Preliminary Enquiries - we are happy to speak for the first time on the telephone without obligation or cost. We are also willing to offer an initial interview of up to an hour for £100 + vat. Typically this will be to establish whether your case is a matter we can take on and/or to give you an idea (where you have a dispute) whether your matter is worth pursuing.
Price of Wills and Powers of Attorney:
Single will: £200 + vat (£230 total)
Mirror wills: £320 + vat (£390 total)
Single power of attorney (eg Property & Finance) £445 inclusive of vat and court fee
Both powers of attorney (including Health & Welfare) £600
Couples - one power each £700
Couples - two powers each £900
How long will they take? A will can be done very speedily, depending on the urgency and complexity of the document in question. If there is any particular urgency, please let us know, otherwise expect the process to take up to a month, allowing for the first and subsequent meetings, various drafts and a final meeting to sign the will. A similar timescale is appropriate for powers of attorney but please note that they cannot be used until after they are registered at the Office of the Public Guardian, and that is currently taking up to 20 weeks. It is therefore sensible to take prompt action as soon as you decide to put powers of attorney in place. The work will be undertaken by our solicitor supported by his assistant.
Price of conveyancing: Our price depends on the value of the property and the complexity of the transaction. We do not usually act where mortgages are involved but please do not hesitate to enquire if you are unsure.
In a straight forward transaction, please allow for the following basic price structure. Please NOTE that we do not charge additional fees for handling any stamp duty land registry dealings. Title defects may involve charges on an hourly basis to resolve. Electronic bank payments are charged at cost. Abortive transactions are chargeable at our prevailing hourly rate (currently £210 + vat) and charges will typically depend how far we got.
Value (sale or purchase of freehold) Price (+ vat and expenses)
£0- £350,000 £ 950.00
£350,001 - £500,000 £1100.00
£500,001 - £750,000 £1400.00
£750,001 - £1,000,000 £1600.00
£1,000,001 + Please request a quotation
For Leases add additional £200 + vat
Your purchase may also be subject to stamp duty. Please request a quotation. This will vary depending on the price you will be paying and on your personal situation, in particular, whether you have existing property which will not be sold straight away.
Typical Disbursements
Searches £250-£450 Stamp Duty admin fee £4.80 Bank transfer fees £15.60 per money transfer
Land registry search £3.90+ Land registry fee from £40 (by property value) Bankruptcy search £5.80
Anti money laundering search £14.40 Landlord's fees (leasehold) depend on landlord
How long will it take? - Much of the time, the duration of the transaction is beyond our control. However a typical transaction can take between 2-3 months (significantly longer for leasehold transactions and long chains). Please let us know if your transaction is particularly urgent and if there are any timing issues of which we should be aware.
Price of Probate:
The price is dependent on the time we spend on your matter. We do not charge a percentage of the value of the estate. Estimating the price is difficult in advance but the following is a non-binding guide. You would be given a detailed estimate prior to our commencing work. In each case there may be a probate registry fee (currently £155) and search fees (at cost). Our time is charged at £210 + vat (20%) per hour. Prices are inclusive of vat.
Applying for grant of probate only (no tax - you supply all financial information) £750
Applying for grant of probate only (tax payable - you supply all information and pay tax) £1,295
Applying for grant and administering estate Estate value under £500,000 £1750 -2500
Estate value £500,001-£750,000 £2501-3500
Estate value £750,001-£1,000,000 £3501-5750
Handling individual shareholdings is particularly time consuming. An additional fee would be applied based on the time incurred. You would receive an estimate in advance based on the number of shareholdings involve.
How long will it take? - The process us usually dependent upon others, such as the HM Revenue & Customs, financial institutions and the Probate Registry, which makes timing difficult to predict. Where tax is payable, it should be paid within 6 months of a person dying. The various procedures usually allow this to be done in time. Distribution to beneficiaries should be done within 12 months. Again this is usually feasible. If there is particular cause for urgency this can sometimes be accommodated (by the use of estimated values for instance). So please let us know your circumstances.
Properties: the above prices, and time scales, do not allow for the sale of a property. This would be charged on our usual conveyancing fees basis.
Divorce and Family issues and Financial Disputes:
We can assist you with divorce, financial settlements, pre and post nuptial agreements, trust of property and property transfers. We may not be equipped to handle highly contentious financial disputes or disputes concerning children. The following fixed fees are available.
Fixed fee divorce (not defended) £550 - 800 + vat (20%) + court fees (currently £550).
Fixed fee for consent order (finance) £1,000 + vat (20%) + court fee (currently £55) where all matters are agreed
These fees do not include the cost of mediation, which is usually mandatory prior to obtaining a consent order.