• Disbursements 
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• 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. 
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• Barrister (Counsel) fees are estimated as between £225 – £450 plus VAT per hour (depending on experience of the Advocate) for drafting documents where necessary and attending court hearings.  These costs will always be discussed with you prior to being incurred. 
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• Sometimes it may be necessary to instruct an agent to attend Court on our behalf.  This may arise if the claim is to be served on the debtor by hand or if the issuing of the claim is time critical.  These costs will always be discussed with the client before the cost is incurred.
  
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• Travelling expenses to and from Court are charged at 45 pence per mile (+ VAT at 20%).  Train and/or parking fees may also be payable
  
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• We may also need to instruct an enquiry / tracing agent on the basis of a fixed fee usually in the region of £100 + VAT at 20%.
  
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• Court claims 
• Debt value                     Court fee 
• Up to £5,000                 £205
• £5,001 – £10,000         £455
• £10,001 – £25,000       5% of the value of the claim 
• £25,001 – £50,000       5% of the value of the claim 
• £50,001 – £100,000     5% of the value of the claim
  
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• The estimated disbursements: 
• Travel expenses for caseworkers: £500
  Government fees (depending on the matter): £500-£1,500
  Experts (including translator): £500-£1,000
  Total estimated disbursements for Debt recovery: £1,500-£3,000 
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• Time Scales 
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• A typical debt recovery will take between 4-26 weeks, from instruction through to payment from the other side. This may be quicker or longer depending on whether we are required to issue a claim and whether the other side pays promptly on receipt of any Judgment issued by a court. As detailed above, if enforcement action is required, we will discuss the fees and timescales involved.  Matters may take longer to resolve if court proceedings are required as we would have to take into account the delays caused by the speed of response of the courts. 
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• Stage 1 – PreAction 
• The work we will undertake PreAction is receiving client instructions, reviewing the documents involved and preparing a letter before action. 
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• Stage 2 – Issuing claim 
• For Stage 2 to commence, no response from the other party asserting a dispute will have been received. Our debt recovery fee is for preparing the claim form and particulars of claim, arranging issue and service of proceedings by relevant Court – NB. these are the preliminary steps for starting a Court claim. Typically this work will take 4-6 weeks from preparing the documents to the Court sending the documents to the other party and providing confirmation that the action has been started. 
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• Stage 3 – Obtaining Judgement/Enforcement 
• There are two stages to Stage 3, they are 
• a) obtaining and  b) enforcing judgement
  
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• a) Additional Court fees payable depends on the method of enforcement taken. You can see these fees here.
  b) Our typical legal fee ranges for enforcing judgement are as follows:
  
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• Method of Enforcement
  
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  Our fee is for preparing the necessary applications and arranging for issue/service by the Court. 
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• Typically the work for Method of Enforcement ( Debtor to attend Court for questioning , Bailiff action and Attachment of Earnings order ) will take 3-4 weeks. 
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• Typically the work for Method of Enforcement Charging order – will take 4-10 weeks. 
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• Debt Protocol procedure 
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• The Debt Protocol procedure came into effect in October 2017. It does not apply to all cases but it applies to any business (including a sole trader or public body) claiming payment of a debt due from an individual (including a sole trader). In the event that it applies, appropriate additional correspondence and information has to be sent out to the debtor before court proceedings can be issued. This will increase the costs that would be incurred as that correspondence needs to be prepared and reviewed and it will delay progress in the matter as there are statutory time limits available for the debtor that then need to be observed before any court proceedings can be commenced.  If any other action is required then the exact costs of that will depend upon the individual circumstances of each particular case. 
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• All fees and costs shown above are exclusive of Value Added Tax (VAT) which will be added where applicable to each bill. Our rates are subject to review annually. If the rate applicable to a particular matter is varied through that review the client will be notified in writing at the time

The estates that we administer tend to be complex. The exact cost of administering an estate is difficult to estimate but if we have the answers to the following questions we will be able to provide a tailored quotation of the work –  and cost – likely to be involved:

Is there a valid will?
How many beneficiaries are there to consider?
How many properties are included?
What type of investments are there?
Are there any specialist assets such as heritage items?

Equally we will also need to factor in:
 the complexities around the submission of the inheritance tax return and the nature and extent of any pre-death tax or other planning which has been done;
the need for any post-death planning, such as a variation of the will provisions; and
any cross-border aspects, for example where the testator or the beneficiaries lived or lives abroad.

All of these factors will be taken into account and will form the basis on which we work.

If we were instructed to apply for a grant of probate for an estate:
with straightforward assets (which do not include non-UK assets);
where there is no dispute in relation to the distribution of the estate;
where there is no inheritance tax liability; and
where our role is limited to:
liaising with the executors and taking their instructions;
obtaining details of the value of the estate;
preparing the probate application; 

Our fee estimates are calculated on an hourly basis. The charge-out rates for our fee earners vary between £150 to  £225 per hour depending on their seniority and experience. All fee estimates shown are exclusive of VAT which will be added where applicable to each bill.

There are also third-party charges which will be added to the invoice. These include

Probate fees which are by the UK government;
advertising in (a) the London Gazette and (b) a local newspaper estimated at £200; and
searches (where relevant).

On average, the administration of this type of estate should be completed within a period of 4 to 8 months.

Typically, the stages of the administration would be:

obtaining the grant of probate – 3 to 6 months;
collecting the assets – 3 to 6 weeks; and
distributing the assets – 1 week.

The fee estimate given above does not include the completion of inheritance tax returns or negotiating with HMRC, nor would it include any actual transfer of assets within the estate (such as investments or properties) to the ultimate beneficiaries. These services would be charged on an hourly basis. If there is no will, costs may vary significantly depending on the nature of the estate and how it is distributed. In these circumstances, we will provide a bespoke fee estimate once all the relevant factors have been established.

All fees and costs shown above are exclusive of Value Added Tax (VAT) which will be added where applicable to each bill. Our rates are subject to review annually. If the rate applicable to a particular matter is varied through that review the client will be notified in writing at the time

The estimated disbursements:
Travel expenses for caseworkers: £500
Government fees (depending on the matter): £500-£1,000
Experts (including translator): £500-£1,000
Total estimated disbursements for Wills & Probate: £1,500-£2,500

Motoring Offences – Magistrates Court Hearings only

Speeding Offences (Guilty Plea)  
   
    For written representation on a speeding offence, defence costs are between £300 and £400 + VAT @20%
    Representation for a guilty plea in Court will cost between £500 and £600+ VAT @20%
    If the PSR is ordered and a return day is booked to attend the Court, or the Court needs assistance with the sentence following (1) (Exceptional Hardship / Totting up Penalty Points) – £300 + VAT @20%
 
    Drink Driving / Drug Driving / Failing to Provide a Specimen    
Guilty Plea – £500 – £600+ VAT @20%
    If the PSR is ordered and a return day is booked to attend the Court following the guilty plea – £300 + VAT @20%
    Not Guilty Plea and trial – £1000-£2000+ VAT @20%
    Sentencing following the guilty verdict – £300 – £400+ VAT @20%

Crown Court hearings:  Early Guilty plea and referral to the Crown Court for Sentence – £300+ VAT @20%
Not Guilty plea – £3000 and higher + VAT @20% (depending on complexity of the case) Sentencing following the guilty verdict – £300 – £400+ VAT @20%

Barrister (Counsel) fees are estimated as between £225 – £450 plus VAT per hour (depending on experience of the Advocate) for drafting documents where necessary and attending court hearings. These costs will always be discussed with you prior to being incurred.

The estimated disbursements:
Travel expenses for caseworkers: £500
Government fees (depending on the matter): £500-£1,500
Experts (including translator): £500-£1,000
Total estimated disbursements for Motoring offences: £1,500-£3,000

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:
first appearance – no guilty plea. Listing for PTPH
PTPH
1st stage: disclosure
2nd stage: Defence statement
3rd stage: further disclosure
4th stage: complaints for non-compliance from Defence or requests; applications for third party summons
Trial
senetencing if found guilty

Representations:
Police Station: Single attendance and representation: £350
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 (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
Preparation for a complex trial: £750 (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 + VAT for the work of a trainee solicitor and £225 + VAT for the work of a qualified solicitor.

Trial:
Representations at trial: £550 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 +VAT  for the work of a trainee solicitor and £225 + 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.
The estimated disbursements:

Travel expenses for caseworkers: £500
Government fees (depending on the matter): £500-£2,000
Experts (including translator): £500-£2,000
Total estimated disbursements for Civil proceedings: £1,500-£4,500

Value Added Tax (VAT) is attracted to most of the services we provide, in accordance with the UK tax laws. VAT is charged on the taxable supply of goods and services made in the course of business, and it is added to the price of these goods and services. The standard VAT rate in the UK is currently 20%, and this rate applies to most goods and services. However, some goods and services are subject to reduced rates of VAT or are exempt from VAT altogether. In terms of the legal services provided by Sterling Law, the VAT rate is generally 20% unless an exemption applies. For example, certain services related to the representation of a client in court or in a dispute resolution process may be exempt from VAT. It is important to note that VAT regulations can be complex, and the application of VAT to specific goods or services may depend on various factors.