Clear, Transparent Pricing for Legal Services
Know Your Costs Upfront with No Hidden Fees
Looking for clear legal pricing?
Beers ensures full transparency with no hidden costs, so you can budget with confidence.
We have outlined the fees and any additional expenses for each of the services we offer, together with the likely disbursements. These are fees we pay on your behalf, some of which are subject to VAT, and we will confirm them to you at the beginning of your matter.
Where we say a figure is “plus VAT” this means there will be Value Added Tax in addition to that amount at the rate set from time to time by HMRC. The current rate is 20% so a fee of £250 plus VAT represents an actual cost to you of £300.
Depending on the type of work, our fees will either be fixed or on an hourly rate basis and we will advise you of these costs at the outset. Where our fees are charged with reference to our hourly rates, we will provide you with our best estimate of the likely fees for your matter before commencing work. Details of our team, their qualifications, and hourly rates are available below.
If it becomes apparent that there are unforeseen circumstances in connection with the transaction, we may have to increase our charges. If that is the case, we shall inform you before we incur any additional costs. If, for any reason, the transaction is aborted, there will be a charge for the work undertaken up to the point we are informed that the transaction is no longer proceeding.
No Surprises, Just Clear Costs
Our Fees Explained
Residential Property
Residential Property Work – Details of our Charges
This note is intended to give you more information on the cost of our residential property services.
Every property transaction is different, and our fees will reflect the particular requirements of each individual sale or purchase.
For example, dealing with a listed building or an unregistered title may, because of the added complexities, cost more than dealing with a straightforward property.
The best way of getting a clear and realistic estimate of our costs in each case is to email or speak to one of our conveyancers with details of your transaction. They can then produce a detailed estimate for you.
Our fees cover all of the work required to complete the purchase of your new home including dealing with registration at Land Registry and dealing with the payment of stamp duty land tax if the property you wish to buy is in Wales.
What follows is a broad outline of the likely fees payable in residential transactions, but these figures will vary in cases with special complications. For this reason, it is always better to get an individual costs estimate at the start of a transaction from us. We will always advise you immediately about any complications and discuss the potential impact on price before any additional charges are incurred.
| Freehold Property | Our Fees |
|---|---|
| £100,000 to £200,000 | £750 to £950 plus VAT |
| £200,001 to £500,000 | £900 to £1,500 plus VAT |
| £500,001 to £1,000,000 | £1,500 to £3,500 plus VAT |
Leasehold Property
These properties will attract a further charge, which is usually between £250 and £300 plus VAT to deal with the work involved in checking the Lease terms and dealing with managing agents and service charge issues. On a sale, you will need to pay for the LPE1 pack from the landlord which can cost between £100 and £400.
Newbuild Properties
These will similarly usually cost an additional £250 plus VAT to cover the costs of dealing with the investigations into the developer’s title and considering the terms of the various planning and infrastructure agreements.
In addition to the above legal costs, you will also have to pay search fees. Again, these vary from transaction to transaction and from geographical area to geographical area, but are usually in the region of about £250 for a straightforward residential property.
You will also have to pay Land Registry fees, in accordance with the Land Registry’s fee scale (available at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/hm-land-registry-registration-services-fees ). You may also need to pay stamp duty land tax at the prevailing rates (see https://www.gov.uk/stamp-duty-land-tax/residential-property-rates for details). We will let you know the likely amount of stamp duty land tax and Land Registry fees as part of our estimate.
Commercial Property
Please do not hesitate to contact our commercial property lawyers to discuss your needs, and we will be happy to provide you with a competitive estimate
Probate and Estate Administration
PROBATE AND ESTATE ADMINISTRATION – DETAILS OF OUR CHARGES
We can assist you with as much or as little of the probate process as you would like and there are different fee structures and timescales depending on your instructions. The majority of our work is undertaken on a time recorded basis with reference to our hourly rates which are as follows:-
| Zoë Le Fort (TEP) | Solicitor, Partner and Head of Private Client | £278 plus VAT |
| Michael Le Fort | Higher Rights Solicitor and Partner | £278 plus VAT |
| Kate Shute | Associate Member of CILEx | £210 plus VAT |
| Elliot Brooking | Trainee Solicitor | £134 plus VAT |
COSTS
Grant Only: Our fees for obtaining a Grant only range from £1,250 to £1,750 plus VAT and disbursements (please see below for a list of potential disbursements). In this case we would ask you to provide us with the information required to complete the Inland Revenue documentation and Oath and once the Grant has been received we will forward it to you to deal with the assets personally. We only offer this service if the estate is under the nil rate band for inheritance tax.
Simple Admin: Our fees for the administration of an estate where the value does not exceed the nil rate band for inheritance tax can range from around £3,500 for a simple transaction to £7,500 for an estate that has numerous bank accounts and shareholdings, shareholdings abroad, numerous beneficiaries and/or beneficiaries abroad.
Complex Admin: Our fees for an administration of an estate where the value exceeds the nil rate band for inheritance tax can range from around £4,950 where a claim for a transferred nil rate band is available to £30,000 where there is a requirement for a full inheritance tax account with added complexities for example exemptions or reliefs to be claimed from inheritance tax and several properties
These figures may, however, vary in cases with special complications. We will always give you an individual cost estimate at the start of the transaction, taking into account the actual features of the estate. We will always advise you immediately about any complication and discuss the potential impact on price before any additional charges are incurred.
All of these figures are subject to VAT at 20% being the current rate in force.
In the course of the administration of the estate, we will:-
- collect the information from the assets and liabilities to obtain valuations as at the date of death
- advise legatees and residuary beneficiaries of their interest in the estate
- collate the paperwork to deal with Income Tax position in the tax year to the date of death
- prepare a schedule of assets and liabilities for the executors’ approval
- draft the court and Inland Revenue paperwork and arrange for the executors to sign the same
- apply for the Grant of Probate and settle any Inheritance Tax due
- correspond with the Capital Taxes Office of HM Revenue and Customs to settle the Inheritance Tax position
- register the Grant of Probate with the various asset holders and proceed to collect in the assets
- deal with the transfer of the property (registered at the Land Registry) into the beneficiaries’ names
- settle the legacies and debts of the estate
- prepare a full set of estate accounts
- deal with the income tax during the administration period
- arrange for payment of the residue of the estate
- agree the administration period and Income Tax position with the Inland Revenue.
- provide the residuary beneficiaries with details of the income they have received during the administration period
- if instructed on a full administration basis we provide you with generic advice about tax efficiency and the interaction between inheritance tax and capital gains
In addition to the firm’s costs there are potential additional costs which need to be settled (disbursements). These could be:
- Probate application fee of £300.00
- Bankruptcy only Land Charges Department searches £2 per name
- £100 – 200 Advert in the London Gazette (required to protect executors)
- £100 – £200 Advert in the local newspaper (as above)
- Additional copies of the Grant are charges at £1.50 per copy (usually 1 per asset)
- Valuation fees from estate agents, stockbrokers etc
- Inheritance Tax
- Transfer fees for property and shareholdings
There may be additional charges should you wish us to deal with any of the following and we would provide you with a quote for your approval prior to undertaking the work:-
- If any of the property or land is unregistered land
- Advising beneficiaries with regard to their own Inheritance Tax or Capital Gains Tax position
- Advising on and dealing with any trust written into the will
- Dealing with foreign property or assets
Timescales
On average simple estates these estates are dealt with within 6 to 12 months, where there is no requirement to submit an Inheritance Tax return to HMRC and providing all persons and companies contacted respond promptly to all queries. Typically obtaining the Grant within 16 to 20 weeks. Collecting the assets then follows which can take between 4 to 8 weeks depending on the assets involved. Once this has been done if there are no added complications we can distribute the estate.
On average complex estates these estates are dealt with within 9 to 18 months. Typically obtaining the Grant within 8 to 10 weeks. Collecting the assets then follows which can take between 2 to 8 weeks. Once this has been done we often have to wait for HMRC to give clearance before we can distribute the estate.
Where the firm is appointed as executors of the estate these timescales can vary.
Our team
Our team, headed up by Zoë Le Fort, has years of collective experience in delivering high quality work in all matters relating to wills and estate administration. The team has particular expertise in high value estates, obtaining agricultural and business property relief and inheritance tax matters.
*The above fees and estimates only apply to uncontested cases with all assets in the UK. They are accurate as of November 2024 but are subject to review every 6 months. Hourly rates are reviewed annually in April.
** We would also mention, at present, the timescales mentioned above are varying considerably. This is, in part, due to the lasting effects of COVID but also delays at the Probate Registry, following a change to their systems, HM Revenue & Customs and the Land Registry. These delays can affect the completion of the administration process in the timescales quoted. It can therefore be up to 12 – 18 months for simple estate and the more complex estates can see delays meaning that conclusion may not happen for 18 – 24 months after death. We appreciate these delays are frustrating for all parties but we will do all we can to complete matters as promptly as practicably possible.
Employment Tribunals
EMPLOYMENT TRIBUNALS – FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AND BUSINESSES BRINGING OR DEFENDING A CLAIM FOR UNFAIR OR WRONGFUL DISMISSAL
Our pricing for bringing and defending claims for unfair or wrongful dismissal where you instruct us on a private paying basis are as set out below and are based on the assumption that the case is contested and there is a final hearing before the Tribunal to determine the lawfulness of the dismissal and at which hearing any remedy (i.e. damages/compensation) is also determined by the Tribunal.
Please note our prices may vary from case to case and that is why if you instruct us we will always give you an individual costs estimate at the start of the transaction taking into account the actual features of your claim as known by us at that time.
We will also always advise you immediately about any complications and discuss the potential impact on price before any additional charges are incurred.
Damages Based Agreement (DBA)
In some cases for members of the public we will accept instructions on a Damages Based Agreement (DBA) if we consider the merits of the case and prospects of success are good. We will make that assessment at the earliest opportunity and usually within the first 7 days after taking instructions from you and your providing us with any documentation that we requested from you to make our assessment. Where we agree to act on a DBA our fees for our work will be calculated as a percentage of the Damages (which can be no more than 35% inclusive of VAT) that are awarded to you. Any other costs, such as payment of Counsel’s fees or expert’s fees, are payable in addition to the percentage we agree for our fees for our work. Where we accept such instructions on a DBA we will explain in writing and verbally the terms and conditions of the DBA.
Legal Expense Insurance (LEI)
them to legal representation for their claim under the policy subject to their insurer’s terms and conditions. If you believe that you may have a LEI policy that might entitle you to legal representation you should check with your insurance company immediately.
Our fees for unfair or wrongful dismissal claims on a private paying basis: –
A simple case: £2,800 – £4,200 (excluding VAT) based upon an estimation of between 10-15 hours work at £280 per hour exclusive of VAT. Please note these costs exclude any personal attendance by us or Counsel at the Tribunal for the final hearing. Generally, for a simple case we would estimate the final hearing will last 1 day and fees for representation by us or Counsel could be £1,120 – £1,680 (excluding VAT).
A medium complexity case: £4,800 – £8,000 (excluding VAT) based upon an estimation of between 15-25 hours work at £320 per hour exclusive of VAT. Please note these costs exclude any personal attendance by us or Counsel at the Tribunal for the final hearing. Generally, for a case of medium complexity we would estimate the final hearing will last between 2-3 days and fees for representation by us or Counsel could be £1,280 – £2,560 per day (excluding VAT).
A high complexity case: £11,900 – £15,300 (excluding VAT) based upon an estimation of between 35 – 45 hours work at £340 per hour exclusive of VAT. Please note these costs exclude any personal attendance by us or Counsel at the Tribunal for the final hearing. Generally, for a case of high complexity we would estimate the final hearing will last between 3-5 days and fees for representation by us or Counsel will be £2,040 – £2,720 per day (excluding VAT).
All cases have aspects that are complicated and from time to time more experienced lawyers at £340 plus vat may work on the case. We will let you know if this happens and if it changes the overall estimate. There will be supervision of all cases on the two lower rates and so a case may have different charging rates at different stages of the case depending on the complexity of the case at that particular time. Again, we will let you know when this happens and if it changes the overall estimate
Factors that could make a case more complex include the following: –
- 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. where a member of the public is dismissed after blowing the whistle on their employer.
- Allegations of discrimination which are linked to the dismissal
Other Disbursements
Sometimes it is necessary to instruct Counsel before the final hearing to get a second opinion on the merits of your case. In such circumstances we would write to you in advance to agree to the instruction of Counsel and to agree a fee for Counsel’s advice. Whenever Counsel is instructed we will require payment of their fee in advance of their being instructed. The amount of Counsel’s fee will be dependent upon the documents that they are asked to consider and/or the complexity of the legal issue they are being asked to advise on.
Generally for a simple case we would not instruct Counsel for a second opinion. For a case of medium or high complexity it may be necessary to do so. From our experience Counsel’s fees for advising on a medium complex case are between £900 – £1,500 exclusive of VAT and for advising on a high complex case are between £1,500 – £2,400 exclusive of VAT. 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.
- Reviewing and advising on the other party’s witness statements.
- Preparing bundle of documents for Trial.
- Agreeing a list of issues and/or a chronology and/or trial timetable.
- Preparation for the Final Hearing, including instructions to Counsel.
The stages set out above are an indication and if some of stages above are not required, our fee will be reduced if you are paying on a private paying basis or under the terms of any Legal Expense Insurance.
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 your 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 between 1-3 months depending upon your opponents conduct during this stage.
If your claim proceeds to a Final Hearing, your case is likely to take between a further 4-6 months for a simple case or up to a further 9-12 months for a medium or high complex case although this will also be dependent upon the Employment Tribunal’s availability to list your claim for final hearing.
Please note that the above 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 your matter progresses.
The person who will deal with your claim at this firm
Your claim will be conducted by a fee earner in our Employment Department. Details of their qualifications and experience can be found here
Debt Recovery
DEBT RECOVERY SERVICE FOR BUSINESS CLIENTS FOR DEBTS UPTO A VALUE OF £100,000.
These costs apply where your claim is in relation to an unpaid invoice for your business which is not disputed by the Debtor and enforcement action is not needed.
Stage 1 – Pre-action Costs which include; taking initial instructions and considering any documents (up to 1 hour in total), drafting the ‘letter of claim’ and receiving full payment from the Debtor and sending it onto you – our fees £400.00 exclusive of VAT.
Stage 2 – Issuing Court proceedings which include; taking further instructions from you, drafting the Claim Form and Particular of Claim, arranging for the same to be issued and served on the Debtor and entering a default Judgment if no Acknowledgement of Service of Defence is received – our fees £450.00 exclusive of VAT and the Court fee for which see further below.
Our above fees are based on the assumption that all instructions are by telephone or by email or by meeting you at our offices. If you require us to attend your place of business to take instructions there will be additional fees incurred for our travel time and costs on attending your of place of business.
Time scales
Matters usually take 2-6 weeks from receipt of instructions from you to receipt of payment from the Debtor if the Debtor does not dispute the debt and pays within the Stage 1 process.
If the Stage 2 process is required, it could take a further 4-8 weeks to obtain the Judgement in Default from the date of your instructing us to draft the Claim Form and Particulars of Claim although this time scale is also dependent upon the efficiency of the Court in issuing and serving the proceedings and entering a request for Judgment in Default.
If the Debtor disputes your claim after receiving the ‘letter of claim’ in the Stage 1 process we will need to discuss any further work that is required and provide you with revised information on our fees and which could be on a fixed fee or an hourly rate if more extensive work is needed.
County Court fees for issuing a money claim up to £100,000.00 as at November 2024
| Value of Claim | Court Fee |
| £1,000.01 – £1,500.00 | £80 |
| £1,500.01 – £3,000.00 | £115 |
| £3,000.01 – £5,000.00 | £205 |
| £5,000.01 – £10,000.00 | £455.00 |
| £10,000.01 – £100,000.00 | 5% of the claim |
The person who will deal with your claim at this firm
Your claim will be conducted by a fee earner in our Dispute Resolution Department.
Family
We offer an initial free 20-minute telephone consultation to discuss your particular circumstances and how we might be able to assist you. We can then provide you with an estimate of our costs and the likely process.
In some instances we are able to offer fixed fee services and we will discuss these options with you during our initial discussion.
Wills and Lasting Powers of Attorney
Will Charges
| Type | Our Charge | Including VAT |
| Single basic Will | £295 | £354 |
| Couples basic mirror Wills | £400 | £480 |
| Single Life Interest Trust Will (Also known as Property Protection Trust) | £395 | £474 |
| Couples mirror Life Interest Trust Will (Also known as Property Protection Trust) | £600 | £720 |
| Codicil | £185 | £233 |
| Complex Wills including tax planning, additional trust advice or multiple meetings may incur additional charges. Once we have met with you to understand your wishes and requirements, we will be able to provide you with a bespoke no obligation quote | ||
Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPA) Charges
| Type | Our Charge | Plus VAT | Plus OPG fee* |
| Single person – one LPA (either Property & Financial Affairs or Health & Welfare) | £295 | £354 | £436 |
| Single person – two LPAs (both Property & Financial Affairs and Health & Welfare) | £395 | £474 | £638 |
| Couples – one LPA each (either Property & Financial Affairs or Health & Welfare) | £395 | £474 | £638 |
| Couples – four LPAs (both Property & Financial Affairs and Health & Welfare each) | £625 | £750 | £1,078 |
| *The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) current registration fee is £82 per LPA document | |||
Will and Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) – Package Deals
| Type | Our Charge | Plus VAT | Plus OPG Fee* | Saving |
| Single basic Will + one LPA (either Property & Financial Affairs or Health & Welfare) | £525 | £630 | £712 | £78 |
| Single basic Will + two LPAs (both Property & Financial Affairs and Health & Welfare) | £595 | £714 | £878 | £114 |
| Couples basic mirror Wills + one LPA each (either Property & Financial Affairs or Health & Welfare) | £695 | £834 | £998 | £120 |
| Couples basic mirror Wills + two LPAs each (both Property & Financial Affairs and Health & Welfare each) | £895 | £1,074 | £1,402 | £156 |
| Single Life Interest Trust Will + one LPA (either Property & Financial Affairs or Health & Welfare) | £595 | £714 | £796 | £114 |
| Single Life Interest Trust Will + two LPAs (both Property & Financial Affairs and Health & Welfare) | £695 | £834 | £998 | £114 |
| Couples mirror Life Interest Trust Will + one LPA each (either Property & Financial Affairs or Health & Welfare) | £895 | £1,074 | £1,238 | £120 |
| Couples mirror Life Interest Trust Will + two LPAs each (both Property & Financial Affairs and Health & Welfare each) | £995 | £1,194 | £1,522 | £276 |
Dispute Resolution
Please do not hesitate to contact our dispute resolution team to discuss your needs, and we will be happy to provide you with a competitive estimate
Legal Services for Businesses & organisations
Our expert team are here to assist your business or organisation in achieving its goals.
Legal Services for Individuals & families
We offer comprehensive legal services for you and your family, addressing every need at each stage of your personal and professional life.
