Our Pricing
Our aim is to provide a straightforward guide for the rates we charge relating to the services we deliver. We will adopt a flexible approach to meet your needs which will include:
Hourly Rates
This is based on the amount of time spent on your matter and although we will have no way of knowing what this will be at the outset, we will provide you with a cost estimate based on our experience of matters similar to your circumstances. See the side panel for a more detailed information on our hourly rates.
Fixed Fees
At the outset of a matter we will agree to act on your behalf on the basis of a fixed fee and you will be told at the outset what the fee will be, and the fee will be confirmed in the engagement letter.
Should additional work be required, or should the transaction be more complicated then we reserve the right to review this fee. Any additional costs will be agreed prior to the work being carried out.
Conditional Fee Arrangements (CFA)
A conditional fee agreement or CFA is an agreement with us which would provide for your fees and expenses, or any part of them, to be paid only in certain circumstances – usually only if your case is successful.
Damages Based Agreements (DBA)
A DBA is an agreement under which we would make no charge for our services during a case. Instead, if the claim succeeds, we are paid a percentage (agreed at the outset of the case) of the damages recovered by you.
Legal Expenses Cover
This could either be Before the Event (BTE) or After the Event (ATE). BTE legal expenses is an insurance policy often found on home or car insurance. We will review your case and consider any BTE insurance you may have. If you do have BTE insurance, we will work with your insurances to secure funding for your case.
ATE legal expense insurance is only appropriate for some cases and is usually to insure against the risk of losing and you having to pay the other side’s costs. Our Solicitors will work with you to consider whether ATE would be suitable and assist you in any application for ATE.
Hourly Rates
At Bendles we like to be clear on the pricing and the expected cost of your work. As such we provide an initial estimate based on your instructions, our own experience and the circumstances of the matter.
You will be informed at the outset who will be dealing with the matter for you and their current charging rate. In the table below our current hourly charges are detailed.
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Assistant Solicitors / CILEX (+4 years PQ) | |
Assistant Solicitors / CILEX | |
Trainee Solicitor / Paralegal | |
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All of the above charges are subject to VAT at the current rate. Other methods of funding such as fixed fee, CFA’s, DBA’s and insurance funding are available in some areas. Please contact us for further information.
Probate Fees
We like to offer a straightforward and clear pricing structure for our probate fees. At the outset of the administration, we will agree with you the basis of our charges for the administration. Our charges are:
Application for Grant of Probate | Administration of the Estate Minimum | Administration of the Estate (average) |
| | 1%-2% of the Gross Estate |
Our costs exclude VAT.
Disbursements
These are expenses related to the estate that are payable to third parties, such as the probate office fees. Typical disbursements in probate matters are:
| Additional Grant of Probate Copies | Bankruptcy and Insolvency Checks | | |
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Further disbursements maybe required based on the assets to be administered.
Timescales
Completing a Probate can be a time-consuming matter.
The application for just the Grant of Probate can take around 4-8 weeks. This is dependent on the probate registry and their workload and all the information required from you being available.
For the administration of smaller straightforward Estates, the timescale is usually somewhere between three to six months but for larger Estates (which are often taxable) the time it takes to administer the Estate can take anything from six months to eighteen months and very occasionally for very large/complex Estates with a number of assets, beyond that. This includes protection for the executors against any claims made against the estate.
We will advise at an early stage the estimated time that we think the administration of the Estate would take.
Our charges would not include work such as:
- Trusts to be setup with the Estate assets;
- Beneficiaries searches;
- Property sales;
- Business advice in relation to the Estate Assets.
In relation to these matters we can provide you with a quote for our fees.
Residential Conveyancing Costs
The purchase or sale of a new home can be a daunting experience as such our team at Bendles is there to make the process as simple and straightforward as possible.
We offer a range of fixed fee options for the sale or purchase of residential properties, both freehold and leasehold.
Our standard fees for residential matters are:
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Property Price Band
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Sale Fees
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Purchase Fees
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0 – 125,000
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£650.00
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£725.00
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125,001 – 175,000
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£740.00 to £810.00
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£815.00 to £910.00
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175,001 – 225,000
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£795.00 to £940.00
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£865.00 to £970.00
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225,001 – 275,000
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£860.00 to £1,000.00
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£925.00 to £1,100.00
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275,001 – 350,000
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£990.00 to £1,150.00
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£1,030.00 to £1,125.00
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350,001 – 400,000
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£1,060.00 to £1,300.00
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£1,125.00 to £1,400.00
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400,001 – 450,000
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£1,125.00 to £1,400.00
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£1,225.00 to £1,500.00
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450,001 – 500,000
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£1,225.00 to £1,500.00
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£1,300.00 to £1,600.00
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500,001 – 600,000
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£1,300.00 to £1,675.00
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£1,400.00 to £1,750.00
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600,001 – 700,000
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£1,350.00 to £1,750.00
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£1,450.00 to £1,825.00
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700,001 – 850,000
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£1,400.00 to £1,825.00
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£1,525.00 to £1,900.00
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850,001 – 1,000,000
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£1,475.00 to £1,900.00
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£1,575.00 to £1,975.00
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Certain transactions may be subject to extra charges these include (but are not limited to):
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Matrimonial transfer
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£555 (+£100 for remortgage)
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Approval of matrimonial transfer
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£350 + VAT
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If file opened – if not, time recorded
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Remortgage fees
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£530 + VAT
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Right to Buy
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£500 + VAT & disb
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Lease renewal
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£500 + VAT & disb
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First Registration
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£450 – £850 + VAT + disb
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ADDITIONS:
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Newbuild
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Add £250 + VAT
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Unregistered
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Add £150 + VAT
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Leasehold
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Add £250 + VAT
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Housing Association
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Add £250 + VAT
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Help to Buy ISA/LISA
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Add £50 + VAT
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LMS
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Include £35 + VAT
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CHAPs fee
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£30 + VAT
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All prices are subject to VAT at the current rate.
Disbursements
In conveyancing matters you will be asked to pay for disbursements. These are costs payable to third parties such as the search providers, Stamp Duty Office or the Land Registry. We will liaise with all the third parties to ensure that the transaction completes as quickly and smoothly for you as possible.
The disbursements will be outlined at the beginning of your matter however some may be requested at a later stage, such as by your mortgage provider. Disbursements differ depending on whether your matter is a sale, purchase or both. Disbursements could include:
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Land Registry Fees of official copies | |
Electronic money transfer fee | |
Search fees (depending on location) | |
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Land Registry priority search fee | |
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Stamp Duty or Land Tax
only applicable on purchase | |
Timescales
The timescale for the completion of your matter can be subject to a number of different factors such as your transaction being in a chain, the speed of mortgage lenders and other solicitors, complexity or search result delays. However, the average process usually takes between 8 – 12 weeks from us receiving the contract paperwork to completion.
In relation to leasehold matters, which include a lease renewal, these matters can take longer due to the complexity. However, the average would be between 8 – 20 weeks.
Steps up to and including Completion:
Some matters are not included in our fees these include:
- Financial advice;
- Valuations;
- Inheritance and probate advice (contact the private client department);
- Tax advice;
- Advice or preparation of a Declaration of Trust (we can ask one of the members of the private clientdepartment to contact you).
Where these excluded services fall within our expertise, we can provide you with an estimate of our charges for these services.
Debt Recovery
Our Debt Recovery team have an excellent reputation for the successful recovery of money owed to our clients. If you wish to speak to member of the team about an individual or business that owes you money, please contact us.
Initial Debt Recovery Work | Fee Charged if Money is Recovered |
Taking initial instructions from you, considering paperwork and writing up to two solicitor’s letters. | |
Obtaining Default Judgment- IF no defence filed. (Including preparation of documents for Court proceedings, issue and service of Claim Form and applying for Judgment). | |
If a Judgment has been obtained, consideration must be given as to how that is to be enforced. The most common methods are:
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Warrant of Control
This is by the County Court Bailiff and includes up to four visits by the bailiff or the final return, whichever is soonest | |
Writ of Control
This is by a High Court Enforcement Officer | £100 + Court fee + HCEO fees. |
Charging Order
if a hearing is not necessary | |
Charging Order
if a hearing is necessary | £400 + Court fee + Land Registry fees |
Attachment of Earnings Order | |
Third Party Debt Order
to include attendance at hearing of application | |
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Petition / court proceedings | Our normal hourly charging rates will apply. |
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Application for the debtor to attend court to provide information if attendance at court required
Process server fee may also be required | |
Application for the debtor to attend court to provide information + attendance at court if required
Process server fee may also be required | |
Use of Enquiry Agent to trace debtor or obtain information | |
The above charges are for routine and undefended debt matters. All of the above will be subject to VAT at the current rate. Hearings at a non-local court may cost more and/or involve agent’s fees. All the above charges are payable ONLY if money is recovered from the debtor. Any costs or late payment penalties recovered from the debtor are retained by this firm. For defended claims or insolvency matters a no win no fee service is also sometimes available.
Employment Tribunal Fees
This information only relates to wrongful or unfair dismissal claims. Please contact us for further information relating to other cases.
A range of funding options are available in Employment matters including hourly rates, fixed fees, Damages Based Agreements (no win no fee, with disbursements sometimes payable) and insurance-based funding. The hourly rates are between £130 to £275 (excluding VAT) per hour, depending upon whether a trainee solicitor/paralegal, solicitor, partner or head of department is carrying out the work.
Example Costs
The costs of pursuing or defending an Employment Tribunal claim are difficult to estimate without further details. We advise they you should contact one of our experts on 01228 522215 to discuss the matter. This will enable our experts to provide you with an estimate based on your circumstances.
There are a number of factors that can determine the costs of Tribunal proceedings including (but not limited to):
- The number of witnesses
- The stage of our instructions
- The documents that are required
- Other elements of employment laws such as discrimination
- The need for initial (preliminary) hearings
- The length of the estimated hearing
A range of costs* could be from £3,000 to £18,000 plus VAT. More complicated multiday hearings may exceed these figures.
Disbursements
You may have to pay disbursements as you progress your case. These are costs payable to third parties, such as court fees. You may in Employment Tribunal matters wish to instruct a Barrister or Counsel to represent you. We will discuss this with you during your matter. Our solicitors carry out most of the advocacy on Employment Tribunal matters themselves.
There are currently no Court fees for pursuing an Employment Tribunal claim since they were abolished in 2017.
What Does This Cover?
The fees set out above cover all of the work required to take the matter from initial instructions to a final hearing. They do not cover the costs of enforcing any judgement if this is not received.
In Employment Tribunal matters the level of work and key stages depends on the individual circumstances of the case however this is likely to include:
- Taking your initial instructions
- Considering and reviewing your documents and advising you in writing of your prospects of success and likely award;
- Initial discussion with the other party or their representatives;
- Further negotiations through ACAS early conciliation;
- Preparing the Employment Tribunal documentation such as a Claim (ET1) or Defence (ET3);
- Preparing a quantum schedule detailing your loss and expected reward;
- Preparing for and continuing the Employment Tribunal process including:
- attendance at meetings or Preliminary Hearings;
- exchanging documents with the other party;
- witness statements;
- the bundle of documents;
- attendance at a final hearing.
Timescales?
As with costs much depends on the case and its circumstances, and we will update as your case progresses. If the matter is resolved quickly then the timescale should be within 2-6 weeks of your instructions. However, most matters that settle prior to hearings do so in an average of 8-16 weeks.
If your claim proceeds to a Final Hearing, your case is likely to take 26-52 weeks depending on the likely length of the hearing. This is the average time provided by ACAS, however much depends on the listing availability at the Employment Tribunal.
*Please note the costs and estimates given above are solely in relation to wrongful or unfair dismissal claims.
