PRICING INFORMATION

Our business is built on strong client relationships and pricing is a key aspect of this.

We take a bespoke and tailored approach to pricing with every client because no two clients or matters are the same.

We will agree with you at the outset of our engagement a pricing proposal that is transparent, competitive and meets your needs.

In each case, we will offer a range of pricing options that allows you to make a choice that best suits your circumstances and allows you to have control over costs.

Set out below is some pricing and service information for individuals and small businesses in the specific areas described. If your matter does not fall within these areas or if you would like a more informed idea of the likely cost of your particular matter, please get in touch.


Our fees for a typical premises licence application for a small business range from around £1000 plus VAT for a simple case to around £5,000 plus VAT to a more complex case. These figures may however vary in cases with special complications. That is why we will always give you an individual cost estimate at the start of the case, taking into account what you and your business need in your premises licence, and having regard for the local licensing policies and processes which will dictate the complexity in achieving your licensing objective. We will advise you immediately about any complication, and discuss the potential impact on price before any additional charges are occurred.

Fee includes:

  • Preparing the application documents for the Premises Licence and appointment of a Designated Premises Supervisor;
  • Taking your instructions in respect of information required for the Premises Licence application, including the description of the Premises and its use/s, capacity of the Premises, details about all licensable activities, hours and days of operation, details of relevant business operations and processes including staff training and any other matters relevant to addressing the licensing objectives;
  • Preparing the appropriate notice to be advertised at the Premises and in the local newspaper;
  • Preparing a consent form for the Designated Premises Supervisor, to be submitted with the Premises Licence application;
  • Arranging for the advertisement of the proposed Premises Licence in a local newspaper;
  • Service on any statutory consultees (Police, Fire Services and Local Authority specialist teams such as trading standards, environmental health and social services);
  • Our input on potential conditions to be proposed on the Premises Licence;
  • Our input on ways in which you and your business may meet the licensing objectives to enhance the prospects of your Premises Licence application;
  • Our input on what should be included in the plan of the Premises to accompany the application;
  • Our advice on the local licensing policy position in terms of how that may impact on your proposals.

The fee does not include the following, although these services can be provided if required for an additional cost which we can outline for you:

  • Temporary events notices
  • Personal licences
  • Any other type of licensing application or advice
  • Preparing a red line plan and floor plan with key of the Premises
  • Responding to objections
  • Negotiating conditions
  • Advice and assistance in relation to a committee hearing
  • Advice or assistance in relation to any appeal
  • Representing you as your advocate at a committee or appeal hearing

We do not provide the following services:

  • Preparation of the plan (unless a simple plan is possible using pro-map)
  • Notifying you of the annual renewal fee deadline which needs to be paid each year to avoid the Premises Licence lapsing

Disbursements / Expenses

In addition to our fees we may incur expenses and disbursements on your behalf which you will be responsible for paying. These generally include:

  • An application fee payable to the local licensing authority – these vary according to rateable value of property but as a guide application fees usually range between £100 and £650
  • A fee for an advert in the local newspaper – this may cost around £500 but the price varies according to length of advert and the publication used

Timescales

The application documents and associated documents can usually all be prepared within short timescales (2-3 working days) subject to receiving prompt instructions and payment of the relevant disbursements. With some applications, it is worthwhile spending some additional time at the beginning of the application, speaking to statutory consultees (such as the Police) to ensure that the application addresses any particular concerns to avoid a delay later on in the determination of the application.

There is a 28 day consultation period for Premises Licence applications during which the public or statutory consultees can comment on the application submitted.

Often, if objections are received, the application will be determined by a local authority licensing committee and so there may be some added time to factor in waiting for the next available licensing committee date.

If there are no objections and the local authority grant the application, there may be a short period (around one week) before the premises licence will be issued.

There may be a period of discussion of the conditions to be attached to the Premises Licence, that will vary depending on the issues.

This is the team who can help you with this work. Click through the links to see more about their experience & qualifications:

Rosalyn Trotman

Alex Madden

Fred Quartermain

Rebecca Stanton


Costs information for businesses for the recovery of debts of up to £100,000

Our dedicated debt recoveries service, run by Amanda Richardson who has over 25 years of relevant experience, recovers business debts from businesses or individuals. We charge scaled fixed costs for non-disputed or non-defended debt collection processes through the English & Welsh Courts so that you have a degree of cost certainty from the outset.


The costs information below relates to our typical fixed costs for the recovery of unpaid invoices for goods or services which are:

  • Owed by businesses or individuals located in England and Wales
  • Arise under a written contract and are not disputed by the debtor
  • Not governed by the Consumer Credit regulations
  • To be pursued through the English courts


If we do not consider that your debt is one to which our fixed fees apply, we will let you know and will provide you with a separate costs estimate for your case. Please note that we reserve the right to agree specific fee terms for specific business clients, depending on their specific needs and circumstances, which may be different to the typical fixed costs set out below.


The costs information below does not, in any event, apply to the following:

  • The issue of Statutory Demands for a debt under the Insolvency Act 1986.
  • More complicated debts, for example where significant investigation or consideration has to be carried out at the outset or during a claim as to the legal and/or factual basis of the claim.
  • The debtor is located in another jurisdiction or the debt has to be pursued in the courts of another jurisdiction.
  • The debt is disputed at any point by the debtor.
  • The debtor raises a counterclaim against you which it seeks to set-off against the debt.
  • Debts covered by the Consumer Credit regulations, The Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996 or is for rent/service charges payable under a lease/tenancy or is subject to any other specific regulatory regime.
  • Drawing up a settlement agreement.
  • The enforcement of a judgment debt if it is not paid promptly by the debtor.


If your debt is not covered by our fixed costs regime below, we will let you know and we will agree with you a scope of work and an estimate of costs, which will usually be based on an hourly rate.


We explain below the standard debt recovery process and our standard fixed costs in relation to each step.

Stage 1: Pre-action

We are required to send the debtor a letter before action which sets out the details and amount of the claim. If the debt is due from a company, it will usually ask for payment of the debt within 7 days (unless we consider more time is appropriate in the circumstances). If the debt is due from a person, or sole trader, the Pre Action Protocol for Debt Claims requires a minimum of 30 days to be given first, and may be extended further if information is requested or a payment proposal is made.


Our typical fixed fee for a basic standard letter before action is £40 plus VAT (£48 in total) to companies / partnerships and £70 plus VAT (£84 in total) to individuals and sole traders. This assumes you provide us with all the necessary information and documents about the debt, we do not have to conduct a detailed investigation into the background and we do not need to have an initial meeting with you to discuss the case. If we are required to take steps to trace the debtor, a tracing agent’s fee for a desktop-based trace is typically in the region of £70-100 plus VAT (£ 84 - £120) in total), and is usually on a no-trace no-fee basis. If a more detailed trace is required, these costs may be higher. If we are required to conduct a search of HM Land Registry to check a property owned by a debtor, a search fee of £6 plus VAT (£7.20) per property title searched is typically payable.


If, as a result of the letter before action, we are required to communicate with the debtor or a third party, for example to provide further information or documents requested or to consider/negotiate a settlement or instalment plan, then our fixed communication fee set out below will apply to each communication, unless the matter becomes more complicated in which case we reserve the right to charge an hourly rate (although we will discuss this with you first).

Stage 2: Issuing court proceedings against the debtor

If the claim is not resolved at the Pre Action stage and you instruct us to issue court proceedings against the debtor, we will prepare and issue the claim in the County Court Money Claims Centre. The Court will serve the proceedings by post on the debtor. Our fixed fees for issuing a claim are as follows:

Claim Value  Our Fee  Court Fee  VAT  Total
£0.01 – £300.00  100.00 35.00 20.00  155.00
£300.01 – £500.00 105.00 50.00  20.00  170.00
£500.01 – £1000.00  125.00 70.00 24.00  214.00
£1000.01 – £1500.00  165.00 80.00 32.00 272.00
£1500.01 – £3000.00  165.00 115.00 32.00 307.00
£3000.01 – £5000.00 165.00 205.00 32.00  397.00
£5000.01 – £10,000.00  190.00  455.00 36.00 671.00
£10000.01-£100,000.00 250.00 5% of debt claimed 44.00 From £764 to £5,264

 

The Court fee element of the above is subject to change. The time it takes to issue the proceedings and serve them on the debtor depends on how quickly the Court processes the case (typically up to two weeks, but it can be longer).

Stage 3: Entering Judgment in default or on admission

After being served with the Court proceedings, the debtor is required to acknowledge service by sending a form to the Court within 14 days, in which it indicates whether it admits or disputes some or all of the debt. If the debtor admits some/all of the debt, it may ask the Court for an opportunity to pay the admitted sum by instalments and for this purpose provide details of its income and outgoings to assist an assessment of what the debtor can afford to pay. You will be asked whether you agree or dispute the debtor’s instalment proposal and the Court will then decide what is appropriate and make an order. If the debtor disputes any part of the debt, it will then have a further 14 days to prepare and serve a Defence to the claim. If it fails to file an Acknowledgment of Service or a Defence in time, you can apply for judgment in default to be entered for the debt claimed and fixed costs.


Our fixed fees for seeking judgment in default or in relation to a payment proposal on an admitted debt are as follows:

Step/Claim Value  Our Fee  Court Fee  VAT  Total
(a) In default of acknowledgement of service being filed by debtor      
£0.01 – £5000.00 26.00 5.00 30.00
£5000.01 + 36.00 7.00 42.00
(b) In default of defence being served by debtor        
£0.01 – £5000.00  31.00  – 6.00  36.00
£5000.01 + 42.00  8.00 48.00
(c ) On debtor’s admission (and accepting debtor’s offer of payment terms)      
£0.01 – £5000.00  46.00 9.00 54.00
£5000.01 + 62.00 12.00 72.00
(d) On debtor’s admission (but rejecting debtor’s offer of payment terms)      
£0.01 – £5000.00 62.00 12.00 72.00
£5000.01 + 77.00 15.00 90.00

 

The Court fee element is subject to change.  In most cases, the Court decides whether to grant judgment on the papers before it, without the need for a hearing.  However, sometimes the Court may decide that a hearing is more appropriate before it decides on, for example, an appropriate instalment plan.  The above fixed fees do not include any such hearing.  In that scenario, we would provide you with an estimate of costs, which will depend on in which court the hearing takes place, whether evidence is required to be prepared for it and how long it is estimated to take.

If judgment is granted, the Court will usually serve the judgment on the debtor by post.  The above fees assume the Debtor then pays the judgment debt promptly.  They do not therefore include advising you on options for enforcing the judgment in the event that it is not paid nor taking enforcement action.  The minimum amount of time it can take to apply for judgment in default is, in theory, 14 days after the Claim Form has been deemed served (if the debtor has not acknowledged service or admits only some of the debt) or 28 days if a defence is not served.  However, in practice it ultimately depends on how quickly the Court processes the paperwork and supplies us with a copy of the Acknowledgement of Service, statement of means or Defence filed by the debtor, which is out of our control and can range from a few days after these periods to a few weeks.  Applying for judgment in default or on admission, is not an option where the debtor serves a defence.

Correspondence/Communication fees in Stages 1 to 3

During stages 1 to 3, we may be required to communicate with the debtor, their representatives, or third parties about the matter, and also with you to take your instructions on any matters arising. This may happen, for example, where the Claim Form is returned unserved, or the debtor seeks more information about the debt, or more time to comply or they make payment/settlement proposals for agreement. Provided that the debt remains undisputed, our fixed fees for each additional communication by or to us are as follows:

Communication type  Our Fee  Court Fee  VAT  Total
Payment/letter/email in 10.00 2.00 12.00
Telephone call in/out 12.00 2.40 14.40
Letter/email out 15.00 3.00 18.00

 

The above fixed fee does not cover the preparation of a more complicated settlement agreement, or a consent order for the court’s approval. If this is required, we can provide an estimate of costs.

Stage 4: The debtor serves a Defence

If the Debtor serves a Defence to the claim and the debt becomes a contested debt which will then ordinarily proceed to a trial, our fixed fees will no longer apply. In that event, we will provide you with a separate estimate of costs for future work which will be based on an hourly rate. The time it can take to proceed all the way to a trial cannot be accurately predicted as it depends which court deals with it, how busy that court is and what procedural steps the court decides to require the parties to complete before a trial. If you lose your claim, you will usually be ordered to pay some/all of the debtor’s legal costs of defending your claim, unless your claim is in the Small Claims Court (i.e. under £10,000).

Stage 5: Enforcement of an unpaid judgment

We can also take steps to enforce a judgment against a debtor. There are a range of potential enforcement methods which can be considered, including instructing bailiffs, applying for charging orders over property owned by the debtor, or seeking an attachment of the debtor’s earnings. We can advise you on an enforcement strategy and we can provide fee estimates for this work.

Total costs

It is difficult to provide an accurate range of total costs or average costs as it depends on the amount of debt claimed, how it proceeds and the extent of communication with the debtor. No case is the same. On the basis of a standard non-contested debt, using the fixed fees above:

  • The total costs of pursuing a debt under £300 to a judgment in default of the debtor acknowledging service, assuming no trace, search or communication fees, could be £240.20 including VAT.
  • At the other end of the scale, the total costs of pursuing a debt of £100,000 to a judgment on admission but where an instalment option is offered and rejected, so that the Court needs to decide it on paper, and assuming a trace fee, search fee and 3 communications charges are incurred, could be £5,731.52 including VAT.
  • In both scenarios, the number of communications that are required can increase the total fixed fees; similarly, if a court hearing is required. The above costs ranges do not include enforcement of the judgment.

Other important information to know

  • The fixed fees above are based on you providing promptly all relevant information, documents and instructions that we may request from you in respect to the debt claimed.
  • The expenses (e.g. trace fees, search fees, court fees) are subject to change as it depends on external suppliers. There may be other expenses that become necessary to incur in exceptional cases (e.g. process server fees where personal service on the debtor is required; advocacy fees if there is a hearing), in which case we will obtain an estimate for your prior approval.
  • Our fees are payable by you regardless of whether the debt is recovered in full or in part.
  • If you are successful in your claim and obtain judgment, the debtor may be ordered to pay some (but not all) of the costs you have incurred with us. If you are registered for VAT, the VAT element of our fees may not be reclaimable from the debtor in any event.
  • We will generally require payment up front for court fees to be incurred.
  • We invoice our fees monthly in arrears unless your credit rating is such that we request money on account of future costs to be incurred. Our invoices are payable on receipt.
  • If proceedings are issued and the matter is defended, the dispute will have to be determined by the Court at a trial, which may take many months. In that case, we would be able to provide you with a costs estimate for future work. If you lose the case and your claim is for more than £10,000, it is likely that you will ordered to pay some of the debtor’s costs. If you decide to unilaterally discontinue your claim, you may be ordered to pay the other side’s wasted costs unless otherwise agreed with them.

Our Team

The partner with overall management responsibility for the Commercial Dispute Resolution team is Ramona Derbyshire. Biographies of the relevant members of the team, including their qualifications and experience, can be found here.


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

Simple case: £6,000 – £8,000 (excluding VAT)


Medium complexity case: £8,000 – £35,000 (excluding VAT)


High complexity case: £35,000 + (excluding VAT)

Factors that could make a case 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
  • Complex preliminary issues such as whether the claimant is disabled (if this is not agreed by the parties) or whether a claim is in time
  • A large number of witnesses, particularly if the witnesses are based overseas
  • A high volume of documents (including text and instant messages) and disputes over which documents must be disclosed
  • If it is an automatic unfair dismissal claim e.g. if Claimant is dismissed after blowing the whistle on employer
  • Allegations of discrimination which are linked to the dismissal

Disbursements

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as court fees or barrister’s fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process. For example, initial counsel’s fee on a simple case could be between £2,000- £5,000 plus vat. For a complex case they will be much higher.

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 a claim or response
  • Reviewing and advising on a claim or response from the other party
  • Exploring settlement and negotiating settlement throughout the process
  • Drafting or considering a schedule of loss
  • Preparing for (and attending) a Preliminary Hearing, including drafting a list of issues
  • Exchanging documents with the other party and agreeing and preparing bundle of documents
  • Taking witness statements, drafting statements and agreeing their content with witnesses
  • Reviewing and advising on the other party’s witness statements
  • Agreeing 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 the stages above are not required, the fee will be lower to reflect that. You may wish to handle the claim yourself and only have our advice in relation to some of the stages. This can agreed between us at the point we accept your instructions.

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 to 8 weeks. If your claim proceeds to a Final Hearing, your case is likely to take up to 52 weeks or more subject to current listings by the Tribunal. The length of time it takes the Tribunal to dispose of cases has increased significantly since the start of the COVID 19 pandemic and many cases are now dealt with via video link rather than in person.


We will of course be able to give you a more accurate timescale once we have more information and as the matter progresses.
Those undertaking this work are as follows:

Kerrie Hunt (Partner)
Laura Knight (Solicitor)
Jeremy Nixon (Partner)
Neha Sarin (Solicitor)
Natalie Ward (Senior Associate)
Carey Willis-Fleming (Associate Solicitor)


Our fees

There are many variables which impact on our fees and it is not practical to specify the total cost in advance. However, we provide a range of fees in this table for typical applications handled by us on behalf of individuals.


The quoted figures in the table include VAT but VAT will not be applicable in every case. We can provide a range of fees applicable to other applications upon request. The table excludes Home Office fees, courier and other expenses (please see below).


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. The exact number of hours it will take depends on the circumstances. Such as:

  • The number and nature of the supporting documents that you need to provide and we need to consider
  • Which language(s) you speak and the language of the supporting documents
  • Whether you are applying with dependants

If you are able to provide sufficient evidence at our first meeting of clearly meeting the applicable Immigration Rules, however, the cost is likely to be at the lower end of the quoted range.

 

Basis of our fees

The range of Thrings fees is based mainly on estimated hours. The work will be done by Neha Sarin, a solicitor (qualified in February 2018) and her VAT inclusive hourly rate is £258. Other legal personnel with specialist skills may also be involved in the work, as required.


Not all cases are straightforward, however, and other factors can influence our charges on a case by case basis. These include any particular complexity or difficulty in the issues raised, the skill, effort and specialised knowledge required, as well as the urgency of the matter if we have to prioritise your case over work for other clients because of time constraints. Please see further below.


Even in straightforward cases, our fees will be influenced by whether this is a first time application or an extension, whether you are switching from one category to another, the number of dependants involved, whether English is your first language, the number of supporting documents and the language in which they are written. Further information will be provided about the impact (if any) of these factors on our fees when you contact us.


In each case we will provide an estimate of our fees and likely expenses before starting work. We will keep the estimate under review and update it as may be required from time to time. The guiding principle is to be transparent and to avoid “surprises.”

 

Expenses

We also provide information about Home Office fees. These change from time to time, however, and current Home Office fees are provided online:


https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visa-regulations-revised-table/home-office-immigration-and-nationality-fees-1-july-2021

If put in funds, we will handle the payment of Home Office fees on your behalf to ensure a smoother process. Where translation into English is required we will provide information about the cost.

 

What is included in our fees?

Our fees will typically include:

  • Discussing your circumstances in detail and advising on whether this is the most appropriate application for you to make and what other options may be available to you;
  • Giving you advice about the requirements of the Immigration Rules and whether you meet the criteria;
  • If you do not fulfil certain criteria, whether this can be overcome and how;
  • Considering the supporting evidence you have provided, depending on the number of documents provided and whether they are complete;
  • Where necessary, helping you obtain further evidence (such as medical records and bank statements), including taking statements of any witnesses;
  • Preparing your application and submitting it on your behalf;
  • Giving you advice about the likely outcome of the application and any further steps you need to take.

How long will my application take?

We cannot guarantee how long the Home Office will take to process your application.

Please see links below:


https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-visas-and-immigration/about-our-services


https://www.gov.uk/visa-processing-times


We will normally be able to submit most applications within 4 weeks or less of you instructing us, subject to the availability of the supporting documents, but we will let you know at the earliest opportunity if it is likely to take longer than this.

 

What is not included in our fees

We have a high success rate but our fees quoted here do not include, where the Home Office refuse your application, advice and assistance in relation to any appeal.

Table of Fees

Rules Sub-division of Rules (if relevant) Fee range
Applications for naturalisation or registration under the British Nationality Act 1981   £1,680 – £1,920 inclusive of VAT
Applications for EEA family permit under the EU Settlement Scheme   £1,300 - £2,100 inclusive of VAT
Applications under the Immigration Rules, including:    
– visit visas (for tourism, or visiting friends/family)   £1,080 – £1,680 inclusive of VAT
– spouse and partners applications, including fiancé(e)s or proposed civil partners   £1,680 – £2,160 inclusive of VAT
– ancestry visas   £1,680 – £1,920 inclusive of VAT
– other categories, such as applications on the basis of long residence   £2,592- £2,640 inclusive of VAT

 


Summary only motoring offence, guilty plea

Our fees for a typical case of this sort range from around £1,500 (excluding VAT) for a simple case to around £3,500 (excluding VAT) for a more complex case; the price within this range will partly be determined by the seniority of the solicitor advising you. We charge by hourly rates (set out below) and we anticipate that it will typically take on average between 8-12 hours. These figures may however vary in cases with special complications. That is why we will always give you an individual cost estimate at the start of the case, taking into account the actual features of your case. We will advise you immediately about any complication, and discuss the potential impact on price before any additional charges are occurred.

SOLICITOR HOURLY RATES
   
Russell Reeves £310

 

Fee includes:

  • Attendance/preparation: 
    • considering evidence
    • taking your instructions
    • providing advice on likely sentence
  • Attendance and representation at a single hearing at the Magistrates Court

The fee does not include:

  • instruction of any expert witnesses
  • taking statements from any witnesses
  • advice and assistance in relation to a special reasons hearing
  • advice or assistance in relation to any appeal

The key stages of your matter are based on the presumption that you have entered a guilty plea and have a date for your hearing.

  • Meet with your solicitor to provide instructions on what happened.
  • We will consider initial disclosure and any other evidence and provide advice.
  • Arranging to take any witness statements if necessary (this will have an additional cost).
  • We will explain the court procedure to you so you know what to expect on the day of your hearing, and the sentencing options available to the court.
  • We will conduct any further preparatory work, obtain further instructions from you if necessary and answer any follow up queries you have.
  • We cannot provide a timescale of when your hearing will take place, as this depends on the court listing for that day.
  • We will attend court on the day and meet with you before going before the court. We anticipate being at court for around half a day.
  • We will discuss the outcome with you. If advice is required on appeal, this will carry an additional cost.

Those undertaking this work are as follows:

Russell Reeves


In some cases we will be able to offer a Fixed Fee. In other cases we will provide a range of costs

Administration of Estates – fixed fee

We can help you through this difficult process by obtaining the Grant of Administration on your behalf. We will also undertake the collecting and distributing of assets.

How much does this service cost?

TOTAL: fixed fee of £3000 (incl. VAT).

This includes: obtaining the grant of administration, by completing the relevant IHT form and preparing a statement of truth.

Breakdown of costs:

  • Legal fees £2500
  • VAT on legal fees £500

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.

For example:

  • Probate court fee of £155. Plus £1.50 per office copy (VAT not applicable)

As part of our fixed fee we will:

  • Provide you with a dedicated and experienced probate solicitor to work on your matter
  • Identify the legally appointed executors or administrators and beneficiaries
  • Accurately identify the type of application you will require
  • Obtain the relevant documents required to make the application
  • Complete the Probate Application and the Inheritance Tax return form (known as an IHT205). This estimate does not apply to the completion of an IHT400 Inheritance Tax return form
  • Draft a statement of truth for you to sign
  • Make the application to the Probate Court on your behalf
  • Obtain the Probate and securely send copies to you

On average, estates that fall within this range are dealt with within 2 months. Typically, obtaining the grant of probate takes 4 weeks.

Administration of estate – range of costs

Applying for the grant, collecting and distributing the assets

We anticipate this will take between 40 and 50 hours work at hourly rates that will range from £120 per hour to £305 per hour. The average cost for this work is between £7000 and £11000 plus vat.

The exact cost will depend on the individual circumstances of the 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.

We will handle the full process for you.

This fee information is for estates where:

  • There is a valid will or clear intestate division
  • There is no more than one property
  • There are no more than 5 bank or building society accounts
  • There are no other intangible assets
  • There are 2-3 beneficiaries
  • There are no disputes between beneficiaries on division of assets. If disputes arise this is likely to lead to an increase in costs
  • There is 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

Disbursements included in this fee:

  • Probate application fee of £155 plus £1.50 per office copy (VAT not applicable)
  • Bankruptcy-only Land Charges Department searches (£2 per beneficiary) (VAT not applicable)
  • About £200 for an advertisement in The London Gazette (VAT included) – this protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors and an advertisement  in a Local Newspaper – This also helps to protect against unexpected claims.

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.

Potential additional costs

  • If there is no will or the estate consists of any share holdings (stocks and bonds) there are likely to be additional costs that could range significantly depending on the estate and how it is to be dealt with. We can give you more accurate costs information once we have more information from you.
  • Dealing with the sale or transfer of any property in the estate is not included.

 How long will this take?

On average, estates that fall within this range are dealt with within 8-12 months. Typically, obtaining the grant of probate takes 4 weeks. Collecting assets then follows, which can take between 6-8 weeks. Once this has been done, we can distribute the assets, which normally takes 4 weeks.  However this time scale depends upon whether statutory notices have been inserted or the 6 month period under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependents) Act 1975 is being sat out.

Biographies of the relevant members of the team, including their qualifications and experience, can be found here. Included in the list of those who may undertake some of this work is Sam Longmore. His details are as follows:

Name: Sam Longmore
Title: Paralegal
Qualifications: LL.B (Hons)
Experience: No previous experience but Sam joined Thrings in July 2018.


Sale or Purchase of Residential Property

We provide individual conveyancing services tailored to our clients’ particular needs and provide fee specific information and estimates for each transaction.


Our fees for a typical property sale or purchase start from £1,595+ VAT for a freehold property (£1,695 for a leasehold property) for a simple transaction to around £7,000 -£10,000 plus VAT and disbursements. Higher value or complex transactions or historic properties may cost more.

The factors which may typically increase the cost of your transaction are:
  • Seniority and experience of the lawyer you work with
  • Value and characteristics of the property
  • Your mortgage provider and their lawyer
  • Unusual finance arrangements
  • Defective legal title or part of the property is unregistered
  • Building regulations or planning permission has not been obtained
  • Important documents have not been provided to us
  • Whether or not the property is new build
  • If the property is less than 10 years old
  • Rapid exchange or completion deadlines
  • Requirements for simultaneous exchange and completion


We appreciate that one size does not fit all and we will always give you an individual cost estimate at the start of the transaction, taking into account the actual features of your sale or purchase. We always advise you immediately about any complication, and discuss the potential impact on price before any additional charges are incurred.


The complexity of your sale or purchase, and the location of the property, will determine which conveyancer in our team will work on your matter.


Our fees estimates cover all of the work required to complete the purchase of your new home, including dealing with registration at the Land Registry and dealing with the payment of Stamp Duty Land Tax (Stamp Duty) if the property is in England, or Land Transaction Tax (Land Tax) if the property you wish to buy is in Wales. We aim to be completely transparent about our pricing and will never include hidden or “add-on” charges.


We provide a premium service, where our clients can be reassured that they will be able to contact their conveyancer and know what is happening throughout the transaction. As a result, we are not the cheapest firm in the market but we strongly believe that our fees offer good value for money. For that reason, all of our work is subject to the Thrings’ Promise, as set out below:


THRINGS |PROMISE: We are confident that we will provide you with excellent client service. As part of the Thrings Promise we will strive to respond to your phone calls, emails and letters promptly and to provide clear and pragmatic advice. We will aim to gain a detailed understanding of your needs and priorities and will be approachable and easy to work with. If you believe that we have not met our promise during the transaction, you may reduce our fees by up to 10%.


The only thing we ask of you, if you decide to reduce our fee, is that you do so promptly and fairly, and that you share with us the ways in which we did not live up to our promise this time.


Please note that this is a promise about the service we provide and not the ultimate result or outcome of the project.

 

Disbursements

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as Land Registry fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.

  • Search fees vary – depending where the property is situated. In a straightforward purchase, you should budget for £400 – £450 (including VAT)
  • HM Land Registry fee – this depends on the price of the property, or value of the interest transferred – please use the link to the Land Registry website
Additional Anticipated Disbursements for Leasehold properties:
  • Fee for acting on behalf of the mortgage lender – We do not make a separate charge for acting for the lender
  • Notice of Transfer fee – This fee if chargeable is set out in the lease. Usually the fee is between £40 and £200 + VAT
  • Notice of Charge fee (if the property is to be mortgaged) – This fee is set out in the lease. Usually the fee is between £40 and £200 + VAT
  • Deed of Covenant fee – This fee is provided by the management company for the property and can be difficult to estimate. Usually the fee is between £100 and £200 + VAT
  • Certificate of Compliance fee – To be confirmed upon receipt of the lease. Usually the fee is between £100 and £200 + VAT

Stamp Duty or Land Tax (on purchase)

This depends on the purchase price of your property and on your particular circumstances (for example, there are reliefs available for first time buyers, and additional SDLT for second homes). 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 here.

How long will my house purchase take?

How long it will take from your offer being accepted until you can move in to your house will depend on a number of factors. The average process takes between 6-8 weeks. It can be quicker or slower, depending on the parties in the chain and the facts of the case. We will always work to progress transactions as quickly as possible and we will do all we can to achieve your proposed timescales.

Stages of the process

The precise stages involved in the purchase of a residential property vary according to your individual circumstances. However, below are the key stages that most transactions take:

  • 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 with you
  • Send final contract to you for signature
  • Draft transfer
  • Advise you on joint ownership
  • Obtain pre-completion searches
  • Agree completion date (date from which you own the property)
  • Exchange contracts and notify you that this has happened
  • 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 Land Registry

For the details of lawyers  undertaking this work please follow the link to our website


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