Pricing
Our price list
Employment
We normally charge for our work on the basis of time spent on a matter, based on hourly rates of £150 – £250 per hour, depending on the seniority and level of experience of the individual who might be working on your matter. Our estimated fees, exclusive of VAT which will be added where applicable to each bill, for bringing and defending claims in the Employment Tribunal for unfair or wrongful dismissal are as follows:
- simple case: £800
- medium complexity case: £1500
- high complexity case from £3000
The wide range in each of these categories comes down to a number of complicating factors, which may result in an increase in costs. These include:
- whether 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;
- whether complex allegations form part of the claim, such as safeguarding or whistleblowing complaints etc;
- preliminary issues, such as whether the claim is on time, whether a disclosure is protected under whistleblowing legislation, or only issues to do with employment status etc (if these are not agreed by the parties);
- the need for a Preliminary Hearing, before the Final Tribunal Hearing;
- the number of witnesses;
- the number of documents held by either side and the complexity involved in finding, disclosing and reviewing those documents;
- the amount of correspondence produced, or issues raised by, the other side including any difficulties in agreeing a list of issues, chronology or Hearing bundle;
- if it is an automatic unfair dismissal claim e.g. if it is alleged the dismissal was because of whistleblowing or because of a TUPE transfer etc;
- the length of the Final Tribunal Hearing; and
- making or defending a costs application.
Third party costs
Barrister’s fees and copying charges are two examples of third party costs that you may incur in addition to our charges. We handle the payment of these on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.
The main third-party cost associated with a Tribunal claim is the cost of instructing a barrister (known as Counsel)
to represent you at a Tribunal Hearing. This cost will be in addition to our estimated fees above.
Counsel’s fees for representing you at a Final Tribunal Hearing are normally made up of a brief fee (which includes preparation and attendance at a one-day hearing) and a daily refresher rate (for attending any additional Hearing days).
Counsel’s fees for representing you at the Final Tribunal Hearing are estimated as follows (depending on the seniority of the advocate):
- a brief fee of between £2,000 – £15,000; and
- a daily refresher rate of between £1,500 – £4,000.
The estimated disbursements:
Travel expenses for caseworkers: £500
Government fees (depending on the matter): £500-£1,500
Experts (including translator): £500-£1,000
Total estimated disbursements for Employment: £1,500-£3,000
Key stages
The fee estimates set out above cover 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 the claim or response from the other party;
- corresponding with the Employment Tribunal and the other side;
- 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;
- reviewing and advising on the other party’s witness statements;
- agreeing a list of issues, a chronology and / or cast list;
- instructing and liaising with Counsel; and
- preparation for and attendance at Final Tribunal Hearing.
The stages set out above are an indication and if some stages above are not required, the fee will be reduced.
Stages not covered by our estimate
The fee estimates set out above do not include the following work. If any of these issues are relevant to your claim, or arise as part of it, it may increase the fee payable:
- advising on or engaging in settlement negotiations or preparing and negotiating any paperwork connected with settlement of the claim;
- advising or acting in respect of any claims other than unfair dismissal or wrongful dismissal, for example, discrimination or detriment due to whistleblowing etc;
- any issues under the General Data Protection Regulation (known as GDPR), including advising on or responding to a data subject access request;
- any orders against you to pay the other side’s costs or preparation time relating to any dispute over costs;
- involvement of Counsel at any stage of the claim, other than the Final Tribunal Hearing (please note that it may often be advisable to include Counsel at an earlier stage than only the Final Tribunal Hearing); or
- advising on or participating in any form or mediation, including judicial mediation.
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, and the length of time it takes the Employment Tribunal to process your claim. If a settlement is reached during pre-claim conciliation, your case is likely to take 1 – 3 months. If your claim proceeds to a Final Tribunal Hearing, your case is likely to take at least 12 months depending on how long it takes the Tribunal to schedule a hearing (but delays at the Employment Tribunal mean that it can take longer than this for claims to reach Final Tribunal Hearing). 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.
All fees and costs shown above are exclusive of Value Added Tax (VAT) which will be added where applicable to each bill. Our rates are subject to review annually. If the rate applicable to a particular matter is varied through that review the client will be notified in writing at the time
Debt recovery
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.
Barrister (Counsel) fees are estimated as between £225 – £450 plus VAT per hour (depending on experience of the Advocate) for drafting documents where necessary and attending court hearings. These costs will always be discussed with you prior to being incurred.
Sometimes it may be necessary to instruct an agent to attend Court on our behalf. This may arise if the claim is to be served on the debtor by hand or if the issuing of the claim is time critical. These costs will always be discussed with the client before the cost is incurred.
Travelling expenses to and from Court are charged at 45 pence per mile (+ VAT at 20%). Train and/or parking fees may also be payable
We may also need to instruct an enquiry / tracing agent on the basis of a fixed fee usually in the region of £100 + VAT at 20%.
Court claims
Debt value Court fee
Up to £5,000 £205
£5,001 – £10,000 £455
£10,001 – £25,000 5% of the value of the claim
£25,001 – £50,000 5% of the value of the claim
£50,001 – £100,000 5% of the value of the claim
The estimated disbursements:
Travel expenses for caseworkers: £500
Government fees (depending on the matter): £500-£1,500
Experts (including translator): £500-£1,000
Total estimated disbursements for Debt recovery: £1,500-£3,000
Time Scales
A typical debt recovery will take between 4-26 weeks, from instruction through to payment from the other side. This may be quicker or longer depending on whether we are required to issue a claim and whether the other side pays promptly on receipt of any Judgment issued by a court. As detailed above, if enforcement action is required, we will discuss the fees and timescales involved. Matters may take longer to resolve if court proceedings are required as we would have to take into account the delays caused by the speed of response of the courts.
Stage 1 – PreAction
The work we will undertake PreAction is receiving client instructions, reviewing the documents involved and preparing a letter before action.
Stage 2 – Issuing claim
For Stage 2 to commence, no response from the other party asserting a dispute will have been received.
Our debt recovery fee is for preparing the claim form and particulars of claim, arranging issue and service of proceedings by relevant Court – NB. these are the preliminary steps for starting a Court claim. Typically this work will take 4-6 weeks from preparing the documents to the Court sending the documents to the other party and providing confirmation that the action has been started.
Stage 3 – Obtaining Judgement/Enforcement
There are two stages to Stage 3, they are a) obtaining and b) enforcing judgement
- a) Additional Court fees payable depends on the method of enforcement taken. You can see these fees here.
- b) Our typical legal fee ranges for enforcing judgement are as follows:
Method of Enforcement
Our fee is for preparing the necessary applications and arranging for issue/service by the Court.
Typically the work for Method of Enforcement ( Debtor to attend Court for questioning , Bailiff action and Attachment of Earnings order ) will take 3-4 weeks.
Typically the work for Method of Enforcement Charging order – will take 4-10 weeks.
Debt Protocol procedure
The Debt Protocol procedure came into effect in October 2017. It does not apply to all cases but it applies to any business (including a sole trader or public body) claiming payment of a debt due from an individual (including a sole trader). In the event that it applies, appropriate additional correspondence and information has to be sent out to the debtor before court proceedings can be issued. This will increase the costs that would be incurred as that correspondence needs to be prepared and reviewed and it will delay progress in the matter as there are statutory time limits available for the debtor that then need to be observed before any court proceedings can be commenced. If any other action is required then the exact costs of that will depend upon the individual circumstances of each particular case.
All fees and costs shown above are exclusive of Value Added Tax (VAT) which will be added where applicable to each bill. Our rates are subject to review annually. If the rate applicable to a particular matter is varied through that review the client will be notified in writing at the time
Wills & Probate
The estates that we administer tend to be complex. The exact cost of administering an estate is difficult to estimate but if we have the answers to the following questions we will be able to provide a tailored quotation of the work – and cost – likely to be involved:
- Is there a valid will?
- How many beneficiaries are there to consider?
- How many properties are included?
- What type of investments are there?
- Are there any specialist assets such as heritage items?
Equally we will also need to factor in:
- the complexities around the submission of the inheritance tax return and the nature and extent of any pre-death tax or other planning which has been done;
- the need for any post-death planning, such as a variation of the will provisions; and
- any cross-border aspects, for example where the testator or the beneficiaries lived or lives abroad.
All of these factors will be taken into account and will form the basis on which we work.
If we were instructed to apply for a grant of probate for an estate:
- with straightforward assets (which do not include non-UK assets);
- where there is no dispute in relation to the distribution of the estate;
- where there is no inheritance tax liability; and
- where our role is limited to:
- liaising with the executors and taking their instructions;
- obtaining details of the value of the estate;
- preparing the probate application;
Our fee estimates are calculated on an hourly basis. The charge-out rates for our fee earners vary between £150 to £225 per hour depending on their seniority and experience. All fee estimates shown are exclusive of VAT which will be added where applicable to each bill.
There are also third-party charges which will be added to the invoice. These include
- Probate fees which are by the UK government;
- advertising in (a) the London Gazette and (b) a local newspaper estimated at £200; and
- searches (where relevant).
On average, the administration of this type of estate should be completed within a period of 4 to 8 months.
Typically, the stages of the administration would be:
- obtaining the grant of probate – 3 to 6 months;
- collecting the assets – 3 to 6 weeks; and
- distributing the assets – 1 week.
The fee estimate given above does not include the completion of inheritance tax returns or negotiating with HMRC, nor would it include any actual transfer of assets within the estate (such as investments or properties) to the ultimate beneficiaries. These services would be charged on an hourly basis.
If there is no will, costs may vary significantly depending on the nature of the estate and how it is distributed. In these circumstances, we will provide a bespoke fee estimate once all the relevant factors have been established.
All fees and costs shown above are exclusive of Value Added Tax (VAT) which will be added where applicable to each bill. Our rates are subject to review annually. If the rate applicable to a particular matter is varied through that review the client will be notified in writing at the time
The estimated disbursements:
Travel expenses for caseworkers: £500
Government fees (depending on the matter): £500-£1,000
Experts (including translator): £500-£1,000
Total estimated disbursements for Wills & Probate: £1,500-£2,500
Motoring offences
Motoring Offences – Magistrates Court Hearings only
Speeding Offences (Guilty Plea)
- For written representation on a speeding offence, defence costs are between £300 and £400 + VAT @20%
- Representation for a guilty plea in Court will cost between £500 and £600+ VAT @20%
- If the PSR is ordered and a return day is booked to attend the Court, or the Court needs assistance with the sentence following (1) (Exceptional Hardship / Totting up Penalty Points) – £300 + VAT @20%
Drink Driving / Drug Driving / Failing to Provide a Specimen
- Guilty Plea – £500 – £600+ VAT @20%
- If the PSR is ordered and a return day is booked to attend the Court following the guilty plea – £300 + VAT @20%
- Not Guilty Plea and trial – £1000-£2000+ VAT @20%
- Sentencing following the guilty verdict – £300 – £400+ VAT @20%
Crown Court hearings:
- Early Guilty plea and referral to the Crown Court for Sentence – £300+ VAT @20%
- Not Guilty plea – £3000 and higher + VAT @20% (depending on complexity of the case)
- Sentencing following the guilty verdict – £300 – £400+ VAT @20%
Barrister (Counsel) fees are estimated as between £225 – £450 plus VAT per hour (depending on experience of the Advocate) for drafting documents where necessary and attending court hearings. These costs will always be discussed with you prior to being incurred.
The estimated disbursements:
Travel expenses for caseworkers: £500
Government fees (depending on the matter): £500-£1,500
Experts (including translator): £500-£1,000
Total estimated disbursements for Motoring offences: £1,500-£3,000
Other fees:
- Written representation on a speeding offence £350
- Representation for a guilty plea in Court will cost £500 plus travel expenses
- Exceptional Hardship / Totting up Penalty Points (Guilty Plea) Representation costs are between £500-£1000
- Drink Driving / Drug Driving / Failing to Provide a Specimen (Guilty Plea) £500
- Not Guilty Plea and trial – £1000-£3000
Not guilty plea:
- first appearance – no guilty plea. Listing for PTPH
- PTPH
- 1st stage: disclosure
- 2nd stage: Defence statement
- 3rd stage: further disclosure
- 4th stage: complaints for non-compliance from Defence or requests; applications for third party summons
- Trial
- senetencing if found guilty
Representations:
- Police Station: Single attendance and representation: £350
Attendance/representation includes:
- considering evidence
- taking your instructions
- providing advice on the prospect of success, evidence and likely sentence on conviction
- assisting in a police interview
- Magistrates Court: Representations at a single hearing: £350 (including a pre-court conference)
Please, note that if you are pleading guilty in most cases your matter will be concluded on your first day at the Magistrates Court.
Attendance/representation includes:
-
- considering evidence
- taking your instructions
- providing advice on the prospect of success, evidence and likely sentence on conviction
- representation in court
Trial Preparation:
- Preparation for a standard trial: £350
- Preparation for a complex trial: £750 (most trials at the Magistrates Courts are standard trials)
The above fees do 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
A separate fee arrangement can be offered for the additional work where we will be able to apply a fixed fee for a specific task. In some more complex cases, we will charge hourly rate at £150 + VAT for the work of a trainee solicitor and £225 + VAT for the work of a qualified solicitor.
Trial:
- Representations at trial: £550 a day (trials in the Magistrates Courts rarely last more than one day)
Any extra work that needs to be done between the charge and the trial will be charged hourly at £150 +VAT for the work of a trainee solicitor and £225 + VAT for the work of a qualified solicitor. The number of hours will depend on the nature of the work and issues involved.
The above rates are exclusive of VAT. Professional fees will be subject to VAT at 20% where this is applicable.
If we have to travel outside London we will also charge travelling expenses.
Civil proceedings
Civil proceedings cases are normally charged based on hourly rate.
Our hourly rates are as per below:
Trainee Solicitor: £165/hour + VAT
Solicitor: £225/hour + VAT
Senior Solicitor: £300/hour + VAT
After the initial consultation your caseworker will provide you with an estimate of the hours required for your matter.
The estimated disbursements:
Travel expenses for caseworkers: £500
Government fees (depending on the matter): £500-£2,000
Experts (including translator): £500-£2,000
Total estimated disbursements for Civil proceedings: £1,500-£4,500
VAT
Value Added Tax (VAT) is attracted to most of the services we provide, in accordance with the UK tax laws. VAT is charged on the taxable supply of goods and services made in the course of business, and it is added to the price of these goods and services.
The standard VAT rate in the UK is currently 20%, and this rate applies to most goods and services. However, some goods and services are subject to reduced rates of VAT or are exempt from VAT altogether.
In terms of the legal services provided by Sterling Law, the VAT rate is generally 20% unless an exemption applies. For example, certain services related to the representation of a client in court or in a dispute resolution process may be exempt from VAT.
It is important to note that VAT regulations can be complex, and the application of VAT to specific goods or services may depend on various factors.
Immigration
The information on our fees relates to the standard types of visa and immigration applications, such as:
- Applications for naturalisation or registration under the British Nationality Act 1981
- Applications on behalf of the 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 or 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.
If you would like to discuss other immigration applications, please contact us for a free assessment of your situation. We normally charge £150 + VAT for a 1-hour consultation and initial case assessment.
Most of our visa and immigration services are provided on an hourly rate basis:
- Partners and Legal Directors: £300 per hour + VAT
- Solicitors: £225 per hour + VAT
- Paralegals, Legal Assistants and Trainee Solicitors: £150 per hour + VAT
The exact number of hours it will take depends on the circumstances in your case. Such as:
- The complexity of the case
- The amount of supporting evidence that we need to consider
- Which language(s) you speak
- Whether you are applying with other dependants
Where possible we give an estimate of costs after our initial meeting and consultation with the client. The estimates described below represent the range of the fees for most standard applications. Upon our initial assessment of your situation, we may agree on a fixed fee. In any case, the fee estimate or fixed fee would be agreed upon prior to signing a formal client care letter.
The estimated disbursements:
Travel expenses for caseworkers: £500
Government fees (depending on the matter): £500-£1,500
Experts (including translator): £500-£1,000
Total estimated disbursements for Immigration: £1,500-£3,000
Fee Estimate: Standard Applications
The below fees are an estimate provided based on our previous experience and the anticipated number of hours to be dedicated to your case. We will be able to provide a more accurate estimate after having an initial consultation and your case assessment.
- Applications to become British under the British Nationality Act 1981
Estimated costs are between £500 – £2000 (excluding VAT)
- Applications on behalf of the 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
Estimated fees are between £150 – £2000 (excluding VAT)
- UK Visitor Visas
Estimated fees are between £450 – £2000 (excluding VAT)
- Applications under the Points-Based system (excluding Tier 1 category: entrepreneurship, investment)
Estimated fees are between £600 – £2000 (excluding VAT)
- Applications Tier 1 Entrepreneur and Investor
Estimated fees are between £1500 – £6000 (excluding VAT)
- Leave to enter or remain under Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules
Estimated fees are between £1000 – £2000 (excluding VAT)
- Ancestry visas
Estimated fees are between £750 – £3000 (excluding VAT)
- Settlement (indefinite leave to remain) applications
Estimated fees are between £750 – £3000 (excluding VAT)
- Other categories, such as applications on the basis of long residence
Estimated fees are between £750 – £3000 (excluding VAT)
- Immigration Appeals
Estimated fees are between £1500 – £5000 (excluding VAT)
What services are included
Our work will typically 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;
- considering the supporting evidence you have provided;
- 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;
- 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.
- giving you advice about the outcome of the application and any further steps you need to take.
Disbursements
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 and translators fees are usually confirmed in advance.
- 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.
- Where the Home Office refuse 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. Read the current processing times.
We will normally be able to submit the above types of applications within 1-4 weeks 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.