-quality work in all matters relating to debt recovery.
Your matter will be handled by Cherin Sparrow, Solicitor, and supervised by Amanjit Lalli, Solicitor and Director of the firm.
Cherin Sparrow – Solicitor
Cherin qualified as a solicitor in 2018 and is now an ambitious litigator who can assist in civil litigation matters including debt collection. She is keen to encourage parties to negotiate wherever possible to ensure clients do not incur unnecessary legal fees. However, she has experience in guiding clients through the court process as and when necessary.
Debt recovery: Range of fixed fees
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.
| Debt value | Court fee | Our fee | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to £300.00 | £35.00 | £100.00 plus VAT (£120.00) | £155.00 |
| £300.01 to £500.00 | £50.00 | £250.00 plus VAT (£300.00) | £300.00 |
| £500.01 to £1,000.00 | £70.00 | £350.00 plus VAT (£420.00) | £490.00 |
| £1,000.01 to £1,500.00 | £80.00 | £400.00 plus VAT (£480.00) | £560.00 |
| £1,500.01 to £3,000.00 | £115.00 | £600.00 plus VAT (£720.00) | £835.00 |
| £3,000.01 to £5,000.00 | £205.00 | £750.00 plus VAT (£900.00) | £1,105.00 |
| £5,000.01 to £10,000.00 | £455.00 | £1,500.00 plus VAT (£1,800.00) | £2,255.00 |
| £10,000.01 to £200,000.00 | 5% value of claim | 15% value of the claim | Dependent on value of claim |
| More than £200,000.00 | £10,000.00 | 20% value of the claim | Dependent on value of claim |
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 it 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 21 days, providing you with advice on the next steps and likely costs.
Matters usually take 3 – 12 months 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 and is also dependent on the court’s processing times. If enforcement action is needed, the matter will take longer to resolve.
Probate Fees
We are required under the SRA transparency rules to provide you with the following information relating to our Probate and Estate Administration services where the assets belonging to the person following their death are located in the UK.
We can assist you with applying for probate in cases where there is a Will or where the Intestacy rules apply because there is no Will. We can also assist with the administration of the estate once the Grant of Representation or the Grant of Letters of Administration has been issued by the probate registry.
Your matter will be handled by Nazmin Sultan Khan Solicitor, and supervised by Amanjit Lalli, Solicitor and Director of the firm.
Nazmin qualified as a Solicitor in 2020. She obtained her Law Degree from the University of Westminster and thereafter completed the Legal Practice Course (LPC). She has extensive experience in the legal field, having worked in the sector for many years prior to qualifying as a Solicitor. Since qualifying, she has developed a particular expertise in Wills and Probate, handling a wide range of both contentious and non-contentious probate matters.
Our fees are charged on an hourly rate basis. We do not offer a fixed fee service. We will only charge you for the work that has been carried out.
Our hourly rates are as follows:
| Hourly Fee | |
|---|---|
| Director | £400.00 + VAT |
| Solicitor | £250.00 + VAT |
| Trainee Solicitor | £150.00 + VAT |
| Paralegal | £100.00 + VAT |
Below we have set out an estimate of our costs this does not include the cost of a contested probate:
Where we are instructed to apply for probate:
We anticipate this will take between 5 and 10 hours work at £250.00 per hour plus VAT at 20%. Total costs estimated at £1,250-£2,500 +VAT at 20% and disbursements (this is not a fixed fee).
We will carry out the following work (but not limited to):
- 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 it to you
Where we are instructed to deal with post-grant matters – administer the estate:
We anticipate this will take between 5 and 20 hours of work at £250.00 per hour plus VAT at 20%. Total costs are estimated at £1,250-£5,000 + VAT at 20% and disbursements (this is not a fixed fee).
We will carry out the following work (but not limited to):
- Collect all assets in the estate
- Pay any debts and liabilities
- Consider any lifetime tax issues
- Distribute the estate to the beneficiaries
- Update the estate accounts
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, more than one property and multiple bank accounts, costs will be at the higher end.
We will handle the full process for you. This estimate is for estates where:
- There is a valid will
- All the assets are in the UK
- There is no more than one property and it is a residential property
- There are no more than two bank or Building Society accounts
- There are no other intangible assets
- There is one beneficiary and the beneficiary is not a charity
- 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
- There is no requirement for Trust Registration
Disbursements included in this fee (where applicable VAT is included at 20%):
- Probate application fee of £273.00
- Additional copies of the grant – £1.50 per copy (1 per asset usually)
- Bankruptcy-only Land Charges Department searches (£2.00 per beneficiary)
- Office copy entries – £3.00 plus VAT per property
- £100.00 to £250.00 plus VAT Post in The London Gazette – Protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors.
- £50.00 to £250.00 plus VAT Post in a Local Newspaper – This also helps to protect against unexpected claims.
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.
Potential additional costs
- 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.
- Dealing with the sale or transfer of any property in the estate is not included. We do not undertake conveyancing work.
- The cost estimate does not include any potential tax liabilities such as, but not limited to, Inheritance Tax, Capital Gains Tax Income tax or related interest or penalty charges.
How long will this take?
On average, estates that fall within this range are dealt with within 6-18 months. Typically, obtaining the grant of probate takes 6-8 weeks depending on how quickly details about the deceased and the assets and debts can be ascertained.
Probate (Contested): £250.00 + VAT per hour + Disbursements
Contact us today, we can guide you through this complex process with clarity and expertise.
How Much Do We Charge for the drafting of Wills?
| Fee | |
|---|---|
| Single Will | £300.00 + VAT |
| Mirror Wills | £500.00 + VAT |