Our Charges and General Costs

Service areas with price and service information published on this page

• Residential conveyancing
• Probate and estate administration (uncontested matters where all assets are in the UK)
• Immigration (excluding asylum)
• Commercial and corporate work for non-listed companies and other
• Criminal matters (general criminal offences such as fraud, domestic violence, and money laundering)
• Disputes (including litigation relating to probate, commercial leases, debts, bankruptcy or insolvency, landlord and tenant, and corporate matters)

We also undertake work in other areas, including commercial property and family or matrimonial matters. Pricing for these other areas is provided on request, based on the circumstances of the matter.

Our fees and charging basis

Hourly rates for work outside the base scope:

VAT

VAT is charged at the standard UK rate where applicable. The standard rate is currently 20%. We will confirm at the outset whether VAT applies to your matter and what the total will be.

Disbursements and other charges

Disbursements are third-party costs payable in addition to our legal fees, for example court fees, Land Registry fees and search fees. Some matters may also involve additional administrative charges. We will confirm which of the items below apply to your matter before any payment is made.

Typical disbursements (third-party costs) may include:

• Land Registry charges: £150 to £500 (depending on the consideration and the application type)
• Search fees: £15 to £750 (depending on the type of searches required)
• Court fees (where applicable), including issue fees
• Government application fees (for example, Home Office fees for immigration applications)
• Expert fees, barristers' fees, interpreter or translation fees (where required)

Additional administrative charges (where applicable) may include:

• AML check: £30 per person
• Bank charges including the TT administration fee: £35 plus VAT
• Case management fee: £130 plus VAT

Who may carry out the work

The work may be carried out by the following fee earners. Where work is carried out by a junior fee earner or trainee, it will be supervised by an appropriately experienced senior lawyer responsible for that matter.

Residential Conveyancing

Price

Base fee: £3,000 plus VAT. This is a starting fee for a straightforward residential sale or purchase. Additional work outside the base scope will be charged at the hourly rates set out above.

What the base fee includes

• Taking instructions and opening the file
• Identity and anti-money laundering checks
• Reviewing title documents and contract papers
• Raising or responding to routine enquiries
• Ordering and reviewing standard searches
• Reviewing the mortgage offer and standard lender requirements, where applicable
• Reporting to you and arranging signature of documents
• Exchange of contracts
• Completion
• Post-completion SDLT submission where required and registration at HM Land Registry

What is not included unless agreed

• Lease extensions, enfranchisement, or complex leasehold issues
• Unregistered land
• Auction transactions
• Transfers of equity
• Declarations of trust
• Complex title defects or remediation work
• Company buyers or sellers
• Disputes
• Tax advice
• Urgent or unusually time-critical matters
• Work relating to property development or new build transactions (unless agreed)

Likely disbursements and other charges

• Land Registry charges: £150 to £500 (depending on the consideration and the application type)
• Search fees: £15 to £750 (depending on the searches required)
• AML check: £30 per person
• Bank charges including the TT administration fee: £35 plus VAT, where a telegraphic transfer is required
• Case management fee: £130 plus VAT, where applicable
• Stamp Duty Land Tax, if payable

Typical timescales

A straightforward residential conveyancing matter commonly takes 8 to 16 weeks from instruction to completion. Timescales depend on factors such as the length of the chain, lender requirements, search turnaround times, and the other side's responsiveness.

Probate and Estate Administration

Price

Base fee: £3,000 plus VAT. This is a starting fee for a straightforward uncontested estate where all assets are in the UK. Additional work outside the base scope will be charged at the hourly rates set out above.

What the base fee includes

• Taking instructions and reviewing the will (if any)
• Identifying executors or administrators and beneficiaries
• Advising on the appropriate probate application
• Preparing the probate application
• Preparing and submitting the inheritance tax forms required for a straightforward application
• Obtaining the grant of probate or letters of administration
• Standard correspondence with UK asset holders
• Collecting in and distributing assets in a straightforward estate

What is not included unless agreed

• Contested probate or disputes between beneficiaries or personal representatives
• Foreign assets or domicile advice
• Complex inheritance tax advice, HMRC investigations, or tax planning
• Trusts, deeds of variation, or complex post-death planning
• Missing beneficiaries or insolvency issues
• Business assets or complex valuation issues
• Sale or transfer of estate property (conveyancing work)

Likely disbursements and other charges

• Probate Registry application fee and any additional sealed copies of the grant
• Bankruptcy searches, Gazette or local newspaper notices, where required
• Valuation fees, where required
• AML check: £30 per person, where applicable
• Case management fee: £130 plus VAT, where applicable

Typical timescales

Timescales vary with the size and complexity of the estate. For a straightforward uncontested estate, obtaining the grant commonly takes around 8 to 16 weeks after submission (subject to the Probate Registry). Full administration commonly takes 6 to 12 months or longer, depending on the estate and third parties.

Immigration (excluding asylum)

Price

Base fee: £1,800 plus VAT where VAT is chargeable. This is a starting fee for a straightforward application. Additional work outside the base scope will be charged at the hourly rates set out above.

We will confirm at the outset whether VAT is chargeable for your matter. VAT treatment can depend on the client's circumstances.

What the base fee includes

• Taking instructions and reviewing key documents
• Advising on the application route and supporting evidence
• Preparing the application
• Preparing a standard covering representation where appropriate
• Submitting the application
• Providing standard follow-up guidance

What is not included unless agreed

• Asylum matters
• Appeals, administrative review, or judicial review
• Urgent premium or same-day arrangements
• Attendance at interviews
• Complex human rights or private life representations requiring extensive evidence
• Translations, interpreters, expert reports, or courier fees
• Applications involving multiple dependants or unusually large volumes of documentation

Likely disbursements and other charges

• Home Office application fee
• Immigration Health Surcharge, where applicable
• Translation or interpreter fees, where required
• Expert report fees, where required
• AML check: £30 per person, where applicable

Typical timescales

Preparation times depend on how quickly documents and instructions are provided. Decision times depend on the application route and whether the application is made inside or outside the UK. We will provide an estimated timetable once we have reviewed your circumstances.

Commercial and Corporate Work for Non-Listed Companies and Other

Price

Base fee: £3,000 plus VAT. This is a starting fee for a straightforward matter. We will confirm the scope and provide a tailored estimate once we have reviewed your instructions.

What the base fee includes

• Initial review of your instructions and key documents
• Advice on the available options and next steps
• Drafting or reviewing a first set of core documents for a straightforward matter
• Correspondence with the other party's solicitors within the agreed scope
• One round of reasonable amendments within the agreed scope

What is not included unless agreed

• Complex transactions, including multiple parties, overseas elements, or regulated matters
• Work requiring extensive negotiation rounds, large document sets, or urgent timeframes
• Tax advice beyond general procedural guidance
• Litigation or dispute resolution work (covered under the Disputes section)
• Specialist advice (for example, employment, regulatory, or financial services), unless agreed

Likely disbursements and other charges

• Companies House filing fees, where applicable
• Search fees: £15 to £750 (depending on the searches required)
• AML check: £30 per person
• Case management fee: £130 plus VAT, where applicable

Typical timescales

Timescales vary significantly depending on the matter. For a straightforward matter, initial advice is commonly provided within 3 to 10 working days of receiving complete information. Completion of a straightforward transaction may take 2 to 12 weeks, depending on the parties and complexity.

Criminal Matters

Price

Base fee: £2,000 plus VAT. This is a starting fee for initial advice and early-stage representation. Serious or complex matters (including Crown Court proceedings) will usually require a tailored estimate and may be charged at hourly rates.

What the base fee includes

• Initial instructions and case assessment
• Review of initial papers and evidence available at the outset
• Advice on plea, bail, and next steps
• Attendance at one initial hearing where within the agreed scope

What is not included unless agreed

• Trials, contested hearings, and multi-day hearings
• Crown Court proceedings, unless agreed
• Expert evidence, substantial disclosure review, or complex applications
• Confiscation proceedings and related financial investigations, unless agreed

Likely disbursements and other charges

• Barristers' fees, where counsel is instructed
• Expert report fees, where required
• Interpreter fees, where required
• Travel and accommodation costs, where required

Typical timescales

Timescales depend on the nature of the allegation, the court, and listing availability. We will provide an estimated timetable once we have reviewed the case and received information about court dates.

Disputes

Price

Base fee: £3,000 plus VAT. This is a starting fee for initial advice, case assessment, and pre-action correspondence (for example a letter before action or a response). If the dispute proceeds to issuing a claim, interim applications, or trial, we will provide an updated estimate and charge additional work at the hourly rates set out above.

What the base fee includes

• Initial review of key documents and instructions
• Advice on merits and options, including settlement options
• Pre-action correspondence within the agreed scope
• Drafting or reviewing a letter before action or response

What is not included unless agreed

• Issuing court proceedings and drafting statements of case beyond the initial scope
• Disclosure exercises and detailed document review of substantial bundles
• Interim applications, hearings, or trial preparation and attendance
• Negotiation of complex settlement documentation or enforcement action, unless agreed

Likely disbursements and other charges

• Court fees, including issue fees and hearing fees (where proceedings are issued)
• Barristers' fees, where counsel is instructed
• Expert report fees, where required
• Process server or enquiry agent fees, where required

Typical timescales

Timescales depend on the type and complexity of the dispute. Pre-action correspondence commonly takes 3 to 6 weeks. If proceedings are issued, the timeframe from issue to final hearing may range from 6 to 18 months or longer, depending on the court and the case.

Complaints

Details of our complaints procedure, including information about the Legal Ombudsman and the Solicitors Regulation Authority, are available on our Complaints page.