Price Transparency
1.Residential Conveyancing
Our legal fees for residential conveyancing range from £1,250.00 – £2,250.00 plus VAT (£1,500.00 – £2,700.00 including VAT) for properties valued up to £999,999.00. Where your matter falls within that range depends on the property price, whether it is freehold or leasehold, and the complexity of the transaction. For properties valued at £1,000,000.00 or more, our fee is typically around 0.25% of the property price plus VAT.
The figures below are worked examples at a sale or purchase price of £249,000.00, including the disbursements that sit alongside our fee. They are examples, not quotes — we confirm your exact figure in writing before any work starts.
A. Freehold purchase
Our fees cover work required to complete the purchase of your new home, including application to the Land Registry for completion of registration and dealing with the payment of Stamp Duty Land Tax (Stamp Duty) for property in England, or Land Transaction Tax (Land Tax) for property in Wales. This estimate excludes indemnity costs for restrictive covenants or defective titles or other issues resulting from sale or purchase.
We are not on mortgage lender panels, so we act on purchases where you are not using a mortgage — for example a cash purchase. If your purchase is mortgage-funded we will say so at the outset rather than partway through.
Example of purchase price at £249,000.00:
| Conveyancers fees and disbursements | £ |
|---|---|
| Legal fee | £1,500.00 |
| Electronic money transfer fee – our administration charge, per payment | £50.00 |
| VAT on our fees | £310.00 |
| Search fees – estimated, including VAT charged by the search providers | £200.00 (depending on searches required) |
| HM Land Registry fee – electronic application, whole of a registered title valued £200,001 – £500,000 | £150.00 |
| Bank transfer charge – charged by our bank, per remittance | £15.00 |
| Stamp Duty or Land Tax on purchase | Based on the property price – see the calculators below |
| Estimated total | £2,225.00 |
The estimated total includes VAT on our fees. HM Land Registry fees and the bank transfer charge do not attract VAT and are passed on at cost. The amount of Stamp Duty Land Tax (England) or Land Transaction Tax (Wales) depends on the price and your circumstances — you can work it out with HMRC's calculator or the Welsh Revenue Authority's calculator, and we will confirm the figure in your quote.
B. Freehold sale
Our fee covers the legal work to complete the sale of your home, including obtaining the title documents, preparing the contract pack, answering the buyer's enquiries, exchanging contracts, repaying any mortgage and accounting to you for the sale proceeds.
Example of sale price at £249,000.00:
| Conveyancers fees and disbursements | £ |
|---|---|
| Legal fee | £1,250.00 |
| Electronic money transfer fee – our administration charge, per payment | £50.00 |
| VAT on our fees (legal fee and transfer fee) | £260.00 |
| Official copies of the Land Registry title register and title plan – £7.00 each | £14.00 |
| Bank transfer charge – charged by our bank, per remittance | £15.00 |
| Estimated total costs | £1,589.00 |
About the two transfer charges
These are two different charges, not the same charge counted twice. The £50.00 electronic money transfer fee is our own administration charge for setting up, checking and releasing each payment, and VAT is charged on it. The £15.00 bank charge is a third-party cost charged by our bank for each transfer, which we pass on to you at cost.
Disbursements are payments to third parties, such as the Land Registry, search providers and HMRC. The figures above are those in force at the date of publication and we will confirm the current amounts in your quote.
C. Leasehold sale and purchase
Leasehold transactions involve additional work — reviewing the lease, dealing with the landlord or managing agent's requirements and, on a purchase, serving the notices the lease requires. As worked examples at a price of £249,000.00, our fee for a leasehold sale is £1,500.00 plus VAT, and for a leasehold purchase £1,750.00 plus VAT. Your own figure within our published range depends on the property price, the lease and the landlord's requirements, and we confirm it in writing before any work starts.
The disbursements on the freehold examples above also apply to leasehold transactions. In addition, leasehold properties typically involve the following third-party charges, which are set by the landlord, the managing agent or the lease itself rather than by us:
| Typical leasehold disbursements | £ |
|---|---|
| Landlord or managing agent's information pack (sales) – the charge is set by the landlord or agent | £200.00 – £400.00 (typically) |
| Notice of transfer fee (purchases) – payable to the landlord, as set out in the lease | £50.00 – £300.00 (typically) |
| Deed of covenant fee (purchases) – set by the management company | £100.00 – £300.00 (typically) |
| Certificate of compliance fee (purchases) – confirmed on receipt of the lease | £50.00 – £150.00 (typically) |
These figures vary from property to property and can on occasion be more than the ranges shown. We confirm the actual amounts as soon as we receive the lease and the management pack. You should also allow for apportionments of ground rent and service charge, which we confirm on the completion statement.
D. Key stages and typical timescales
A purchase typically involves:
- Taking your instructions and verifying your identity.
- Investigating the title, raising searches and enquiries of the seller's solicitors.
- Reporting to you on the title, searches and contract.
- Exchanging contracts, at which point the transaction becomes binding.
- Completing the purchase — the day you receive the keys.
- Paying the Stamp Duty or Land Tax and registering you as owner at HM Land Registry.
A sale typically involves:
- Taking your instructions and verifying your identity.
- Obtaining the title documents and preparing the contract pack.
- Answering the buyer's solicitors' enquiries.
- Exchanging contracts, at which point the transaction becomes binding.
- Completing the sale, repaying any mortgage and sending the balance to you.
A freehold sale or purchase typically takes 8 to 12 weeks from an offer being accepted to completion. Leasehold transactions typically take 10 to 14 weeks, because information is needed from the landlord or managing agent. The speed of any chain, search turnaround times and how quickly the other side responds all affect these timescales, and we keep you updated throughout.
2.Probate
Probate work is divided into two stages, which are priced separately: the application for the Grant of Probate, and the administration of the estate. Obtaining the Grant is the application to the Probate Registry. Estate administration is the work that follows it — collecting in the assets, settling liabilities and distributing the estate to the beneficiaries. On some occasions you may wish to instruct us for the Grant alone and deal with the administration yourself.
A. Obtaining the Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration
This covers taking your instructions, perusal of all original documents in the sole or joint name of the deceased, writing to all asset and liability holders to ascertain the value of the estate, preparation of the relevant Inheritance Tax forms and the application, and applying to the Probate Registry through to receipt of the original Grant at our office.
As an example, for an estate within the conditions below our fees would typically be between £1,250.00 and £1,800.00 excluding VAT, or £1,500.00 to £2,160.00 including VAT, based on our probate solicitor's hourly rate of £275.00 excluding VAT.
The exact cost will depend on the individual circumstances of each 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, a property and multiple bank accounts, costs will be at the higher end. This estimate is for estates which are subject to the following conditions:
- A valid will.
- No more than one property.
- No more than 4 bank or building society accounts.
- No shares.
- No insurance or assurance policies.
- No private pensions.
- No trusts.
- No other intangible assets.
- There are 1–4 beneficiaries.
- No dispute between beneficiaries on division of assets. If disputes arise this is likely to result in an increase in costs.
- 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.
B. Full estate administration
Administration of the estate after the Grant is issued involves closing accounts, collecting assets, settling liabilities, transferring property, and preparing estate and distribution accounts before distribution to all beneficiaries. All work for the administration is quoted separately, and our estimated charges can be provided once we know what assets and liabilities the estate contains. Where we are instructed on our hourly rates, we provide you with relevant updates regarding all charges to date with a regular Schedule of Work and Costs. Fixed fees are also offered where the estate is straightforward.
The sale of any property in the estate is not included in the administration. It is dealt with as a separate conveyancing matter and charged separately — see our residential conveyancing pricing above.
Estates subject to Inheritance Tax, and estates where a full account has to be submitted to HMRC, are also charged on our hourly rates. Our hourly rates vary depending upon the experience of the person working on your file (e.g. whether they are a paralegal, trainee solicitor, assistant solicitor, associate solicitor, or partner). The range of our hourly rates is between £195.00 and £295.00 excluding VAT.
We will give you a written estimate of the likely hours before the work starts, and will tell you if that estimate needs to change as the administration progresses.
Key stages and typical timescales
Obtaining the Grant typically involves:
- Taking your instructions and gathering the information about the estate's assets and liabilities.
- Preparing the application and the Inheritance Tax summary where a full account is not required.
- Submitting the application to the Probate Registry.
- Receiving the Grant and sending it to you — or, where instructed, moving on to the estate administration.
For estates within the conditions above, we would typically expect to obtain the Grant within 2 to 4 months of being instructed. Part of that time is the Probate Registry's own processing of the application, which is outside our control and varies with its workload. Where we also carry out the administration of the estate, the overall work typically takes 12 to 18 months, depending on the assets involved and the timescales of HMRC and the Probate Registry.
Disbursements
Disbursements are costs payable to third parties. They are charged in addition to our fees and, as part of the process, we will initially cover the cost of all disbursements until the estate is in a position to settle all costs. Not every matter requires all disbursements, and you will be advised accordingly.
| Disbursements excluded from our fees | £ |
|---|---|
| Probate application fee – payable where the estate is over £5,000. No fee is payable where the estate is £5,000 or less | £526.00 |
| Additional sealed copies of the Grant – when ordered with the application | £2.00 each |
| Land Registry office copy fee – official copy of the title to a property in the estate | £7.00 per property |
| Bankruptcy-only Land Charges Department searches | £6.00 (per person searched) |
| Electronic identity verification (Veriphy) – per person involved in the matter | £8.40 per person |
| Notice in The Gazette – protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors | £96.55 + VAT (£115.86 including VAT) |
| Notice in a local newspaper – this also helps to protect against unexpected claims | £240.00 + VAT through The Gazette's placement service, or £250.00 – £350.00 booked directly (depending on advert and paper) |
| Recorded delivery – Royal Mail or Post Office charge, which can vary | Usually £3.80 |
| Special delivery – Royal Mail or Post Office charge, which can vary | Usually £11.00 |
| Bank charge for a same day payment (Barclays) | £15.00 |
| Capital Gains Tax calculation by an accountant – where required | £360.00 |
These are the figures in force at the date of publication. Third-party fees are set by the organisations concerned, such as the Probate Registry, HM Land Registry and The Gazette, and can change without notice. We will confirm the current amounts in your quote.
Where a same day payment is required, we charge £50.00 + VAT (£60.00 including VAT) for processing it. This is our own administration charge rather than a disbursement, and it is payable in addition to the bank's charge listed above.
3.Debt Recovery
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.
We charge by stage rather than a single fee for the whole matter. Many debts are paid at the letter before action stage, and where that happens the cost stops there.
Where the debt is undisputed and paid at the letter before action stage, matters typically conclude within 4 to 8 weeks of receiving your instructions. Where a claim has to be issued and judgment entered, an undisputed matter typically takes 3 to 6 months, depending on the court's processing times. If the debt is disputed, the timescale depends on the issues raised and we will advise you once we have seen the response.
| Stage | What it covers | Our fee (exc. VAT) | Our fee including VAT |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Initial review and letter before action | Taking your instructions, reviewing your documents, carrying out appropriate searches, and sending a letter before action and dealing with the response. | £150.00 – £250.00 | £180.00 – £300.00 |
| 2a. Issuing a claim up to £5,000 | Drafting and issuing the claim where the debt is not paid and remains undisputed. | Additional £250.00 – £400.00 | Additional £300.00 – £480.00 |
| 2b. Issuing a claim of £5,001 – £10,000 | As above, for a claim in the higher band. | Additional £450.00 – £650.00 | Additional £540.00 – £780.00 |
| 3. Applying for judgment in default | Entering judgment where no acknowledgment of service or defence is filed, and writing to the other side to request payment once judgment is received. | Additional £75.00 – £150.00 | Additional £90.00 – £180.00 |
| Claims over £10,000 | Scoped once we have seen the paperwork, either as a fixed fee for the stages involved or on our hourly rates. | Fixed fee or estimate on request (hourly rates £195.00 – £295.00) | — |
Court fees
The court charges a fee to issue a claim. This is a disbursement, payable in addition to our fees, and it is set by HM Courts & Tribunals Service rather than by us.
| Claim value | Court issue fee |
|---|---|
| Up to £5,000 | £35 – £205, depending on the amount claimed |
| £5,001 – £10,000 | £455 |
| £10,001 – £200,000 | 5% of the value of the claim |
| Over £200,000 | £10,000 |
If a claim is defended, the court allocates it to a track: the small claims track for most claims up to £10,000, the fast track generally for claims up to £25,000, the intermediate track generally for claims above £25,000 and up to £100,000, and the multi-track for more complex claims that are not suitable for the other tracks. Allocation affects how the claim is managed and which costs can be recovered, and we will advise you on the position if your claim is defended.
How the staged fees work
You pay only for the stages you reach
Most undisputed debts are paid after a letter before action. Where that happens, the costs stop at the first stage and nothing further is charged.
Each stage is confirmed before it starts
We confirm the fee for the next stage in writing, and where it falls in the published range, before beginning that work. Nothing is started without your agreement.
Disputed or more complex matters
If the debtor disputes the claim, enforcement is required, or the matter becomes more complex, we will explain the further work and provide revised costs. This may be another fixed fee or an hourly-rate estimate.
Should you wish to proceed with a claim, please note that:
- Court fees are payable in addition to our fees. Court fees do not attract VAT.
- The VAT element of our fee cannot be reclaimed from your debtor.
- Interest and compensation may take the debt into a higher band, with a higher cost.
- The costs listed above exclude all enforcement actions, e.g. bailiff to collect your debt.
- The costs listed above exclude all appeal work or further advice and action.
- The costs listed above exclude any other related matter.
Taken together, the stages above cover:
- Taking your instructions and reviewing documentation.
- Undertaking appropriate searches.
- Sending a letter before action and dealing with the response.
- Receiving payment and sending it on to you, or if the debt is not paid, drafting and issuing a claim.
- Entering judgment in default if no acknowledgment of service or defence is filed with the court.
- Writing to the other side to request payment when judgment in default is received.
- If payment is not received within 28 days, further advice on next steps and likely costs.
4.Conditional Fee Agreements
In some circumstances, we may consider entering into a Conditional Fee Arrangement with you. We may be able to offer a Conditional Fee Arrangement in certain personal injury cases. This is only applicable to those bringing the claim and not those defending a claim.
If we enter into this type of arrangement with you, our fees are determined as a percentage of the amount that you achieve if you win. A “win” would include any settlement reached or following an award. Our success fees are calculated on a case-by-case basis.
What you need to know about the success fee
- The success fee is assessed individually on each case, taking account of the prospects of success and the risk we take on.
- In personal injury claims the success fee will not exceed the applicable statutory cap, currently 25% of the damages awarded for the injury itself and for past losses. It excludes damages for future care and future losses.
- You will receive written confirmation of the percentage before you enter into the agreement, and we will not proceed on that basis until you have agreed it.
- Disbursements are dealt with separately and may be deducted from your damages where applicable. These can include After the Event (ATE) insurance premiums, medical reports, court fees and counsel's fees.
- You may become liable for our fees at our hourly rates if you breach the agreement or terminate it before the matter concludes.
If you were unsuccessful in your claim, you would not be required to pay our fees. There are exceptions to this which are set out below.
You will always be required to pay any disbursements incurred (whether you are successful or not) and these will usually be required on account prior to the costs being incurred.
The agreement is limited to pursuit of your claims. It does not cover:
- any claims or counterclaims brought against you; or
- any appeals.
Disbursements
Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as medical expert fees, court fees, counsel's fees and any After the Event (ATE) insurance premium. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process. Medical expert fees depend upon the knowledge and experience of the expert and the nature and extent of the examinations required. Counsel's fees are estimated between £750 and £3,500 per day (excluding VAT), depending on the experience of the barrister, for attending a court hearing (including preparation).
Where ATE insurance is appropriate we will explain what it covers and what it costs before it is taken out. Disbursements are separate from the success fee and may be deducted from your damages where applicable. We will set out the full deduction — success fee and disbursements — in writing before you enter into the agreement.
Breach of the agreement
If you breach the agreement, you would be required to pay our fees calculated on the basis of the relevant hourly rate for the fee earners conducting the work (as set out in our Terms of Engagement). Breaching the agreement can include not acting in accordance with our advice, being untruthful in your representation of your claim to us or failing to provide in advance any payment required in respect of any disbursements which may be incurred. This is not exhaustive and we would provide further information prior to entering into this type of agreement. If you terminate the agreement prior to conclusion of the matter or become incapable of continuing with the matter, you would be required to pay our fees calculated on the basis of the relevant hourly rate.
5.Our Team & Supervision
The services above are carried out by the following members of our team. Full profiles, including each person's qualifications and experience, are on our Meet the Team page.
Residential conveyancing
Surinder DhillonSenior Solicitor and Director, admitted as a solicitor in 1998
John PhillipsSolicitor, qualified in 2023
Supervised by Navjot Dhillon, Senior Solicitor/Director
Probate and estate administration
Gabriella MarshallSolicitor, qualified in 2020, manages our Private Client department
Supervised by Surinder Dhillon, Senior Solicitor/Director
Debt recovery
Navjot DhillonSenior Solicitor and Director, admitted as a solicitor in 2009, with over 14 years' experience in dispute resolution
- John Phillips
Solicitor, qualified in 2023
Supervised by Navjot Dhillon, Senior Solicitor/Director
Personal injury (conditional fee agreements)
- Navjot Dhillon
Senior Solicitor and Director, admitted as a solicitor in 2009, whose experience includes personal injury and civil litigation
Supervised by Navjot Dhillon, Senior Solicitor/Director
Our paralegals and trainee solicitors assist across these services under the supervision of the solicitor named for each service.
Need a clear quote?
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