Our fees

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 £150.00 + 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.

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 – £2,000 (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 – £2,000 (excluding VAT)

• UK Visitor Visas

Estimated fees are between £450 – £2,000 (excluding VAT)

• Applications under the Points-Based system (excluding Tier 1 category: entrepreneurship, investment)

Estimated fees are between £600 – £2,000 (excluding VAT)

• Applications Tier 1 Entrepreneur and Investor

Estimated fees are between £1,500 – £6,000 (excluding VAT)

• Leave to enter or remain under Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules

Estimated fees are between £1000 – £2,000 (excluding VAT)

• Ancestry visas

Estimated fees are between £750 – £3,000 (excluding VAT)

• Settlement (indefinite leave to remain) applications

Estimated fees are between £750 – £3,000 (excluding VAT)

• Other categories, such as applications on the basis of long residence

Estimated fees are between £750 – £3,000 (excluding VAT)

•  Immigration Appeals

Estimated fees are between £1,500 – £5,000 (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.

Hourly rate for employment work – £198 (incl VAT).

Senior Solicitor – £300 (incl VAT)

Our pricing for issuing a claim or a response to a claim for unfair or wrongful dismissal:

• Simple case: £500.00 – £750.00 (excluding VAT)
• Medium complexity case: £750.00 – £1000.00 (excluding VAT)
• High complexity case: £1000.00 – £1,750.00 (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 upon by the parties)
• The number of witnesses and documents
• If it is an automatic unfair dismissal claim e.g. if you are dismissed after blowing the whistle on your employer
• Allegations of discrimination which are linked to the dismissal

There will be an additional charge for attending a Tribunal Hearing of approximately £1,400.00 – 1,800.00 per day (excluding VAT). Generally, we would allow 1-3 days depending on the complexity of your case.

Disbursements

In a complex case, we may instruct a counsel (barrister). Counsel’s fees are subject to confirmation depending on the experience of the advocate for attending a Tribunal Hearing (including preparation).

At the same time, we are very experienced in employment law and our expert consultant solicitor Kuldeep Clair is an accomplished advocate. We can, therefore, make the whole tribunal process much more affordable by not incurring the expenses of a barrister which ultimately you would have to pay. If you wish to instruct a barrister (counsel) for your hearing, we can still do so on your behalf.

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.

Key stages

After issue, there follow many subsequent steps in the preparation of the claim for trial. It may be that we are able to reach a settlement of your claim at any time.

The key stages of the process include:

• 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 claim or response from another 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 a bundle of documents
• Reviewing and advising on the other party’s witness statements
• agreeing on 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 and if some of the stages above are not required, the fee will be reduced. 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.

Costs for this work will depend on the time taken at the hourly rate of our fee-earner dealing with the case. Depending on the complexity of the case, this work could take between 20-30 or even more hours to complete. We can give a better estimate in your case once we have performed an initial case assessment.

If your budget is very tight, we can work on an “advisory” basis so that you retain us for advice on how to conduct your case on an ad hoc basis, as and when you need it. You will have ultimate responsibility for conducting it and complying with procedural rules and deadlines.

Our fees will be lower and we can work within the budget that you set.

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 about 4 weeks. If your claim proceeds to a Final Hearing, your case is likely to take 5-7 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.

We usually apply fixed fees for debt recovery claims based on the value of the debt to recover.

Court Claims

These costs apply where your claim is in relation to an unpaid invoice which is not disputed and enforcement action is not needed. If the other party disputes your claim at any point, we will discuss any further work required and provide you with revised advice about costs if necessary, which could be on a fixed fee (eg, if a one-off letter is required), or an hourly rate if more extensive work is needed.

Anyone wishing to proceed with a claim should note that the costs quoted above are not for matters where enforcement action, such as the bailiff, is needed to collect your debt.

Our fee includes:

• Taking your instructions and reviewing documentation
• Undertaking appropriate searches
• Sending a letter before action
• Receiving payment and sending onto you, or if the debt is not paid, drafting and issuing claim
• Where no Acknowledgment of Service or Defence is received, applying to the court to enter Judgment in default
• When Judgment in default is received, write to the other side to request payment
• If payment is not received within 10 days, providing you with advice on next steps and likely costs

Matters usually take 2-6 weeks from receipt of instructions from you to receipt of payment from the other side, depending on whether or not it is necessary to issue a claim. This is on the basis that the other side pays promptly on receipt of Judgment in default. If enforcement action is needed, the matter will take longer to resolve.

Our fees start from £750 + VAT, hourly rate is £198 (incl. VAT)

Senior Solicitor hourly rate – £300 (incl. VAT)

Fee structure for non-contentious probates:

Grant of representation only 

• Grant of representation where the gross estate value is under £325,000 – £1,250 plus VAT
• Grant of representation where the gross estate value is over £325,000 – £1,750 plus VAT

Estate Administration

• Estate worth under £325k

o   Straightforward estate with one property, no significant debts or complications – £1,500 plus VAT

o   Complex estate with multiple beneficiaries, property, shares and debts – £1,900 plus VAT

• Estate worth over £325k

o   Straightforward estate with one property, no significant debts or complications – £1,650 plus VAT

o   Complex estate with multiple beneficiaries, property, shares and debts – £2,250 plus VAT

Disbursements 

Asset tracing search – £225 plus VAT per hour

We provide legal assistance to the clients in relation to summary only motoring offences under Part I of the Road Traffic Act 1988 and s89 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 and apply fixed fees to the main categories of such cases.

Consultation in conference: £198.00 (incl. VAT)

Consultation with Senior Solicitor – £300 (incl. VAT)

Consultation/preparation includes: 

• considering evidence
• taking your instructions
• providing advice on likely sentence

–      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:

Representations:

• Police Station: Single attendance and representation: £350.00

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: £350.00 (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: £350.00
• Preparation for a complex trial: £750.00 (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 £150.00 + VAT for the work of a trainee solicitor and £225.00 + VAT for the work of a qualified solicitor. 

Trial:

• Representations at trial: £550.00 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 £150.00 +VAT  for the work of a trainee solicitor and £225.00 + 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 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.