Fees

Please contact us for a quotation for any area of law.

Debt Recovery Fees - Business to Business

These costs apply only where your claim is a relatively basic debt recovery claim 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.

Our fees referred to below depend on the amount of work that we are required to carry out in order to take your initial instructions, and the work and detail required to be carried out to draft your letter of claim; the range of fees is designed to highlight the lowest and highest amount that may be charged.

Debt value	Court fee	Our fee (ex. VAT)	Total (ex. VAT)
£5,001 - £10,000	£35-£455	£75-£400	£110-£855
£10,001 - £50,000	5% value of the claim	£200-£800	£TBC

Anyone wishing to proceed with a claim should note that:

The VAT element of our fee cannot be reclaimed from your debtor and in cases where Judgment is obtained on your behalf without the case being defended, there is a limit to the degree of costs to be recovered from the debtor under Part 45 of the Civil Procedure Rules.
Interest and applicable compensation sums 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 instructing a 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 the same onto you or, if the debt is not paid, drafting and issuing a claim
Where no Acknowledgment of Service or Defence is received, applying to the court to enter Judgement in default or alternatively, applying to court to enter Judgment in the event of an Admission being made by the debtor
When Judgment in default in received, writing to the other side to request payment
If payment is not received within a specified period of days, providing you with advice on next steps and likely costs

Matters can take anything from 2-16 weeks 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 a letter of claim, or alternatively, at the upper end of the timescale,upon receipt of a Judgment in default. If enforcement action is needed, the matter will take longer to resolve.

Motoring Offences Fees

Private Fees

All cases start in the Magistrates Court but not all will be funded by Legal Aid.

Most motoring cases are dealt with in the Magistrates Court i.e. Careless Driving, Drink Driving and Drunk in Charge. They will not usually qualify for Legal Aid. The more serious cases such as Dangerous Driving and Death Careless/Dangerous will go to the Crown Court where Legal Aid is likely to be available.

Please feel free to ring us on 0333 5774213 or email us at David@nwscriminal.co.uk so that we can discuss any matter that you are concerned about. This could be attendance at a Police Station, post Police Station interview or on receipt of a charge or summons to Court. You will be able to speak to a qualified Solicitor free of charge who will then offer an appointment if it is appropriate.

Guilty pleas at the Magistrates Court other than Drink Driving

If the case is dealt with on the day then the fee is £400 plus VAT. If for any reason following a guilty plea the case has to be adjourned to a further hearing then there would be a further cost of £120 plus VAT.

The first hearing is for you to simply enter a not guilty plea and then the case will be listed for a contested hearing. The cost will be £650 plus VAT for the first half day and then £250 plus VAT for each half day thereafter.

Exceptional Hardship Arguments

If your case is listed to argue exceptional financial hardship i.e. to keep your Driving Licence then our fee is £600 plus VAT.

Drink Driving/Drunk in Charge/Driving whilst under the influence of Drugs

These cases are often dealt with on the day and our fee would be £400 inclusive of VAT.

Please note for all matters that can be dealt with by way of a prison sentence i.e. drink driving/drug driving/dangerous driving then the Duty Solicitor is available at the Magistrates Court free of charge but can only deal with the first hearing.

We can deal with appeals and of course we can deal privately with hearings at the Crown Court but we would need to discuss this with you the cost would depend on the complexity of the case.

To be certain about the cost of your case it is best to ring and speak to one of us so that we can give you a clear account of the work that needs doing and the cost involved.

Probate and Estate Administration fees

Section 1: Fixed fees for obtaining the grant of Probate or Letters of Administration only (where the executors or administrators wish to deal with all other aspects of the estate administration themselves)

Obtaining the grant of probate or letters of administration	£595 plus VAT
Grant application fee	£155 plus 0.50p per official copy
Typical Land Registry fees to check the title if the estate includes a property	£6

Section 2: Additional fees if the estate is taxable (i.e. if inheritance tax is payable) or if complex inheritance tax forms are required to claim available tax reliefs

Charge for completion of inheritance tax forms	£950 plus VAT
Additional charge if claiming complex tax reliefs, such as Business Property relief, Agricultural relief or the transferable nil-rate band	£500 plus VAT
Arranging for payment of the tax due and obtaining necessary receipts	£150 plus VAT

Section 3: Fees payable in addition to the above if our work also includes the administration of the estate, collecting the assets and paying liabilities and distributing to the beneficiaries

Charge per asset collected or forming part of the estate	£50 plus VAT or 0.5% of probate value (whichever is the higher)
Charge for each bill or liability to be paid from the estate	£50 plus VAT
Charge per beneficiary being paid from the estate	£100 plus VAT
Bankruptcy search fee per UK beneficiary	£2
Bankruptcy search fee for each foreign domiciled beneficiary	Variable (depending on the country involved)
Conveyancing fees per property	Variable (Please see our conveyancing webpage or ask us for a quotation)

This fee schedule assumes that all of the assets are in the UK and that there are no disputes concerning the Will or intestacy.
Any work outside the scope of this fee schedule is usually charged for on an hourly rate ranging from £185 per hour to £250 per hour plus VAT calculated in 6 minute units.
Fees current as of 3rd January 2019

Employment Law Fees

Our pricing for bringing and defending claims for unfair or wrongful dismissal:

Acting for the Employee

If we act for you as an employee in bringing an unfair dismissal claim, we will almost always run the claim on a Damages-Based Agreement basis (a form of 'no win no fee') where if you are successful, once you obtain payment of the damages award, we get paid out of that sum. Typically our fee will be 30% (inclusive of VAT) of the damages payment, payable by you alone.

Wrongful dismissal claims are relatively rare. For simple claims, or claims worth less than £10000, our charges tend to be based on fixed fees for specific items of work carried out for you as employee, to be agreed with you beforehand. The following figures are examples only:

£150- £300+VAT for a letter of claim;
£200-£300+VAT for Particulars of Claim/Particulars of Complaint;
£350-£600+VAT for witness statements.

For cases where the value of the claim is over £10,000 or the claim is complex in nature, we will reserve the right to charge an hourly rate for our time spent on the case, which could lead to the following costs being incurred:

Simple case: £750-£2000 (excluding VAT)
Medium complexity case: £2000-£5000 (excluding VAT)
High complexity case: £5000+ (excluding VAT)

Acting for the Employer

The costs to be incurred in defending claims for unfair dismissal and/or wrongful dismissal on behalf of employers will depend on the value and complexity of the claim. Where the work can be carried out on the basis of fixed fee work, the following figures are examples of possible fees:

£250- £450+VAT for letter in response;
£300-£500+VAT for Defence/Response;
£450-£800+VAT for witness statements.

For cases where the value of the claim against the employer is over £10000, or is sufficiently complex, we will reserve the right to charge an hourly rate for our time spent on the case, which could lead to the following costs being incurred:

Simple case: £750-£2000 (excluding VAT)
Medium complexity case: £2000-£5000 (excluding VAT)
High complexity case: £5000+ (excluding VAT)

Factors that could make bringing or defending a claim more complex:

If it is necessary to make or defend applications to amend claims or to provide further information about an existing claim
Defending claims that are brought by litigants in person
Making or defending a costs application
The number of witnesses and documents
If it is an automatic unfair dismissal claim e.g. if you are dismissed after blowing the whistle on your employer

Disbursements

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.

Counsel's fees are generally estimated between £750 to £3000 per day (depending on experience of the advocate) for attending a Tribunal Hearing (including preparation), if it is agreed that Counsel is required.

Key stages

The fees set out above cover all of the work in relation to the following key stages of a claim:

Taking your initial instructions, reviewing the papers and advising you on merits and likely compensation awards (this is likely to be revisited throughout the matter and subject to change)
Entering into pre-claim conciliation where this is mandatory to explore whether a settlement can be reached;
Preparing claim or response
Reviewing and advising on claim or response from other party
Exploring settlement and negotiating settlement throughout the process
Preparing or considering a schedule of loss
Preparing for (and attending) a Preliminary Hearing
Exchanging documents with the other party and agreeing a bundle of documents
Taking witness statements, drafting statements and agreeing their content with witnesses
preparing bundle of documents
Reviewing and advising on the other party's witness statements
Agreeing a list of issues, a chronology and/or cast list
Preparation and attendance at Final Hearing, including instructions to Counsel

The stages set out above are an indication and if some of stages above are not required, the fee may be reduced. You may wish to handle the claim yourself and only have our advice in relation to some of the stages. This can also be arranged based on your individual needs, and will tend to lead to fixed fees being payable.

How long will my matter take?

The time that it takes from taking your initial instructions to the final resolution of your matter depends largely on the stage at which your case is resolved. If a settlement is reached during pre-claim conciliation, your case is likely to take no more than 3-6 weeks. If your claim proceeds to a Final Hearing, your case is more likely to take 26-42 weeks. This is just an estimate and we will of course be able to give you a more accurate timescale once we have more information and as the matter progresses.

Example template (Range of fixed fees) for a business to business debt that is undisputed

Court Claims

Debt value	Court fee	Our fee (ex. VAT)	Total
£5,001 - £10,000	£35-£455	£75-£400	£100-£855
£10,001 - £50,000	5% value of the claim	£200-£800	£TBC

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 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 in received, writing to the other side to request payment
If payment is not received within X days, providing you with advice on next steps and likely costs

Matters usually take 6-10 weeks 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. If enforcement action is needed, the matter will take longer to resolve.

Conveyancing Fee Scale

For East Parade and Killamarsh offices.

SALE

Value	Our Fee	VAT @ 20%	Total
Up to £40,000.00	£440.00	£88.00	£528.00
£40,001.00 to £50,000.00	£450.00	£90.00	£540.80
£50,001.00 to £100,000.00	£495.00	£99.00	£594.00
£100,001.00 to £150,000.00	£530.00	£106.00	£636.00
£150,001.00 to £250,000.00	£575.00	£115.00	£690.00
£250,001.00 to £350,000.00	£600.00	£120.00	£720.00
£350,001.00 to £500,000.00	£695.00	£139.00	£834.00
£500,001.00 to £650,000.00	£750.00	£150.00	£900.00
£650,001.00 to £850,000.00	£825.00	£165.00	£990.00
£850,001.00 to £1,000,000.00	£975.00	£195.00	£1,170.00
£1,000,001.00 to £1,250,000.00	£1,220.00	£244.00	£1,464.00

PURCHASE of Freehold or Leasehold House

Value	Our Fee	VAT @ 20%	Total
Up to £40,000.00	£440.00	£88.00	£528.00
£40,001.00 to £60,000.00	£450.00	£90.00	£540.00
£60,001.00 to £75,000.00	£495.00	£99.00	£594.00
£75,001.00 to £100,000.00	£520.00	£104.00	£624.00
£100,001.00 to £125,000.00	£550.00	£110.00	£660.00
£125,001.00 to £150,000.00	£630.00	£126.00	£756.00
£150,001.00 to £250,000.00	£660.00	£132.00	£792.00
£250,001.00 to £350,000.00	£725.00	£145.00	£870.00
£350,001.00 to £500,000.00	£775.00	£155.00	£930.00
£500,001.00 to £650,000.00	£875.00	£175.00	£1,050.00
£650,001.00 to £850,000.00	£950.00	£190.00	£1,140.00
£850,001.00 to £1,000.000.00	£995.00	£199.00	£1,194.00
£1,000.001.00 to £1,250,000.00	£1,200.00	£240.00	£1,440.00
£1,250,001.00 to £1,500,000.00	£1,300.00	£260.00	£1,560.00

PURCHASE of Leasehold Flats

Value	Our Fee	VAT @ 20%	Total
Up to £40,000.00	£540.00	£108.00	£648.00
£40,001.00 to £60,000.00	£550.00	£110.00	£660.00
£60,001.00 to £75,000.00	£595.00	£119.00	£714.00
£75,001.00 to £100,000.00	£620.00	£124.00	£744.00
£100,001.00 to £125,000.00	£650.00	£130.00	£780.00
£125,001.00 to £150,000.00	£730.00	£146.00	£876.00
£150,001.00 to £250,000.00	£760.00	£152.00	£912.00
£250,001.00 to £350,000.00	£825.00	£165.00	£990.00
£350,001.00 to £500,000.00	£875.00	£175.00	£1,050.00
£500,001.00 to £650,000.00	£975.00	£195.00	£1,170.00
£650,001.00 to £850,000.00	£1,050.00	£210.00	£1,260.00
£850,001.00 to £1,000.000.00	£1,095.00	£219.00	£1,314.00
£1,000.001.00 to £1,250,000.00	£1,300.00	£260.00	£1,560.00
£1,250,001.00 to £1,500,000.00	£1,400.00	£280.00	£1,680.00

REMORTGAGES

Value	Our Fee	VAT @ 20%	Total
Up to £200,000.00	£350.00	£70.00	£420.00
£200,001.00 to £350,000.00	£450.00	£90.00	£540.00
£350,001.00 to £500,000.00	£550.00	£110.00	£660.00

For Rotherham office.

PURCHASE & SALE

Value	Our Fee	VAT @ 20%	Total
Up to £60,000.00	£400.00	£80.00	£480.00
Up to £70,000.00	£410.00	£82.00	£492.00
Up to £80,000.00	£460.00	£92.00	£552.00
Up to £90,000.00	£470.00	£94.00	£564.00
Up to £100,000.00	£480.00	£96.00	£576.00
Up to £120,000.00	£490.00	£98.00	£588.00
Up to £170,000.00	£510.00	£102.00	£612.00
Up to £200,000.00	£540.00	£108.00	£648.00
Up to £250,000.00	£600.00	£120.00	£720.00
Up to £300,000.00	£660.00	£132.00	£792.00
Up to £400,000.00	£720.00	£144.00	£864.00
Up to £500,000.00	£800.00	£160.00	£960.00
Up to £600,000.00	£900.00	£180.00	£1,080.00
Up to £750,000.00	£1,000.00	£200.00	£1,200.00

Remortgage fees
Our costs £450.00 + VAT (£90.00) + disbursements

Transfer of equity fees
£500 + VAT (£100.00) + disbursements

DISBURSEMENTS

In addition to the above fees certain disbursements will be incurred dependent upon the nature of the particular transaction. The likely disbursements to be incurred are as follows (a detailed list will be provided for any given specific transaction):-

Disbursement	£
Local Authority Search (dependent on particular Local Authority charge)	£45.00 - £130.00
Coal Mining Search	£30.60 - £40.80
Environmental Search	£47.32 - £57.60
Drainage Search	£46.00 - £69.60
Flood Search	£36.00
HS2 and Infrastructure Search	£36.00
Land Registry Official Copy Entries (per Title)	£6.00
Land Registry Final Search (per Title)	£3.00
Land Charge Registry Final Search (per Name)	£2.00
Bank Electronic Transfer Fee (per Transfer)	£25.00 plus VAT of £5.00

Land Registry Registration Fees on a Purchase - (These fees are set by the Government Land Registry and are dependent on the Purchase Price being paid and whether the transaction constitutes a First Registration. Please see the Land Registry Fees Table below.

In addition to the above Stamp Duty Land Tax may be payable to HM Revenue & Customs depending on the price being paid for the Property being purchased. You can calculate the amount you would need to pay by using HMRC’s website or if the Property being purchased is located in Wales by using the Welsh Revenue Authority’s website.

LAND REGISTRY FEE TABLE

Purchase

Value of Property or Amount of Purchase Price	Fee for First Registration	Fee for Registration of an existing Title
£0-80,000.00	£40.00	£20.00
£80,001.00 to £100,000.00	£80.00	£40.00
£100,001.00 to £200,000.00	£190.00	£95.00
£200,001.00 to £500,000.00	£270.00	£135.00
£500,001.00 to £100,000.000.00	£540.00	£270.00
£100,000.001.00 and over	£910.00	£455.00

Remortgage

Value of Property	Fee for Registration of an existing Land Registry Title	Fee if Title not yet registered
£0-100,000.00	£20.00	£40.00
£100,001.00 to £200,000.00	£30.00	£60.00
£200,001.00 to £500,000.00	£40.00	£80.00
£500,001.00 to £100,000.000.00	£60.00	£120.00
£100,000.001.00 and over	£125.00	£250.00

Contact Us

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