We are regulated by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) and we are required to provide a price information to our clients with the preparation and submission of immigration applications, excluding asylum applications.
Immigration: Hourly rate
Our charges are based on the time spent dealing with a case. Our hourly charge rates is £295 plus VAT which is currently 20%.
We can provide legal assistance and representation in respect of the following matters:
- Applications for naturalisation or registration under the British Nationality Act 1981
- Applications on behalf of European Economic Area (EEA) nationals and their family members under the applicable EEA Regulations or Immigration Rules, including applications for permanent residence, residence cards, and registration certificates
- Applications under the Immigration Rules, including:
- student and work experience visas
- visit visas (for tourism, or visiting friends / family)
- spouse and partners applications, including fiancé(e)s or proposed civil partners
- applications for work, business or study under the Points-Based System;
- dependent relative and family reunion applications
- ancestry visas
- other categories, such as applications on the basis of long residence
We are not required to publish prices for the following types of applications therefore you should contact the firm directly for a quote:
- Asylum applications
- Statelessness applications
- Human rights / private life applications
- Applications for Secretary of State immigration bail
- Reconsideration and legacy requests
- Judicial review, such as claims for unlawful detention
- Immigration services to businesses (e.g. applications for certificates of sponsorship or confirmation of acceptance for studies).
Example template (hourly rate): Application for leave to remain
Hourly rate: £295 including VAT
On average, this type of work takes between 4 – 5 hours to complete. This means that on average costs are between £1000 and 1400 plus VAT. Currently the applicable VAT rate is 20%
The exact number of hours it will take depends on the circumstances in your case. Such as:
- The amount of supporting evidence that we need to consider
- Which language(s) you speak
- Whether you are applying with other dependants
If you can provide sufficient evidence at our first meeting and clearly meet the applicable Immigration Rules, the cost is likely to be at the lower end of this range.
What services are included
The work will involve:
- discussing your circumstances in detail and confirming 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, which on average takes X hours*;
- considering the supporting evidence, you have provided, which we anticipate will take X to X hours*;
- 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, which we anticipate will take X hours*;
- Attendance at a Home Office interview: if the Home Office ask you to attend an interview, we will give you clear advice (and discuss the possibility of us attending with you) at the appropriate time. This could be between X and X hours of work*;
- giving you advice about the outcome of the application and any further steps you need to take.
*the number of hours depends on the number of documents, whether they need to be translated, whether anything is missing and how long it will take to obtain the missing documents.
Disbursements (not included in costs set out above):
Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as visa fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.
- Interpreters fees at £35-55 per hour. This kind of application will normally require between X-X hours with an interpreter, depending on the complexity of your case*;
- Independent expert reports e.g. medical experts. 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 there is an interview and we do attend with you, there will be additional disbursements in respect of our mileage/travel expenses.
The costs quoted here do not include:
- Any Home Office fees for making the application. You will pay this to the Home Office directly as part of the application process; and
- Where the Home Office refuse your application, advice and assistance in relation to any appeal.
Note: Kindly refer to the Home Office website for fee and their current processing time for applications.
How long will my application take?
We cannot guarantee how long the Home Office will take to process your application.
We will normally be able to submit this type of application within a reasonable time of you instructing us, but we will let you know at the earliest opportunity if it is likely to take longer than this.
Please note the anticipated number of hours 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.
Our fees in relation to taking instructions and drafting Wills are as follows:
Single Will £500 plus VAT
Mirror Will £850 plus VAT
Will with a life interest (single) £775 plus VAT
Will with a life interest (mirror) £1200 plus VAT
*Current VAT rate is 20%
There are likely to be a minimum of two one on one meetings between us our client. We take details of your instructions in our first meeting and ensure that we correctly understand your wishes and note down the same. It can from one week to three weeks for us to finalise your will ready for execution once you approve the same. Generally in the second meeting you would sign the final form of the Will approved by you.
Fees in applications for Grant of Representation
In cases where we only deal with the application for the Grant of Representation and the related formalities whilst the client deals with the administration of the estate, our fee is likely to be £2000 plus VAT (£2400 including VAT). Currently at the rate of 20%.
Under this fee, we will cover initial consultation, identify relevant steps to be taken, obtain pertinent documents and information from you and based on them, where applicable, HMRC forms, submit account to HMRC, draft the Oath for the applicant(s), submit application to the Probate Registry and forward the Grant of Representation to you upon receipt from the Probate Registry. In simpler estates with uncontested Wills, obtaing
grant of probate can take three to six months. In complex and disputed cases, it can take longer than the said timescale.
As part of the disbursements, you may also pay court fee to the Probate Registry which can vary from time to time and we can confirm the same to once you get in touch with us. The other disbursements may include additional duplicates of the Grant of Representation, currently 50p per duplicate.
If there are any other disbursements which may become applicable, we will notify you in due course.
Last but not the least, if the matter becomes protracted owing to additional issues such as those arising from the estate valuation or accounts submitted to HMRC bases on your provided information or some third party contesting the will or claiming interest in the estate, then there may be additional fees proportionate to the amount of additional work we are required to do.
Please see below our best estimate of our fees and other charges and disbursements. In complicated and protracted transactions, these estimates can vary and we will notify you in due course if any changes occur.
Purchase transactions:
Based on the purchase price, we will charge as follows:
| Purchase price up to: | Fee (which attract VAT currently 20%) |
| £500,000 | £1375 + VAT |
| £1,000,000 | £1875 + VAT |
| £1,500,000 | £2500 + VAT |
| £2,000,000 | £3000 + VAT |
| Over £2,000,000 | On application |
Acting for mortgage lender in a standard mortgage: £175 + VAT to £450 + VAT depending on the loan amount and the mortgage instructions
Stamp Duty Land Tax Return: £150 + VAT
Electronic identity and anti-money laundering checks: £38 + VAT per person
Electronic money transfer fee: £40 + VAT per transfer.
VAT currently at 20% is payable upon all our fees and charges.
The following taxes and disbursements will arise:-
Searches on the property estimated to be £300 + VAT but will be confirmed precisely when searches are applied for.
Stamp Duty Land Tax may be payable depending on the purchase price and if you are entitled to any relief or rebate – Please use this SDLT calculator for details
Land Registry fees is payable on the purchase transaction depending on the purchase price – Please use this HMLR fee calculator for details
Sale transactions:
| For Sale Price to: | Fee |
| £500,000 | £1375 + VAT |
| £1,000,000 | £1875 + VAT |
| £1,500,000 | £2500 + VAT |
| £2,000,000 | £3000 + VAT |
| Over £2,000,000 | On application |
Redemption of a mortgage: £195 + VAT per mortgage
The following disbursements will arise:-
There may be certain disbursements such as copies of certain documents, procuring information from search providers, local authority, HM Land Registry or relevant third parties which may not have been provided by the other side solicitors. Such disbursements can usually be up to £55.
If the property is leasehold, then an additional fee of £375 plus VAT will be applicable to deal with the leasehold matters such as dealing with the landlord or management company enquiries and requirements, checking lease, landlord and other superior titles, apportionments of ground rent, service charges, insurance etc.
It is important to note that the above is our best guide of the likely conveyancing costs. These may change depending on additional issues requiring additional work or specialist legal assistance. Of course, we will keep our clients posted of any such factors so as to ensure utmost transparency and timely legal assistance.
Civil litigation involves disputes between the parties in relation to various civil matters. These disputes can be resolved through various means including negotiation, mediation and litigation. We can represent you in various civil disputes and depending on the nature of the matter, a partner level experienced solicitor can handle your case. Our professional fees depend on the amount of our professional time involved and the complexity of the matter. Typically, our hour rate ranges between £295 plus VAT and £395 plus VAT (currently 20%). Disbursements such as applicable court fees, counsel (barrister) fees, expert report etc. can be confirmed in advance for your approval once we have the details of the matter at hand, court directions and the nature of the claim and or the application.