Our Charges

SRA Transparancy rules

Bolt Burdon is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. The SRA is the regulator of solicitors and law firms in England and Wales, whose purpose is to protect the public by ensuring that solicitors meet high standards.

As such, we’re subject to the requirements of the SRA Transparency Rules regarding Pricing and Service Information for certain areas of work.

For further information of the work we undertake within these rules, read on:

Residential conveyancing covering freehold or leasehold sales

We will always send you a quotation so that you are aware of your proposed fees.

Fees are very much dependent upon the location and the value of the property and so it is not possible without further details to give you a total overall cost.

Our fees will include all the work required to complete the sale of your property. All our fees mentioned are exclusive of any VAT which will be added at the current rate, currently 20%.

Our fees for a typical freehold sale range from £1,600 for a simple low value transaction to £7,500 for a high value complex transaction.

For leasehold transactions the range would normally be £1,700 to £8,000.

These may vary if there are additional factors to take into account.

That is why we will always give you an individual quotation before we start work for you.

In addition to our charges there may be additional payments that we will need to make to third parties (called disbursements).

We can give you a better indication of what they are likely to be when we have details of the property. Examples would be Management Company charges which would typically be between £250 and £500 plus VAT.

The precise stages involved in the sale of a residential property vary according to the circumstances.

However, below we have suggested some key stages that you may wish to include:

  • Take your instructions and give you initial advice
  • Obtain the title documents and prepare the draft contract
  • Receive and advise on any enquiries raised by the other solicitor.
  • Obtain further documentation if required
  • Make any necessary enquiries of seller’s solicitor
  • Make the preliminary arrangements to pay off any mortgage(s)
  • Send final contract to you for signature
  • Agree completion date (date from which you own the property)
  • Exchange contracts and notify you that this has happened
  • Complete purchase
  • Deal with the discharges of any mortgage(s)

Additional work may be required such as if:

  • the legal title is defective, or
  • there are problems with the planning or building regulations, or
  • there are missing documents.

It is not possible to accurately guess how long the sale of your property will take as there are too many external factors. Many of these relate to your buyers, such as the return of search results, receiving information from third parties and obtaining an offer from the Lender. It will also depend on any other linked transactions in the chain.  As a rough guide, on average, it usually takes 6 to 8 weeks to the point of exchange of contracts.

These are the members of our team dealing with residential property work – further details about them and their experience can be obtaining by clicking on their name:

Amie McKay is the Team Leader and responsible for supervising the Team Members. Louise Dawson, the Managing Partner, is responsible for overall supervision of the Firm.

Residential conveyancing covering freehold or leasehold purchases

We will always send you a quotation so that you are aware of your proposed fees.

Fees are very much dependent upon the location and the value of the property and so it is not possible without further details to give you a total overall cost. All our fees mentioned are exclusive of any VAT which will be added at the current rate, currently 20%.

For the purchase of a residential property, this is the basic range of charges that we would seek to charge for a freehold and for a leasehold transaction. This will include all the work required to complete your purchase including the payment of any Stamp Duty Land Tax (“SDLT”) and registration of your ownership at the Land Registry.

This will also include all the work behalf of your Lender if you are taking a mortgage and we receive instruction from it too.

Our fees for a typical freehold purchase range from £1,800 for a simple low value transaction to £8,000 for a high value complex transaction.

For leasehold transactions the range would normally be £1,900 to £8,200.

These may vary if there are additional factors to take into account – see below. That is why we will always give you an individual quotation before we start work for you.

In addition to our charges there will be additional payments that we will need to make to third parties. We can give you a better indication of what they are likely to be when we have details of the property.

There will usually be one or more searches to be carried out and this depends on the location of the property. The usual budget would be in the region of £400 to £500 plus VAT.

Further examples would be Landlord and/or Management Company charges which would typically be between £100 and £300 plus VAT.

Additionally there may be SDLT and Land Registry fees to pay. These depend on the value of the property so we cannot inform you what these will be without talking to you first.

More information about these and how they can be calculated is available at the following websites:

SDLT:                 https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/calculate-stamp-duty-land-tax/#/intro

Land Registry:   https://www.gov.uk/guidance/hm-land-registry-registration-services-fees

Additional work may be required such as:

  • if the legal title is defective, or
  • if there are problems with the planning or building regulations, or
  • there are missing documents.
  • you are taking a Help to Buy ISA mortgage.

It is not possible to accurately guess how long the purchase of your property will take as there are too many external factors. These include issues such as the return of search results, receiving information from third parties and obtaining an offer from your Lender. It will also depend on any other linked transactions in the chain.  As a rough guide, on average, it usually takes 6 to 8 weeks to the point of exchange of contracts.

The precise stages involved in the purchase of a residential property vary according to the circumstances.

However, below we have suggested some key stages that you may wish to include:

  • 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
  • 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
  • Complete SDLT return and deal with payment,
  • Deal with application for registration at Land Registry

These are the members of our team dealing with residential property work – further details about them and their experience can be obtaining by clicking on their name:

Amie Mackay is the Team Leader and responsible for supervising the Team Members. Louise Dawson, the Managing Partner, is responsible for overall supervision of the Firm.

Residential conveyancing covering freehold or leasehold re-mortgaging

For standard residential remortgage transactions this is the basic range of charges that we would seek to charge for a freehold and for a leasehold property. All our fees mentioned are exclusive of any VAT which will be added at the current rate, currently 20%.

Freehold    £1000 – £2,200
Leasehold  £1200 – £2,500

Different Lenders have different requirements that we may have to deal with on its behalf. Our fees will cover the redemption of any existing mortgage and the completion and registration of the new mortgage at the Land Registry.

In addition to our charges there will be additional payments that we will need to make to third parties. We can give you a better indication of what they are likely to be when we have details of the property.

A Land Registry fee will usually be payable. More information about these and how they can be calculated is available at the following website:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/hm-land-registry-registration-services-fees

The precise stages involved a remortgage vary according to the circumstances.

However, below we have suggested some key stages.

  • Take your instructions and give you initial advice
  • Check the requirements of your existing lender and obtain a settlement figure.
  • Go through conditions of mortgage offer with you and give you advice on all documents and information received
  • Arrange for all monies needed to be received from lender and discharge any existing mortgage.
  • Complete transaction and deal with application to clear any existing mortgage and register your new mortgage at the Land Registry

It is not possible to accurately guess how long the re-mortgage will take as this is often dependent on external factors and upon any special terms set by the Lender in your offer of mortgage.  As a rough guide, on average, it usually takes 4 weeks from receiving the offer to completion.

These are the members of our team dealing with residential property work – further details about them and their experience can be obtaining by clicking on their name:

Amie Mackay is the Team Leader and responsible for supervising the Team Members. Louise Dawson, the Managing Partner, is responsible for overall supervision of the Firm.

Probate – uncontested and with all assets in UK

The information here applies only to uncontested estates and with all the deceased’s assets in UK.

When providing a quote for our fees for dealing with the administration of an estate, we would prefer to discuss these with you before you instruct us so that we can give you a realistic figure rather than rely on generic figures that may well change when we are aware of the full circumstances. All our fees mentioned are exclusive of any VAT which will be added at the current rate, currently 20%.

Our charges are based on an hourly rate fee for an agreed scope of work.

The hourly rates for members of our team are as follows:

  • Partner £435
  • Senior Associate £390
  • Associate £360
  • Solicitor £280
  • Trainee Solicitor £215
  • Paralegal £175

There may be other options available depending on the circumstances of the case.

We will not proceed with our work until you have agreed our fees and the scope of work to be carried out.

We may split the fees into the different stages of the matter to make it easier for you to understand.

As generic examples these are average fees that we could charge:

Simple case: £5000 – £15,000

Medium complexity case: £15,000 – £20,000

High complexity case: £20,000 – £30,000

Factors that could make a case more complex:

  • A larger number of assets than we would normally expect.
  • A larger number of beneficiaries than we would normally expect or where there are difficulties in locating and/or communicating with beneficiaries.
  • Unusual arrangements arising under the terms of the Will eg Trusts or beneficiaries under 18.
  • To agree and settle inheritance tax with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC)

There may also be payments that need to be made to third parties, examples of which are:

  • Probate Registry Fee:
    • If the value of the estate is over £5,000, the application fee is £273.
    • There’s no fee if the estate is £5,000 or less.
    • You can order extra copies of the probate document for £1.50 each
  • Inheritance Tax – this is charged by HMRC on estates exceeding £325,000. However this tax is very complex and dependent on the value and structure of the assets of the estate – full details and a calculator are available from the HMRC website using this link: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/hmrc-tools-and-calculators#inheritance-tax-and-bereavement

These are the following key stages to administer an estate:

  • Identify the legally appointed executors or administrators and beneficiaries
  • Identify the type of Grant application you will require
  • Obtain the relevant documents required to make the application
  • Complete the Grant Application and the relevant HMRC forms
  • Make the application to the Grant Court on your behalf
  • Collect and distribute all assets in the estate.

Our services do not include the following:  the sale or transfer of the deceased’s property, any Deed of Variation, any personal tax advice to beneficiaries,  advice on or work regarding the deceased’s lifetime tax affairs and advice on Trusts arising under the will.  These matters, if required, will be the subject of a separate fee which we will discuss with you at the time it becomes apparent that they are needed.

It is difficult to give an accurate estimate of the time it will take to complete the work for you. There are too many variable and each estate is different. On average, straightforward estates could be dealt with within 6 – 18 months.

Typically, obtaining the grant of probate takes 3 – 6 month. Collecting assets then follows, which can take between 1 – 6 months. Once this has been done, we can distribute the assets which normally takes 3 – 6 months.

These are the members of our team dealing with probate work – further details about them can be obtaining by clicking on their name:

Helen Beach is the Team Leader and responsible for supervising the Team Members. Louise Dawson, the Managing Partner, is responsible for overall supervision of the Firm.

Employment tribunals – bringing or defending claims for unfair or wrongful dismissal

When providing a quote for our fees for bringing or defending claims for unfair or wrongful dismissal we would prefer to discuss these with you before you instruct us so that we can give you a realistic figure rather than rely on generic figures that may well change when we are aware of the full circumstances.

We will generally be able to give you at least two pricing options.

The first is a fixed fee based on an agreed scope of work. This means that this figure will not change should the scope of the work not be exceeded.

Secondly, we can agree to proceed on the basis of an hourly rate fee, again for an agreed scope of work.

The hourly rates for members of our team are as follows:

  • Partner £435
  • Senior Associate £390
  • Associate £360
  • Solicitor £280
  • Trainee Solicitor £215
  • Paralegal £175

All our fees mentioned are exclusive of any VAT which will be added at the current rate, currently 20%.

There may also be other options available depending on the circumstances of the case.

We will not proceed with our work until you have agreed the basis on which you wish to proceed.

As generic examples these are average fees that we could charge:

Simple case: £7,500 to £12,500

Medium complexity case: £12,500 to £25,000

High complexity case: £25,000 to £40,000

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.
  • The number of witnesses and documents
  • Allegations of discrimination which are linked to the dismissal.

There will be an additional charge for attending a Tribunal Hearing based on 7 hours of the fee earners time for a full day or apportioned accordingly.

Generally the duration of Employment Tribunal hearings are half a day to 15 working days depending upon the complexity of your case.

There may also be payments that need to be made to third parties, known as disbursements, examples of which are:

  • Court fees.
  • Counsel’s fees which could range from £750 to £4,000 per day (depending on experience)

These are the following key stages of a claim:

  • Taking your initial instructions, reviewing the papers and advising you on merits and likely compensation
  • Entering into pre-claim conciliation where this is mandatory to explore whether a settlement can be reached;
  • Preparing claim or response or reviewing and advising on claim or response from other party
  • Exploring settlement and negotiating settlement throughout the process
  • Preparing for (and attending) a Preliminary Hearing
  • Taking witness statements, drafting statements and agreeing their content with witnesses
  • Exchanging documents with the other party and agreeing a bundle of documents
  • Reviewing and advising on the other party’s witness statements
  • Preparing or considering a schedule of loss
  • Preparation and attendance at Final Hearing, including instructions to Counsel.

The stages set out above are an indication and if some of stages above are not required, the fee will be adjusted to reflect this.

We advise on employment but not on any tax or pensions aspects of these claims. If you need specific advice on these matters we can arrange for you to receive this from other specialists in these fields.

The time that it takes from taking your initial instructions to the final resolution of your matter depends on so many factors including the stage at which it is resolved so that it is difficult to give a time estimate. However, if a settlement is reached during pre-claim conciliation, your case is likely to take 1 to 4 weeks. If your claim proceeds to a Final Hearing, your case is likely to take 6 to 9 months. This is just an estimate and we will of course be able to advise your better once we have all the facts available.

These are the members of our team dealing with employment work – further details about them experience can be obtaining by clicking on their name:

Louise Dawson, the Managing Partner, is responsible for overall supervision of the Firm.

Debt recovery – up to £10,000

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.

All our fees mentioned are exclusive of any VAT which will be added at the current rate, currently 20%.

When providing a quote for our fees for dealing with the recovery of a debt for you, we would prefer to discuss these with you before you instruct us so that we can give you a realistic figure rather than rely on generic figures that may well change when we are aware of the full circumstances.

We will generally be able to give you at least two options.

The first is a fixed fee based on an agreed scope of work. This means that this figure will not change should the scope of the work not be exceeded.

Secondly, we can agree to proceed on the basis of an hourly rate fee, again for an agreed scope of work.

The general hourly rates for members of our team are as follows:
• Partner £ 435
• Solicitor £280

There may also be other options available depending on the circumstances of the case.

We will not proceed with our work until you have agreed the basis on which you wish to proceed. We may split the fees into the different stages of the matter to make it easier for you to understand.

Although every case is unique in terms of the time/work required, the commercial importance of the outcome and willingness of parties to fund litigation, a generic range of costs would be from a simple matter where no proceedings were drafted or issued (£800-£1,200) to factually and evidentially more complex matters where proceedings are issued (£4,000-£10,000).

If proceedings are issued this figure may well change, due to the actions of the other party, and there will also be the associated court fees which may be altered at any time, Details of Court Fees are available using this link:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/728133/ex50-eng.pdf

What is important is that before legal costs are incurred, our clients understand the variety of charging methods available to them and whether these make pursuing any debt uneconomic.

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 Acknowledgement of Service or Defence is received, applying to the court to enter Judgement in default.
• When Judgement in default in received, write to the other side to request payment.
• If payment is not received within 14 to 28 days, providing you with advice on next steps and likely costs

It is very difficult to estimate a timescale for these types of matters. It could be resolved by a single letter from us to the debtor or it may need Court action. As a very rough guide, matters usually take 2 to 26 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 Judgement in default. If enforcement action is needed, the matter will take longer to resolve.

These are the members of our team dealing with debt recovery work – further details about them can be obtaining by clicking on their name:

Louise Dawson, the Managing Partner, is responsible for overall supervision of the Firm.

Any pricing information provided under the scope of these Rules should be regarded as generic and should not be relied on as a fixed figure.

All fees referred to in this and the following pages are exclusive of any VAT which will be added at the current rate, currently 20%.

Our firm view is that there are often many variables that will have an impact on our fees. We can give you a much clearer indication if we have the facts of your case before us. We can then provide you with an accurate figure which you can rely on. You will know not only the costs basis but also the scope of the work that we will be carrying out for you.

Our individual quotes will show the VAT due for both our fees and for any disbursements (payments to third parties) that we need to pay as part of the work carried out.