Candour about cost, from the first conversation.
The figures on this page are provided in good faith as a guide; a tailored estimate is always given in writing at the outset of your matter and confirmed in your client care letter. All fees are stated with their VAT treatment; court fees are those in force at the date of this page.
Litigation Services
Civil Litigation Services
At Westbrook Law Ltd, we understand that litigation, whether you are bringing or defending a claim, can be complex, time-consuming, and stressful. Our team provides clear, pragmatic, and robust legal advice tailored to the specific circumstances of your case, ensuring you are fully informed at every stage.
We are committed to helping clients resolve disputes efficiently and, wherever possible, without recourse to court proceedings. We will advise you on all available settlement options, including negotiated settlements, consent orders, and other forms of alternative dispute resolution, with the aim of achieving a cost-effective and timely resolution.
Fees and Charging Structure
Our fees may be offered on either a fixed fee or hourly rate basis, depending on the nature and complexity of your matter.
- In more straightforward cases, we may be able to agree a fixed fee once the scope of work has been assessed.
- In more complex matters, fees will be calculated on an hourly rate basis.
- Our hourly rates vary depending on the seniority and experience of the solicitor handling your matter.
The hourly rates below are provided as a guide to help you estimate potential costs.
All fees are exclusive of VAT, which is charged at the prevailing rate of 20%.
Initial Consultation Fees
| CONSULTATION TYPES | Fees |
|---|---|
| Initial consultation (no document review) (1 Hour Rate) | £200.00 |
| Initial consultation (with document review) (1 Hour Rate) | £300.00 |
List of fee earners status and hourly rates (20% VAT is payable on all fees below):
| GRADES | Fees |
|---|---|
| Grade A | £422.00 |
| Grade B | £327.00 |
| Grade C | £276.00 |
| Trainees and Paralegals | £157.00 |
| Personal Assistant/Secretary | £100.00 |
Our hourly rates follow the Government approved fee guidelines for solicitors which can be assessed here:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/solicitors-guideline-hourly-rates
Debt Recovery Fees
Business to business debt that is undisputed
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 (e.g. if a one off letter is required), or an hourly rate if more extensive work is needed.
| Debt value | Court fee | Our fee |
|---|---|---|
| Up to £5,000 | £35-205 | £2,000 – £3,500 (plus 20% VAT) |
| £5,001 – £10,000 | £455 | £3,000 – £5,000 (plus 20% VAT) |
| £10,001 – £50,000 | 5% value of the claim | £4,000 – £8,000 (plus 20% VAT) |
Anyone wishing to proceed with a claim should note that:
- The VAT element of our fee cannot be reclaimed from your debtor.
- Interest and compensation may take the debt into a higher banding, with a higher cost.
- 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 Judgement in default
- When Judgement in default in received, write to the other side to request payment
- If payment is not received within 28 days, providing you with advice on next steps and likely costs
Matters usually take 4-26 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.
Probate Fees
1.Full Administration of Estate
Applying for the grant, collecting and distributing the assets
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. This includes
- 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
This quote 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 other than 3 bank accounts and cash.
There are no assets abroad
- There are no more than 2 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 is no inheritance tax payable and the executors do not need to submit a full account to HMRC
- There are no trusts in the will.
- There are no missing beneficiaries
- There are no claims made against the estate
- There are no deeds of variation required.
Disbursements
Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as court or search fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.
Anticipated Disbursements not included in the fee
- Probate application fee of £155.00
- £7.00 Swearing of the oath (per executor)
- Bankruptcy-only Land Charges Department searches (£2.00 per beneficiary)
- £250.00 Post in The London Gazette in a Local Newspaper – Protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors. (this is an estimate as it may vary by location )
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 plus 20% VAT (1 per asset usually).
- Dealing with the sale or transfer of any property in the estate is not included.
Timescales
On average, estates that fall within this range are dealt with within 3-12 months. Typically, obtaining the grant of probate takes 3-6 months . Collecting assets then follows, which can take between 4-12 months.
Our Fees
Our fees are calculated i partly on a charge for the time taken to administer the estate and partly on a percentage of the value of the estate. The hourly rate in £235.00 per hour.
Generally it is very difficult to estimate the amount of time required to complete the administration as it is not always clear at the outset whether complicated issues will arise. My best estimate at this stage is that the hourly rates element of our fees will be within the range £3,000 to £5,000 excluding VAT and disbursements.
We charge an additional value element to reflect the complexity of the matter, the expertise and responsibility involved in dealing with the administration and the value of the estate.
Where we are acting for you as the Executor, we charge 0.5% of the gross value of the deceased’s residence and 1% of the gross value of the remainder of the estate.
2.Grant of Probate
We can help you through this difficult process by obtaining the Grant of Probate only on your behalf. You will be responsible for completing the administration yourself.
As part of this service, we will:
curately 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
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.
Anticipated Disbursements
£ 155.00 Probate application fee of
£7.00 Swearing of the oath (per executor)
(£2 per beneficiary) Bankruptcy – only Land Charges Department searches
£250.00 Post in The London Gazette and in a Local Newspaper – Protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors.
This quote is for estates where: there is no inheritance tax payable and the executors do not need to submit a full account to HMRC
TOTAL: fixed fee of £1800.00 (incl. VAT).
Driving Offence Fees:
Drink driving offence, guilty pleas –fixed fee of £545.00. This does not include Vat and disbursements
Fee includes:
- 2 hours attendance/preparation:
- considering evidence
- taking your instructions
- providing advice on likely sentence
- Attendance and representation at a single hearing at the Magistrates Court
- An assumption that our travel time to and from Court will not exceed 2 hours
- that your case concludes within half a day at Court
The fee does 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
- travel time in excess of 2 hours
- any hearing that lasts more than half a day
- additional costs incurred by interviewing witnesses and taking statements from them
- Meet with your solicitor to provide instructions on what happened.
- We will consider initial disclosure, and any other evidence and provide advice.
- We will explain the court procedure to you so you know what to expect on the day of your hearing, and the sentencing options available to the court.
- We will conduct any further preparatory work, obtain further instructions from you if necessary and answer any follow up queries you have.
- We cannot provide a timescale of when your hearing will take place, as this depends on the court listing for that day.
- We will attend court on the day and meet with you before going before the court. We anticipate being at court for .
- We will discuss the outcome with you. If advice is required on appeal, this will carry an additional cost.
Employment Tribunal Fees
Bringing and defending claims before the Employment Tribunal
Our pricing for representing you in bringing and defending claims before the Employment Tribunal.
Simple case: £4,000-£10,000 (excluding VAT charged at 20%)
Medium complexity case: £10,000-£20,000 (excluding VAT charged at 20%)
High complexity case: £25,000-£50,000 (excluding VAT charged at 20%)
The above is not a cap on fees and cases can exceed these costs due to the complexity of the case. It also depends upon the level of experience of solicitor working on your matter. These fees range from £185 + VAT (newly Qualified solicitor) up to £350 + VAT (Head of Department or Partner).
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
- Any appeal to court decisions
- Whether our advice is followed
The more of these factors apply to your case, the higher the level of complexity. In more complex cases additional time will require to be spent on your matter in turn increasing the likely cost.
Disbursements
Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such expert fees (e.g. medical expert to ascertain disability). We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.
Counsel’s fees estimated between £1,000 – £2,500 per day (depending on experience of the advocate) for attending a Tribunal Hearing. There is likely to be a ‘brief fee’ in addition to the above attendance fees, the level of which would depend upon the complexity of your matter and the numbers of days listed. However this could be in the range of £500 + VAT for a simple case to £5,000 + VAT for a high complexity case. Generally we would allow 1-3 days for a low complexity case, 4-7 days for a medium complexity case and 8-10 days for a High complexity case.
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 may 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 and specific quote can be provided upon your instructions.
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 6-8 weeks. If your claim proceeds to a Final Hearing, your case is likely to take 6-12 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 as to the complexity of your case and as the matter progresses. As you will appreciate the Employment Tribunals are also very busy right now and so your case could take longer.
Our website:
- Meeting with us
- Immigration
- Divorce/Children Cases/Financial Relief
- Lease Matters
- Litigation
A tailored estimate, in writing, at the outset.
If the service you require is not listed, contact us and we will provide a written quotation.
Request an Estimate