Pricing Information

Employment

Dransfield Partners’ employment law specialists often act for claimants and respondents in Employment Tribunal disputes. Our aim is always to provide tailored advice and assist our clients to resolve matters quickly and commercially. 

The prices set out below are intended to give you an indication as to the average cost of bringing or defending unfair and wrongful dismissal claims in the Employment Tribunal. These do not include the likely costs for other claims which are typically brought in conjunction with unfair and wrongful dismissal claims (e.g. discrimination or whistleblowing claims). We charge on a time-spent basis by reference to our hourly rates. The applicable hourly rate will depend on the seniority of the lawyer working on your matter.

Please note that the costs set out below are in relation to your legal expenses. There is a risk that if you lose your claim in the Employment Tribunal, you might be awarded to contribute towards the other side’s costs (although such awards are not common).

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

Whilst litigation is never the same (and our fees will depend on the individual circumstances and the features of the litigation), in our experience, our total fees (excluding VAT) for handling your matter will usually be as follows:

Factors that could make a case more complex:

• The number of issues in dispute
• Whether there is a litigant in person
• The number of documents disclosed by both parties
• The number of witnesses involved
• Whether there are any preliminary points to be resolved before the final hearing also needing a hearing
• The number of days the case is listed for final hearing
• Your purpose and objectives.

There will be an additional charge for attending a Tribunal Hearing. By way of indication, assuming a lawyer attended, the charge would be approximately £2,000 – £2,500 (excluding VAT) per day. Generally, cases are listed for trial as follows:

• 1-2 days (for simple cases)
• 2-5 days (for medium complexity cases)
• 5-10 days (for high complexity cases) for a Final Hearing

Disbursements

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as court fees. We handle the payment of disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process. You will also incur Counsel’s fees (the barrister who will represent you at the hearing): these will typically include a “brief” fee of between £2,500 – £17,500 (excluding VAT) to prepare for the case and a daily “refresher” fee of between £2,000 – £7,000 (excluding VAT) per day to attend the hearing. The exact fees will depend on the experience of the advocate and the complexity of the case.

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 (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 the 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 only and, if some of the stages are not required, our fees will be less. 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 on your individual needs.

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 4-8 weeks. If you claim proceeds to a final hearing, your case is likely to take at least 6-9 months. 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.

Additional costs

Please note that all fees/costs referred to in the above are exclusive of VAT, and VAT at 20% will be added when our invoices are raised. Further incidental costs such as photocopying charges and couriers may also be incurred.

Probate 

Applying for the grant, collecting and distributing the assets.

Below, we have provided examples of our likely costs for a very simple estate where inheritance tax is not payable (Example 1), and a slightly more complex estate where a charge to inheritance tax arises (Example 2). We have also outlined disbursements typically incurred during a probate, which are in addition to our charges for legal advice, as well as factors which may make the administration of an estate more complex.

Our charges are based on the time it takes to administer an estate for you. We do not charge an additional ‘value element’ based on the value of the estate involved. Rates ranging from £250 to £700 per hour plus VAT.

Our estimated fees for each example are shown below, but the exact figure will depend on the circumstances.

Example 1: Fees range between £15,000 and £25,000 (+ VAT and disbursements)

This estimate is for estates where:

• The deceased was UK domiciled.
• There is a valid will.
• All the assets are in the UK.
• There is no more than one property or one share in a property which is registered at HM Land Registry. (This does not include the costs of sale).
• There are no more than four bank or building society accounts.
• There is no more than one portfolio of shares managed by a single investment manager.
• There are no other intangible assets.
• Valuations of assets and liabilities are straightforward.
• There are up to five cash legacies given outright to beneficiaries (no trusts apply).
• There are up to three residuary beneficiaries (no trusts apply).
• Beneficiaries have all been identified and traced.
• There is no inheritance tax payable and the executors do not need to submit a full account to HMRC.
• There are no lifetime gifts which were made by the deceased which are reportable to HMRC.
• There are no claims made against the estate.
• There are no disputes between beneficiaries on the division of assets or other disputes involving either executors or beneficiaries. If disputes arise this is likely to lead to an increase in costs.

Example 2: Fees range between £25,000 and £60,000 (+ VAT and disbursements)

This estimate is for estates where:

• The deceased was UK domiciled.
• There is a valid will.
• All the assets are in the UK, or up to two non-UK assets for which the valuation figures (including conversion into GBP) are readily available.
• There are no more than two property interests which are registered at HM Land Registry. (This does not include any costs of sale or transfer).
• There are no more than eight bank or building society accounts.
• There are no more than two portfolios of shares managed by not more than two investment managers.
• There are no other intangible assets.
• Valuation of assets and liabilities are straightforward.
• There are up to ten cash legacies given outright to beneficiaries (no trusts apply).
• There are up to five residuary beneficiaries.
• Beneficiaries have all been identified and traced.
• Executors need to submit a full inheritance tax return to HMRC.
• There is inheritance tax payable and reliefs may be claimed. Any negotiations over valuations with HMRC are resolved swiftly and do not become protracted.
• There are lifetime gifts made by the deceased and these are straightforward to report to HMRC.
• There are no claims made against the estate.
• There are no disputes involving either beneficiaries or executors.

Disbursements excluded from the estimates above:

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.

• Probate application fee (approximately £155)
• Bankruptcy-only Land Charges Department searches (£2 per beneficiary, per distribution)
• Post in The London Gazette and in a local newspaper – protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors (approximately £300)
• Financial asset search (approximately £300, if required)
• Official copies of the Land Registry Title to any property (£3 per copy title and £3 per copy of the plan, if required)
• Probate valuations for property, chattels (personal possessions) and shareholdings (as required, with cost varying depending on the asset involved)
• Dealing with income and capital gains tax reporting for the estate, including filing pre-death and administration period tax returns, where relevant.

All figures given above are before VAT.

Potential additional costs

• The deceased was not UK domiciled or was deemed UK domiciled, this will usually require investigation and careful reporting.
• Estates where the deceased had assets or liabilities in multiple jurisdictions.
• The deceased held business interests or agricultural property.
• Dealing with an intestate estate (where the deceased did not leave a Will).
• If the estate consists of any shareholdings (stocks and bonds) that are not managed by an investment manager there are likely to be additional costs that could range significantly depending on the estate and how it is to be administered. We can give you a more accurate estimate once we have more information.
• If any additional copies of the grant are required, they will cost £1.50 (one copy per asset usually).
• Costs incurred in dealing with the sale or transfer of any property in the estate are not included.
• Inheritance tax, income tax and capital gains tax, if relevant, will be additional costs for the estate to settle.
• Although we shall advise on inheritance tax issues, any additional tax advice (for example, income tax and capital gains tax) will be provided only where specifically agreed.
• If the deceased held assets in multiple names, this may give rise to additional costs.
• If the deceased was entitled to benefit from trusts during their lifetime or was entitled to an inheritance from an estate which had not yet made a distribution, this will usually lead to increased costs.
• If beneficiaries wish to vary their entitlement to the estate, this will be charged separately.

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How long will this take?

It is difficult to estimate accurately how long the probate and estate administration process will take to complete, as we are dependent on third parties (notably HMRC and the Probate Registry) at crucial stages of the matter.

For a straightforward estate where there is no need to complete a full inheritance tax account, we would usually expect an average estate administration to take between 8-12 months.

For a simple matter, such as Example 1 above, we would hope to collate all necessary information within 2– 3 months and would then submit the probate application. The grant can take 8-12 weeks to be issued by the probate registry (on September 2021 timings). Collection and/or transfer of assets can then take a further 2 to 4 months. After this, we can distribute the assets, which normally takes a further 2 to 4 months.

The timeframe for a taxable matter can be longer, as there are additional steps which need to be accommodated. For example, the grant application process is made in two separate steps: first, the payment of inheritance tax must be arranged and the inheritance tax return filed; then we must wait 20 working days before the second step can be taken, to lodge the grant application itself with the probate registry.

Dealing with a relatively straightforward taxable estate will usually take between 12 – 24 months, but more complex estates (for example, those which may involve protracted negotiations with HMRC or involve multiple trust structures) can take a number of years to resolve.

Residential Conveyancing

Purchase of a residential property

Our fee covers all the work required to complete the purchase of the property, including dealing with registration at the Land Registry and dealing with payment of Stamp Duty Land Tax.

The transactions with which we deal are usually complex and high value and for this reason we do not have a standard fee.

Our minimum fee for a simple purchase with no mortgage financing is £3,500. The following factors would influence the fee, but this list is not exhaustive:

• Leasehold or freehold
• New build or off-plan or second hand
• Value
• Timescale
• Conditionality in contract
• Listed building
• Unregistered land
• Title defects
• Mortgage financing
• Lease extension
• Tax or structuring advice
• Declaration of trust.

Our average fee for a leasehold purchase of approximately £2 million with mortgage (where we act for the lender also) is £5,000 – £7,500.

These fees are exclusive of VAT and disbursements.

Disbursements

Disbursements are costs related to your transaction that are payable to third parties, such as HM Land Registry fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process. Approximate costs for the standard disbursements are set out below:

Search fees: approximately £550 plus VAT

Land Registry fee: £20 – £1105

Bank transfer fee: £1 – £25

Notice of charge/transfer (leasehold only): Usually £75 – £100 plus VAT

We do not charge or pay referral fees.

Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT)

This depends on the purchase price of your property. You can calculate the amount you will need to pay by using HMRC’s website or if the property is located in Wales by using the Welsh Revenue Authority’s website.

Timing

The length of time between your offer being accepted and legal completion depends on a number of factors. Sometimes, if there is great urgency, it can be done within just a day or two. Sometimes it can take several months. The average time is four to eight weeks.

Transaction outline

The precise stages involved in the purchase of a residential leasehold property vary according to the circumstances. We have set out below the key stages:

• Carry out the anti-money laundering checks as required by law
• Take your instructions and give you initial advice
• Check finances are in place to fund purchase and contact lender’s solicitors if needed
• Receive and advise on contract documents
• Carry out searches
• Obtain further planning documentation if required
• Make any necessary enquiries of seller’s solicitor
• Give you advice on all documents and information received
• Go through conditions of mortgage offer
• Send final contract to you for signature
• Agree completion date (date from which you own the property)
• Exchange contracts and notify you that this has happened
• Draft the transfer and arrange for your signature on the completion documents
• Advise you on joint ownership
• Obtain pre-completion searches
• Arrange for all monies needed to be received from lender and you
• Complete purchase
• Deal with payment of Stamp Duty/Land Tax
• Deal with application for registration at HM Land Registry.

Immigration

Tier 1 (Investor) visa extension application

The fees information provided relates to Tier 1 (Investor) Visa extension applications, as we manage these types of applications most frequently for our high-net worth clients and their families. If you would like to discuss other possible types of UK visa and immigration applications we advise on, please contact a member of the Private Client Immigration team.

Our charges for a Tier 1 (Investor) Visa extension application will be calculated by reference to the hourly rates of the lawyers working on it. The applicable hourly rates will depend on the seniority and specialised knowledge of the individuals concerned, however they will typically range between £170.00 and £570.00.

The average cost of completing the application is between £7,000 and £10,000 for the ‘Main Applicant’ and an additional £1,500 to £2,000 per ‘Dependant Applicant’ (i.e. spouse or minor child of the Main Applicant). This varies depending on whether the application is either for entry clearance, leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain because each type of application involves varying considerations and therefore levels of work required.

All figures exclude VAT unless specifically stated and disbursements. Whether VAT will be payable on our fees and any disbursements will depend on where you are resident. Our fees are also exclusive of external fees, such as the visa application fee and the Immigration Healthcare Surcharge.

On average, a Tier 1 (Investor) visa extension application takes between 4 and 6 months to complete, but the exact timing will depend on the circumstances of your case, including (but not limited to):

• Whether the application is for entry clearance, leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain
• The amount of supporting evidence that needs to be compiled and examined to satisfy the requirements of the visa
• Which language(s) you speak
• Whether you are applying with other dependants
• Whether a priority service is available and used to fast-track the Home Office’s decision-making of the application
• If there are any exceptional circumstances with you and/or your dependants.

What services are included

The work required will depend on whether you are applying for entry clearance, leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain under the Tier 1 (Investor) Visa category. With all such applications, work will broadly involve:

• Discussing your circumstances in detail and confirming whether the Tier 1 (Investor) Visa category continues to be the most appropriate for you and your family and what other options may be available to you
• Advising on the process and documentation required to make the relevant application, together with the strategy for demonstrating that you meet the relevant requirements within the UK Immigration Rules
• Liaising with you and your other advisers (where relevant) in relation to the necessary pre-application documentation to be compiled, which can include obtaining any relevant Overseas Criminal Record Certificate(s) as required under the UK Immigration Rules for entry clearance applications
• Preparing, completing and submitting your online application forms and reviewing all supporting documents
• Scheduling your biometric enrolment appointments with the relevant UK Visa Application Centre in your country of departure or in the UK depending on your circumstances, and preparing all the documentation necessary for this
• Liaising with you, your bank(s) and the UK Home Office as appropriate and dealing with any other queries on the UK Immigration Rules or process that may arise in respect of the relevant application.

Disbursements (not included in costs set out above):

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process. These can include (but not limited to):

• Interpreter and/or translation fees. The costs for these services will vary widely depending on the extent to which they are required, the company used as well as the complexity of your case.
• Independent expert reports e.g. from auditors, medical experts etc. These are not required in many cases; we will let you know as soon as possible if we consider an expert report is necessary.
• If we are required to attend with you your biometric enrolment appointment, there will be additional disbursements in respect of our mileage/travel expenses.

The costs quoted here do not include:

• Any Home Office fees and Immigration Healthcare Surcharge for making the relevant application. You will pay them to the Home Office directly as part of the application process
• Where the Home Office refuses your application, advice and assistance in relation to any appeal.

How long will my application take?

We cannot guarantee how long the Home Office will take to process your application. For information about the current processing times, please see the government website here.

Please note the anticipated timeframe and fees are an estimate based on the facts above. All applications are likely to vary and of course, we can give you a more accurate estimate once we have more information about your specific case.

Debt Recovery

This document sets out the pricing guidance for debt recovery for businesses where:

• the debt is owed by another business, based in the UK;
• the debt is undisputed; and
• the debt amount is less than £100,000.

Legal Fees

Where we are instructed by a business in relation to a debt recovery action against another business then our typical fees (if fixed fees apply) will range from £340 to £1,120 from initial letter before claim through to satisfaction of a money judgment

This price does not include VAT which will be added to the invoice, nor does it include any associated disbursements (see below).

If fixed fees do not apply, then our fees in relation to a debt recovery action against another business will be based on a range of hourly rates of between £105 and £735. The applicable hourly rate will depend on a number of factors including the complexity of your matter.

*Our fixed fee range above assumes that: 

• The debtor is a UK-based business;
• The debtor's location is known and does not need to be traced; 
• The debt can be evidenced in writing (for example an invoice or email chain) 
• The debt is for a fixed amount
• The debt has fallen due 
• The debt is not disputed; and 
• The matter does not proceed to contested action or enforcement proceedings.

What is included in the fixed fee: 

• Taking your instructions and reviewing documentation; 
• Undertaking appropriate searches; 
• Sending a letter before claim; 
• Receiving payment and onwards transmission onto you; 
• If payment is not received within the timescale allowed in the letter before claim, providing you with advice on next steps and likely costs.

Disbursements In the typical fixed fee matter Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as court fees, and do not make up our legal fee. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process. Disbursements will vary from matter to matter, but in a typical matter we would expect to see some of the following disbursements. 

• Court fees;
• Counsel fees;
• Process server fees;
• Tracing Agent fees; or
• Land Registry fees.

How long will the matter take?

Debt recovery can take as little as 1- 2 weeks from receipt of instructions from you to receipt of payment from the other side; this is on the basis that the other side pays promptly. If we need to issue proceedings either in respect of a dispute over the debt or any enforcement action is needed, the matter will take longer to resolve. It is difficult for us to provide a meaningful time estimate in these circumstances as the timetable will be heavily driven by external factors such as the debtor's responsiveness and the court's availability.

Stages of the process

The precise stages involved in the collection of a debt will vary according to the circumstances. We will keep you informed as to the progress of your individual matter, however, below we have suggested some typical key stages of the process:

• Issue of a letter before claim to the debtor;
• Issue of a money claim through the Court if the debtor has not made payment following the letter before claim;
• Obtaining a money judgment if the debtor fails to settle the claim after Court proceedings have been issued and has not defended the claim; or
• Enforcement of the money judgment against the debtor's assets