Our approach to fees
We want you to be clear about how we will charge you for the work we do for you.
Before we begin working for you, we will provide you with an indication of costs. Sometimes we will give you an estimate of the cost for the work, e.g. a house purchase or sale, the preparation of a will or separation agreement, but this is always subject to the proviso that should the scope of the work increase, additional fees may be payable. We will explain this to you before you instruct us.
For other types of work, where the amount we charge is dependent on the amount of work we do, we charge in units. One unit of time is six minutes and we normally round up to the next unit. For some types of work a unit equates to a number of words in a document. Full details will be provided before we start work and we will let you know the unit charge to be applied to the work we do for you. When charging on the basis of time or word count, we will provide you with a detailed breakdown of the work carried out and the total cost each time we issue you with a fee notification.
We will agree with you beforehand when fee notifications will be issued and when they must be paid. We will confirm these details in writing. If any fee notification that we send you is not what you expect, please tell us why.
Outlays
Outlays, also called disbursements, are necessary expenses that we must pay to other people or organisations on your behalf. These are charges for things such as registry searches, experts’ fees (for example, surveyors) or registration charges.
Normally, we only pay outlays after we receive the funds from you. If we have to pay before getting the funds from you, you must pay us back when we ask you to.
Any reference to paying our fees also includes paying any outlays which you may owe.
Payment
You must pay our fees as soon as you get our bill. You can pay by cheque, debit or credit card, or by paying funds into our bank account direct.
Fixed Fee Packages
Family Law Fixed Fee Preliminary Legal Advice
We understand that taking the first step in consulting a solicitor can be daunting and you may be concerned about the likely cost of legal advice. To help you understand your options and the likely cost, we offer a fixed fee package for preliminary legal advice. For £295 (inclusive of VAT) we will provide:
- A one hour meeting with a specialist in Family Law. During that meeting, in-depth advice will be given on your legal situation and your options for proceeding further.
- We will follow up the meeting with estimated costs for each option available to you.
- If you decide to proceed, we will identify ways in which you can keep your costs to a minimum as you go through the process.
Fixed Fees for Wills and Powers of Attorney
We offer fixed fees for wills and for powers of attorney. We also provide a discount on the cost when both documents are done together. Contact us today for a quote for your will and/or power of attorney.
Current Fee Rates
Our fees are based on units. 1 unit is equivalent to 6 minutes of time or part thereof (e.g. 1 hour of time is charged at 10 units) or based on a word count of letters and documents generated. As indicated in the hourly rate table below, the cash value of the hourly rate is determined by the status of the person carrying out the work on your behalf. We reserve the right to review these rates from time to time. Please contact us at any time to confirm the rates applicable to your case.
| Hourly Rate (excluding VAT) | |
|---|---|
| Head of Family Law | £410.00 |
| Partner | £400.00 |
| Consultant | £400.00 |
| Legal Director | £365.00 |
| Senior Associate | £335.00 |
| Associate | £320.00 |
| Senior Solicitor | £295.00 |
| Solicitor | £260.00 |
| Trainee Solicitor | £240.00 |
| Paralegal | £240.00 |
| Other Staff Members | £220.00 |