Our Legal Fees

At Arden Solicitors Advocates we offer a transparent solicitor’s fee structure and below is an explanation of how we charge. Our Fees will also vary depending on the complexity of each client’s case.

The prices listed on each pages in this section, are for guidance only. The actual fee will depend on the complexity of your case and the seniority of the lawyer dealing with the matter. We will give you an accurate quote in advance of any work undertaken.

All prices are subject to an addition fee for VAT@20%. However, for Immigration cases, if you do not hold a Immigration residence document in the UK, and you are not of EAA/EU nationality, or that you are resident outside the UK or Europe, you may be exempt from paying VAT. This also applies to those holding a visitor visa, or those who have a visa for 6 month or less.

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Immigration and Asylum

The Home Office Immigration and Nationality fee for 2021 is found on the linkhttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visa-regulations-revised-table/home-office-immigration-and-nationality-fees-6-april-2021

For Bail applications, there is no Tribunal fee to be paid.

Immigration hearings

For appeals to the Immigration and Asylum First Tier Tribunal, the fee of £140 (subject to any fee waiver).

Court and Tribunal fees can be found on the link: https://www.gov.uk/court-fees-what-they-are

Additional Fees for Appeals Hearings
The fee for advocacy is based on a single hearing. If there is more than one hearing, there will be a separate fee for a second hearing or an adjourned hearing.

The fees for our professional service exclude any expert report, translations, interpreter, and others. For Appeal hearing, the fee below excludes the court fee and other disbursements.

We also charge separate fee/s for postage, if documents are sent by Recorded delivery/Special delivery/courier/photocopying/travel cost/barrister’s fee/translation etc.

Court fees for Judicial Review are found on the link https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/806195/t613-eng.pdf

We work mostly on fixed fee.

The following types of applications may be charged on an hourly rate:

• Applications for naturalisation or registration under the British Nationality Act 1981, where you have previously been refused.
• Judicial review, on obtaining permission

The quoted fee for fix and hourly rate from £150 excludes VAT(if applicable) plus Disbursements and court fee:

• considering documents
• attending on the client
• taking their instructions and providing advice
• preparing and submitting the application
• Preparing and submitting bundles for court proceedings
• advising the client on timelines and the outcome of their application

The quoted fee, do not include disbursements, such a Home Office fee, IHS, interpreters’ fees, experts, Court fee/IAC fee, barristers fee, expert fee, travel cost,  etc.

We will confirm whether VAT (at a rate of 20%) is payable when you have been instructed and can work out if VAT is properly chargeable.

All the figures given below include VAT charged at 20% unless specifically stated. However, charging VAT in relation to immigration matters may depend on where you live and what immigration permission you have. We will confirm whether VAT (at a rate of 20%) is payable when you instruct us, and we can work out if VAT is properly chargeable.

Number of hours required for cases

1. Immigration applications- around 14 -16 hours  (Average time scale: 3- 5 weeks)
2. Asylum application- around 14-15 hours (Average time scale: 4-12 months)
3. Judicial Review permission application- around 16 hours  (Average time scale: 2-4 months)
4. Judicial Review – on permission being granted – 20 -30 hours (Average time scale: 3-6 months)

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 are able to 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.

Interpreters

Interpreter’s fee means, if required is in addition to any fixed fees.  The fee will depend on the language being used. For the languages spoken at our office, such as Arabic, French, Tamil, Turkish, you will not be charged any interpreter fee as our staff are fluent in these languages. However, you will be charged a fee for the official translation of documents you have provided us. The fee ranges from £40 per page to around £60.00 for any language.

If an Interpreter in another language is required, the fee can range between £20- £30 per hours plus their travel fee (£20.00 for each attendance). The total fee for the interpreter will depend on the number of hours you require.

The number of hours needed will vary on the complexities of the case.

Clients do not always have to use an interpreter of the firm’s choosing, as you can also bring someone who is fluent in English and in your langue, so for example someone from your community centre.

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 2 hours;
• considering the supporting evidence, you have provided, which we anticipate will take 2 to 4 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 10 hours.
• Attendance at a Home Office interview- is additional fee, and this will be a fix fee. The fee will be £500 for London, and £700 if outside London(plus travel cost).
• giving you advice about the outcome of the application and any further steps you need to take.

*If work is done on an hourly rate, the number of hours will depend on the volume of documents, whether they need to be translated, whether expert/s is required, 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 as mentioned above.
• 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, or other travel cost.
• Photocopying cost.
• Travel cost.

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, we will provide you with advice, and assistance in relation to any appeal(if instructed).

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 this type of application within 4 -8 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.

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Family and matrimonial matters

The fee  includes the following;

1. Attending upon you to take instructions and advising you
2. Writing to the other party as to this matter
3. Preparing the divorce petition
4. Application for decree nisi
5. Application for decree absolute
6. The fee includes the current court fee of £593.00
   The procedure may take around  4-6 months for a decree absolute to be obtained.

Plus Disbursement,  such  Process Server for serve of legal documents, or additional court fee, or any other disbursement.

The general rule as to who pays the legal fees in a divorce is that each person getting divorced will pay their legal costs, and the person applying for the divorce (the petitioner) will be responsible for covering the court fee (which is currently £593) and their legal fees.

Declaration of Marital Status (estimate fee is £5,000 plus VAT at 20%). An estimate number of hours is 15 hours to 20 hours, depending on the complexity of your case. The current court fee is £365.00, and counsel fee of around £1,000 plus VAT  at 20% for a court hearing.

Family and matrimonial matters (Hourly rate)
Family and Financial Remedy Matters|
Our fee is charged on an hourly rate of £200 plus VAT at 20%. Disbursements are additional. 

In cases where there are financial and/or child arrangements to resolve, solicitor costs will vary depending on the complexity of the issues and if additional court proceedings are required

We have broken down the work into 2 stages, so that it is easier to understand

Stage 1, our work includes

• Attending upon you to take instruction 
• Consider your documents and to advise
• Letter to other party in order to try to settle. If matter is settled to draft a consent order with an application to the court.  (Time fame around 6-8 weeks).

An average may be around £3,000 to 6,000.00 excluding VAT at 20% and disbursements, and this will depend on the amount of work that needs to be done. There may also be a need for a conference with counsel. 

Stage 2,  If the matter is not settled- Time frame around 5-9 months

• Letter of action to the other side
• Application to the court
• Prepare documents and bundle for disclosure
• Attend hearings(there may be several hearings)
• Prepare witness statement and evidence
• Instruct experts where required
• Prepare chronology and bundle
• Represent at full hearing 
• Advise as to decision

. 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 bundle of documents
• Reviewing and advising on the other party’s witness statements
• Agreeing a list of issues, a chronology and/or cast list
• Preparation and attendance at Final Hearing, including instructions to Counsel
• Any services not included in the price are services by third parties, such as counsel, surveyors, interpreters, search fee,  that might reasonably be expected to be included.
• The experience and qualifications of all individuals, please see About Us on this website.|

An estimate fee may be from £7,000.00 excluding (VAT at 20% and disbursements), and this will depend on the amount of work that needs to be undertaken. There may also be a need for a conference with counsel.

Fees in Civil and Family Court Main fees: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fees-in-the-civil-and-family-courts-main-fees-ex50

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Civil matters (hourly rate)

We undertake work in matters including, breach of contract, professional negligence(poor work carried out by professional, builder, surveyor), landlord and tenant disputes.

We charge on an hourly rate, of £200 plus VAT charged at 20%,  per hour. 

We have broken down the work into 2 stages, so that it is easier to understand. 

Stage 1, Pre-Action 

An average may be around £4,000 to £6,000.00 excluding VAT, and this will depend on the amount of work that needs to be done.  Matter usually takes around 4weeks to 16 weeks.

The above fees, are likely to include the following work;

• Taking your initial instructions, and further instructions throughout the case, and reviewing your documents, and providing ongoing advise.
• Conducting any searches
• Corresponding with the other party, and negotiating to try to reach an agreement/settlement
• Receiving payment if a settlement is reached, and sending teh money to you

For complex matter, there would be additional stages, such as;

• Considering large volume of documents
• Instructing expert/s to advise
• Dealing with unrepresented parties
• Considering a counterclaim

Stage 2, Proceedings

Preparing claim to the court, drafting documents,  or defending a claim. Preparation of a counter claim. Comply with court direction, preparation of witness statement, Disclosure, Court hearing, advise as to the decision. Matter usually takes around 16 weeks to 24 weeks. 

• Services  included  within the displayed price
• 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 claim or response
• Reviewing and advising on claim or response from other 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
• Conference with counsel to advise on case
• preparing bundle of documents
• Reviewing and advising on the other party’s witness statements
• agreeing a list of issues, a chronology and/or cast list
• Preparation and attendance at Final Hearing, including instructions to Counsel
• any services not included in the price are services by third parties, such as counsel, surveyors, interpreters, search fee,  that might reasonably be expected to be included

For complex matters, these may include the following factors;

• The claim is defended
• Making or defending an unforeseen application
• If an Alternative Dispute Resolution method is to be used before the case goes to court
• A large number of witnesses

Estimate of fees

 (a) Simple cases; £2,000 to £6,000, plus VAT at 20% and disbursements

(b) Medium complexity case; £7,000 to £9,000 plus VAT at 20& and disbursements

(c) High complexity case: from £10,000 plus VAT at 20% and disbursements

Disbursements

This will include court fee and  may also include the followings;

• Process Server to serve legal documents
• Counsel fee
• Translation fee
• Expert fee
• Photocopying charges
• Travel cost
• Any other disbursement required to progress the case

Court fee is found on the link  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fees-in-the-civil-and-family-courts-main-fees-ex50

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Employment Law

Employment Tribunal

For Employment, our hourly rate o s£200 plus VAT. An average fee is around £5000 plus VAT, excluding counsel’ s fee of around £2500 plus VAT. If there are other claims brought within the unfair/wrongful dismissal claim, such as discrimination, this will be the same the hourly rate. 

We do not provide insurance policy to cover your legal fee. We advise that if you wish to proceed with this, there is other funding options available, such as cover under an insurance policy and that you will check that with them at their first appointment

Our Legal Fees

Our pricing for bringing and defending claims for unfair or wrongful dismissal

Simple case:  an average legal fee me be around £2000 (excluding VAT, charged at 20%), plus Counsel’s fee of around £2000 plus VAT(20%).

Medium complexity case: £3000 plus Counsel’s fee £2500  (excluding VAT, charged at 20%)

High complexity case: £5000 plus £4000 (excluding VAT, charged at 20%)

We charge based on an hourly rate which varies depending on the member of staff dealing with your matter. Our lowest hourly rate is £200.00(excluding VAT) and our highest hourly rate is £250.00(excluding VAT). The seniority of the members of staff dealing with your case will depend on its complexity. We will discuss this with you when you instruct us.

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 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 counsel to attend a Tribunal Hearing of £2000(excluding VAT, charged at 20%).) for the first day, then around £750(excluding VAT) for additional days (excluding VAT, charged at 20%). Generally, we would allow X-X days depending on the complexity of your case.

Disbursements

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as counsel, court fees, experts fee. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process, such as counsel’s fee, photocopying charges, postal, expert fee, etc.

Counsel’s fees estimated between £2000 to £3000, excluding VAT, charged at 20% (depending on experience of the advocate) for attending a Tribunal Hearing (including preparation). You may also require counsel’ service, for a consultation, prior to the hearing. 

Key stages

The fees set out above cover all of the 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 claim or response
• Reviewing and advising on claim or response from other 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 bundle of documents
• Reviewing and advising on the other party’s witness statements
• agreeing 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 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.

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 6-10 weeks. If your claim proceeds to a Final Hearing, your case is likely to take 16-20 weeks. 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.

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Probate

Our price for probate work in relation to uncontested cases is around £2,500- £3,500.00 plus VAT at 20%, and disbursements.  Our change is on an hourly rate of £150.00 plus VAT(at 20%) for work undertaken. 

This includes both testate and intestate and taxable and non-taxable estates.

You may wish to consider whether you charge different prices based on the value of the estate involved.

Applying for the grant, collecting and distributing the assets

We anticipate this will take between 12 and 25 hours work at £150 per hour plus VAT at 20%. In this case, the costs is estimated at £3,000.00 (+VAT at 20%) = £3,600.00, plus disbursements.

The exact cost will depend on the individual circumstances of the matter. For example, if there is one beneficiary and no property, costs will be at the lower end of the range. If there are multiple beneficiaries, a property and multiple bank accounts, costs will be at the higher end.

We will handle the full process for you. The above estimate of fee is for estates where:

• There is a valid will
• There is no more than one property
• There are no more than 3 bank or building society accounts
• There are no other intangible assets
• There are 1-6 beneficiaries
• There are no disputes between beneficiaries on division of assets. If disputes arise this is likely to lead to an increase in costs
• There are no claims made against the estate
• There is no inheritance tax payable, and the executors do not need to submit a full account to HMRC
• Probate Fees  
• Disbursements (see below)

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.

1. Probate court fee of £155.00 (See PA3)  linkhttps://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/883616/pa3-eng.pdf
2. £7 Swearing of the oath (per executor).
3. Office Copies for grant of Probate (6 copies) £3.00
4. Land Registry search fee 33.00 for each property
5. Land Registry assent fee £80.00 (for property of £500,00.00
6. Bankruptcy-only Land Charges Department searches (£7.00 per beneficiary).
7. £188(estimate) Post in The London Gazette/Local Newspaper – Protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors. This also helps to protect against unexpected claims.
8. Bank charges (CHAPS) £30.00(plus VAT)= £36.00
9. Postage charge plus VAT
10. Inheritance tax- please refer to the link at    https://www.gov.uk/guidance/hmrc-tools-and-calculators

Potential additional costs

• If there is no will or the estate consists of any share holdings (stocks and bonds) there is likely to be additional costs that could range significantly depending on the estate and how it is to be dealt with. We can give you a more accurate quote once we have more information.
• If any additional copies of the grant are required, they will cost £1.50 (1 per asset usually).
• Dealing with the sale or transfer of any property in the estate is not included.

How long will this take?

On average, estates that fall within this range are dealt with within 3-6 months. Typically, obtaining the grant of probate takes 8 weeks. Collecting assets then follows, which can take between 3-6 weeks. Once this has been done, we can distribute the assets, which normally takes 4-5 weeks.

Probate

We can help you through this difficult process by obtaining the Grant of Probate on your behalf. We will also undertake the collecting and distributing of assets.

Inheritance Tax

Please refer to the link at   https://www.gov.uk/inheritance-tax-reduced-rate-calculator

Currently, anyone can leave up to £325,000.00 of their total estate, free of inheritance tax, called the nil rate band, and the first £325,000.00 will not be taxable.  If the person had lived in his house, there will also be a resident nil-rate band (RNRB), which is currently £175,000.00. 

As part of our fee we will:

• Provide you with a dedicated and experienced probate solicitor to work on your matter
• Identify the legally appointed executors or administrators and beneficiaries
• Accurately identify the type of Probate application you will require
• Obtain the relevant documents required to make the application
• Complete the Probate Application and the relevant HMRC forms
• Draft a legal oath for you to swear
• Make the application to the Probate Court on your behalf
• Obtain the Probate and securely send two copies to you
• Collect and distribute all assets in the estate

Example of applying for probate

There is a Will in this case. The decease left his/her residential home, valued at £500,00.00, at the time of death to his 2 sons. He has two executors, who are also his two beneficiaries (his two sons). 

The time for the work undertaken is 15 hours.  Our fee will be £2,250.00 plus VAT (at 20%= £450.00), that being £2,700.00 plus disbursements as above(see list (a)- (i). 

There is no inheritance tax payable in this case, as there us a Nil Rate Band of £325.00 plus a RNRB of £175,000.00. 

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OTHER SERVICES

Court of Protection -fees

For Application fee – please refer to COP44, at   https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1021902/COP44_0921.pdf

Our estimated fee for 2 applications for Welfare  Property or Finance, with up to 2 person to apply to become court- appointed  deputies, our legal fee may be  around £1,000- £1500,00 plus VAT at 20%, plus disbursements. 

Time Scales
Applying  to become a deputy, may take around up to six months on average, and will take longer, if there is a hearing and/or appeal.

As part of our fee, we will

• Take full instructions
• Instructing a medical expert to obtain a medical report as to an assessment for capacity
• Completing the Court application forms  and checking this with you
• Submitting the application to the Court
• Notifying close relatives of the application having been issued
• Advising on receiving the Deputyship order

Additional legal fees
If a hearing fee is required
Our fee around £1,000.00 plus VAT, plus barrister’s fee of around £1,00 plus VAT(at 20%)

Appeal fee (additional legal fees)
Around £2000.00 plus VAT at 20%

Disbursements is fees paid to third parties, and not part of our fee.

1. Application fee
2. Translation fee if required
3. Medical fee
4. Postal fee
5. Any other fee if required

Lasting Power of Attorney

Our fee £200.00 plus VAT per hour.

Our estimated fee for 2 applications for Welfare,  Property or Finance, with up to 2 person to be appointed as attorneys, is around £1,000- £1500,00 plus VAT at 20%, plus disbursements.

Application fee cost is £82.00 to register each LPA unless you are eligible for an exemption.

A reduction or exemption
You can apply for a reduction if you earn less than £12,000. You might also be able to apply for an exemption if you’re on certain benefits, such as Income Support.

Time Scale
The lasting power of attorney (LPA) is to be registered it with the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG).

It may take up to 20 weeks to register an LPA if there are no mistakes in the application.

Disbursements is fees paid to third parties, and not part of our fee.

1. Application fee
2. Translation fee if required
3. Medical fee
4. Postal fee
5. Any other fee if required

Disbursements
Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties. This is paid into our Client Account, before we are able to instruct an expert.

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Our fees explained

For most of our asylum and Immigration matters the fees is fixed.

For those cases where it is not a fix fee, our fees will be charged on an hourly rate. This is explained below.

Hourly rate: The principle will deal with your matter assisted by a paralegal or trainee solicitors. The hourly rate for our Principle, Ms Ariff  is £250.00 + VAT (£50), and the hourly rate for trainee solicitor/ paralegal is £150 + VAT (£30). VAT is charged at 20%.

The range of fees is based on our experience in dealing with this matter. The exact cost of the service depends on the number of hours it will take and depends on the complexity and circumstances of your case.  This includes the followings.

• The amount of supporting evidence that we need to consider
• Which language(s) you speak, and if an interpreter needs to be engaged to assist.
• Whether you are applying with other dependents
• Whether experts need to be instructed

Disbursements

Disbursement have been mentioned above, and an estimate is given for non-court fees. Disbursement may cost less or more than anticipated, and if you have paid us in advance more than the actual cost for your disbursement, we will refund you as part of our final billing, any overpayment for this. 

Contact US

Should you wish to discuss the likely cost of your case, you may contact us by email (secretary@ardensolicitors.com, or by telephone (020 8997 8885).
If you are abroad, you may also contact us by WhatApp, Imo, Skype, Vibre(07884425751).