Fees

Our fees for our services are calculated either on the basis of time spent or on a fixed, capped basis and may be staged, as set out in our client care letter.

Our hourly rates are:
(a) £300.00 for directors and solicitors over 8 years of post-qualification experience.
(b) £250.00 for solicitors over 4 years of post-qualification experience.
(c) £200.00 for other solicitors and legal executives and other staff of equivalent experience.
(d) £150.00 for trainee solicitors, trainee legal executives and other staff of equivalent experience.

Fees on a time spent basis. If our fees are calculated on a time spent basis:

(a) Six-minute units. We calculate the time spent by us in six-minute units (an hour is broken down into ten units, each of six minutes) and charge it at the hourly rate for the person doing the work. Where a task (such as writing a short or standard letter or email or making a phone call) takes less than six minutes of a person’s time, the time spent is rounded up to six minutes.

(b) Increases in hourly rates. We may increase our hourly rates, for example at the start of a new year. We may also increase our rates if your instructions change, for example if the matter we are working on for you becomes more urgent. We give you advance notice of any increases.

(c) Estimates are not binding. Any estimate of the total charges (fees, disbursements and expenses) for dealing with your matter or reaching a certain stage in it, as well as estimates or automated quotes provided on our website, are not binding. We may update estimates as a matter progresses and you must pay all our charges even if they exceed any estimate.

Fixed and capped fees. If we have agreed a fixed or capped fee with you:

(a) Changes in assumptions. If the assumptions on which the fixed or capped fee are based (as set out in our client care letter) prove incorrect we may increase our fixed or capped fee or switch to charging you on a time-spent basis. If we switch to charging on a time-spent basis, we will provide you with an estimate of our fees to complete the matter.

(b) What we can charge if you terminate our instructions (or we stop acting for you). If you terminate our instructions (other than because we are at fault) we can charge you the full fixed fee unless you are an individual who is not instructing us in connection with your business (a consumer) in which case we will charge you on a time spent basis for the work we have done prior to termination, if this is less.

Disbursements, expenses and VAT. All hourly rates, estimates, fixed, capped or staged fees we quote to you are exclusive of the following, which you must pay in addition:

(a) Disbursements. We may instruct third parties (such as barristers, expert witnesses, enquiry agents to provide services to you or we may pay official fees or carry out searches for you. You will be responsible for associated charges and costs (disbursements).

(b) Expenses. In addition to our fees, we charge you our expenses which may include the costs of travel, document production (scanning, photocopying, binding), payment transfers, support staff overtime.

(c) VAT. VAT on our fees and, where applicable, on disbursements and expenses, unless expressly stated otherwise. VAT is currently chargeable at 20%.