Fees

Probate uncontested

In terms of costs this will be charged from 1% plus VAT of the gross value of the Estate and disbursements (see below).

There are certain external expenses which you may need to pay in connection with the administration of the Estate, please see below the most common things that you are likely to have to pay and an estimate of their cost:

Commissioner’s fees for Executor’s Oath (per person)                    £7.00

Probate Court fees for issue of the Grant                                          £155.00(+50p per copy)

Land Registry Title Register                                                                   £3.00

Online ID Check                                                                                       £7.50

We have provided you with the quote above, however in certain circumstances the nature of the work we are instructed to do can change (for example where HMRC or the Probate Registry raise requisitions or where there is a dispute). In these circumstances this additional work will be charged on a time spent basis.

We will add VAT charges at the rate that applies when the work is done.

We will submit our invoice to you for settlement once we have made the application for the Grant. If for whatever reason the Grant is not required or we cease acting for you, we shall issue an invoice for the work carried out to date based on the hourly rate of the fee earner responsible for your matter.

The administration of an Estate involves the following steps:

1. Calculating the value of the Estate, taking into account the deceased’s assets and liabilities. Some items may require professional valuations such as shares and it may be necessary to pay a fee for this. We will of course let you know if this is required. We will write to the relevant banks/share companies (if any) to obtain the balances as at the date of death.
2. Dealing with any inheritance tax due. Even where no inheritance tax is payable it is necessary to submit information to the Inland Revenue about the assets and liabilities of the Estate.
3. Obtaining the Grant of Probate/ Letters of Administration. Every application for the Grant must be supported by an Oath sworn by the Executors. This is to establish their right to the Grant and confirms the value of the Estate that will be dealt with under the authority of the Grant. The Grant cannot be issued until the relevant information has been submitted to HMRC.
4. Once the Grant has been obtained the Grant will be sent to the banks and other institutions holding money and property to obtain access to the deceased’s assets.
5. Collecting Estate money. We normally pay Estate money into our client account (where it will be subject to the protection of the Law Society’s Rules regarding the handling of client’s money).
6. Once bills have been paid, it may be possible to start paying bequests and legacies under the Will and to make interim distributions to residuary beneficiaries although please note that where there are professional Executors/Administrators then distributions will not normally be made until 6 months after the date of the Grant of Probate/ Letters of Administration, this being the deadline for potential claims to be made against the Estate.
7. The latter stages of administration involve obtaining confirmation from HMRC that no more tax is due, finalising the Statement of Account, handing over the remaining entitlements to the beneficiaries.

We will complete steps A-G or A-C as outlined above whichever is required for this particular matter. However if the nature of our work becomes more complicated than expected, particularly if extensive correspondence with HMRC, Probate Registry or any other party is required, then we reserve the right to review our charges and we shall  inform you accordingly.

Unless specifically agreed our work does not include any contentious Probate or any other claims or disputes against/in the Estate, Deeds of Variation, Affidavits, Power of Attorneys, income tax work or ongoing trust arrangements or conveyancing work. If any of these are required, we will discuss and agree our fees with you.

We do not deal with any overseas assets and it is the responsibility of the Executors to deal with any overseas assets. In the event we agree to liaise with any third parties based aboard, our contact will be strictly limited to obtaining the necessary information for the purposes of completing the inheritance tax here.

Employment Law

We would require an initial consultation with you before being able to provide you with an accurate costs estimate; this is due to the complexities and various circumstances that surround the area of Employment Law. The cost of the initial consultation is £100.00 plus vat.

During your initial consultation once the facts of the case have been identified you shall be provided with a detailed costs estimate in relation to your case which shall include disbursements such as Barrister’s fees.

For all employment law matters as listed in our services page you will be charged with reference to time spent. The Employment Law fee earners hourly rates range from £180.00 – £195.00 plus VAT.

Throughout your case you will be provided with a monthly breakdown of precisely what work has been undertaken on your matter so that you are clear as to where your money is being spent.

We do however offer a fixed fee for Settlement Agreements these range from £250.00 -£400.00 plus VAT.

Residential Conveyancing

Please contact us for your individual quotation and we shall have this prepared and either emailed or posted to you according to your preference. Each property transaction is different and may be subject to unforeseen circumstances but we will always try to give you the best estimate possible at the beginning of your transaction with no hidden or extra fees. The fees set out below are a general guide. Our fees cover all of the work required to complete the purchase of your new home including dealing with registration at the Land Registry and the payment of Stamp Duty Land Tax (stamp duty), the amount payable depends on the buyers’ status under the new rules and the purchase price of the property. In order to assist you when budgeting for your residential property transaction, please use these guidelines on our prices. It is difficult to estimate how long your transaction will take but we will do our best to work within your preferred timescales.

A number of factors will affect the costs of our services which could include but are not limited to:

Freehold Purchase

Costs will vary between £850 plus VAT and £1500 plus VAT and disbursements depending on the purchase price of the property up to £1,000,000.

The following disbursements will also be charged:-

Freehold Sale

Costs will vary between £750.00 and £1500 plus VAT and disbursements depending on the purchase price of the property.

Disbursements:-

• • Money transfer fee – £25
  • Copies of Land Registry documents – £3 per document

Leasehold Purchase

If the property you are acquiring is leasehold or includes a share of the freehold our costs will be between £850.00 and £1500 plus VAT and disbursements, but this may also include carrying out any additional work such as dealing with a share of the freehold. In addition there will be disbursements but these will depend on the purchase price.

Disbursements:-

• Search fees – in the region of £200 – £300 depending on local authority fees, includes additional searches for drainage, environmental and plan search which we always recommend.
• HM Land Registry fee is based on the value of the property.
• As we are electronically linked to the Land Registry and submit registrations online, the fee is 50% of the normal fee.
• Bank transfer fees – £25
• Stamp Duty. You can calculate your potential stamp duty by going to this link https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/calculate-stamp-duty-land-tax/#/intro
• Mortgage Lender fee – In addition, where you are obtaining a mortgage there is a standard charge of £145 plus VAT for acting for the lender and registering the lenders mortgage on the property after completion.

Leasehold Sale

Costs will be between £750.00 and £1500 plus VAT and disbursements

Disbursements:-

• Money transfer fee – £25
• Copies of Land Registry documents – £3 per document

Our fees do vary depending on the property and circumstances and it is always best to contact us directly for a tailor made quotation, which we will be happy to provide.

Immigration

Costs will vary between £900.00 to £1200.00 for Further Leave to Remain Applications and Entry Clearance applications.  Naturalisation applications and Indefinite Leave to Remain applications vary form £1200.00 to £1500.00 plus VAT depending on the complexity.    Claims for Judicial Reviews start at £2500.00.  Please call the office for a precise fee estimate as there are a significant number of immigration applications which attract different fees.  We can carry out the work on a fixed fee or hourly rate basis on time spent at £150.00 to £190.00 per hour.  Please see below fees for the Home Office.

1. Visas and applications made outside the UK

2. Points based system – applications made outside the UK

3. Optional premium services outside the UK

4. Optional premium services in the UK

5. Discretionary services at the border

6. Applications made in the UK

7. Points based system – applications made in the UK

8. Points based system – sponsorship

1. Application fee of £95 where the applicant is a Chinese national applying in mainland China under the Chinese visa scheme 
2. A Council of Europe Social Charter (CESC) discount of £55 applies for main applicant.  ^{2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24}
3. Administrative Officer, Executive Officer and Higher Executive Officer are Civil Service staff grades.  ^2 3 4 5
4. The citizenship ceremony fee of £80 has been added to the application fee  ²
5. Additional £80 per applicant is required to cover the ceremony fee should the minor turn 18 during the application process. This will be requested at point of decision.