Important Financial Information for Privately Funded Matters
(Please also read the accompanying sheet on
the Terms under which we will act for you)
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How will you calculate my Legal fees
We will charge you for the time spent on your matter unless we have quoted you a fixed fee. Our charging rates are as follows:
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For attending you in the office or elsewhere, preparation of your case, drafting and considering documents and research
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Harpreet Batth - Solicitor - £200.00 per hour Helen Rowland - Solicitor - £200.00 eer hour Alexandra Simpson - Legal Executive - £150.00 per hour Megan Goodwin - Legal Assistant - £100.00 per hour Time will be charged in units of 6 minutes.
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For writing routine letters and for telephone calls whether received or made |
£20.00 – long or complicated letters will be charged at the rate of the time spent drafting them.
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For routine letters received |
£10.00 - long or complicated letters will be charged at the rate of the time spent perusing them.
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For travelling or waiting time – whether at court or elsewhere |
£100.00 per hour – NB waiting time will be charged at the full rate if it is spent attending you and discussing your case. No waiting time will be charged if that time can be spent working on other matters
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Travel and other expenses such as accommodation |
Travel is charged at £0.45 per mile or at actual cost of public transport. Accommodation expenses are charged at actual cost.
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Fees payable to others |
We might need to pay court fees or fees to experts or barristers on your behalf. If so these are charged at actual cost. |
We consider an update to our hourly rate on an annual basis. If there is any increase in the hourly rate quoted above we will let you know. An increase in the hourly rate will consequentially affect the sum charged for routine letters and telephone calls.
To the above figures there must be added VAT at 20.0%. There might also be out of pocket expenses such as court fees and travel expenses if these are incurred
When do I have to pay my costs?
If you require any work beyond our initial interview then I will need you to pay £500.00 on account of costs. I am unable to take your matter further until I receive this. If you do not require any further work then I will invoice you in due course for the work I have done so far.
If your matter proceeds, then I will send you regular bills throughout your matter (usually monthly unless little has happened on your case during that time). This will enable you to keep track of the costs being expended and will assist my firm’s cash flow. My bills are payable within 28 days of receipt. Non-payment of any of my bills, or failure to make a mutually acceptable arrangement for payment, will mean that I will have to cease acting for you.
All out of pocket expenses such as court fees, barristers’ fees, expert’s fees will need to be paid in advance.
You have the right to put a ceiling figure on the amount of costs you are prepared to pay and if you wish to do this, please let me know the figure involved as soon as possible. As we approach that figure, I will take your further instructions.
At the end of your matter, I have the right to retain any unpaid costs out of any money I receive for you.
Interest on unpaid bills
I am entitled to charge you 8% per annum on bills which remain unpaid after 28 days.
Payment in cash
I am unable to accept more than £500.00 in cash at any time from you without compliance with the Money Laundering Rules. Please see the Terms under which we will act for you which accompanies this sheet.
How much is my case likely to cost?
It is not really possible to give an accurate estimate of final costs at this stage, simply because we do not yet know what is going to be involved. Some cases settle without much fuss at all and others involve several hearings at court and consideration of complex issues. However the following is a very rough indication:
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Matter Type
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Costs |
Out of Pocket Expenses |
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Divorce involving no issues relating to children or finances and where the other side co-operates throughout
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£600 - £800 |
£593 court fee on presentation of the petition £45 court fee on applying for decree absolute
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A dispute over issues relating or residence relating to children with no involvement of expert evidence
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£1,200 - £5,000 |
£232 court fee if you are the applicant. Any travelling expenses involved Possibly barrister’s fees – we would discuss whether such should be instructed
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A dispute over property and finances |
£1,500 - £9,000 |
£275 court fee if you are the applicant Any travelling expenses involved Any valuation expenses (e.g of property or pensions) Possibly barrister’s fees – we would discuss whether such should be instructed |
All of the above figures with the exception of court fees will also attract VAT at 20.0%.
These are only very rough estimates and we are obliged to update our estimate to you every six months. If you cease to instruct us before the conclusion of your matter, we will charge you for the time spend so far.
I have a duty throughout your case to advise you if you are likely to be wasting costs on a case where you are unlikely to succeed, or if the costs you are expending are likely to outweigh any benefit you may receive.
Could I or my opponent be ordered to pay each other’s costs?
In family cases this is quite rare, especially if your dispute is over children. Even if your dispute is over money or property the court only tends to make one party pay the other’s costs if he or she has conducted the proceedings in a dishonest way or has caused an increase in the costs by conducting the matter in an excessively awkward way. If I considered that there was any likelihood of you or the other party being ordered to pay each other’s costs then I would discuss that with you at that stage and explain it further.
However, even if another party is ordered to pay your costs, these are unlikely to amount to the whole of your costs and you remain personally liable to us for payment. Recovery of costs from another party would constitute a separate action.
Mediation
This may be a very good way for you to save costs. Many family and matrimonial cases are suitable for mediation. A tra
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Matter Type
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Costs |
Out of Pocket Expenses |
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Divorce involving no issues relating to children or finances and where the other side co-operates throughout
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£500 - £800 |
£340 court fee on presentation of the petition £45 court fee on applying for decree absolute
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A dispute over issues relating or residence relating to children with no involvement of expert evidence
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£600 - £2,000 |
£200 court fee if you are the applicant. Any travelling expenses involved Possibly barrister’s fees – we would discuss whether such should be instructed
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A dispute over property and finances |
£800 - £5,000 |
£240 court fee if you are the applicant Any travelling expenses involved Any valuation expenses (e.g of property or pensions) Possibly barrister’s fees – we would discuss whether such should be instructed |
ined mediator would meet with both parties for a series of sessions in which you will be helped to
Acceptance of this Financial Information and the Terms under which we will act for you
Your continued instruction of this firm will amount to acceptance of our terms and conditions of business.
Provision of Service Regulation 2009
We comply with the above regulations by displaying the required details of our Professional Indemnity Insurance at our office
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