Conveyancing Costs

Whilst it is now expected that a fixed price can be given for a straightforward transaction, there are many fees and costs which can arise making each case unique. In order to provide as much transparency as possible to prospective clients, we set out below some indicative bands based on our current charging structure. We should stress however that the best way to get a detailed estimate is to click the link HERE (link to quote) to obtain a detailed breakdown.

SALE PRICE	LEGAL FEES	LEASEHOLD	MORTGAGE REDEMPTION FEE
£0 – £300,000	£895.00	£150.00	£50.00
£300,001 – £500,000	£925.00	£150.00	£50.00
£500,001 – £750,000	£975.00	£150.00	£50.00
£750,001 – £1,000,000	£995.00	£150.00	£50.00
Over £1,000,001	£POA	£150.00	£50.00
PURCHASE PRICE	LEGAL FEES	LEASEHOLD	MORTGAGE PAYMENT FEE	NEW BUILD	HELP TO BUY
£0 – £300,000	£895.00	£150.00	£150.00	£150.00	£50.00
£300,001 – £500,000	£925.00	£150.00	£150.00	£150.00	£50.00
£500,001 – £750,000	£975.00	£150.00	£150.00	£150.00	£50.00
£750,001 – £1,000,000	£995.00	£150.00	£150.00	£150.00	£50.00
Over £1,000,001	£POA	£150.00	£150.00	£150.00	£50.00
REMORTGAGE PRICE	LEGAL FEES	TRANSFER OF EQUITY	LEASEHOLD
All property values up to £1,000,000	£595.00	£150.00	£150.00
***all fees quoted are + VAT
Disbursements
Bankruptcy Search	£2.00 + VAT	(Purchase Only)
Land Registry Priority Search	£3.00 + VAT	(Purchase Only)
Additional Fees
For the preparation and submission of a telegraphic transfer	£35.00 + VAT	(Sale and Purchase)
Identification & Source of Funds search	£20.00 + VAT per person	(Sale & Purchase)
For the preparation and submission of the SDLT return	£75.00 + VAT	(Purchase Only)

 

• All the fees shown above are subject to VAT at the prevailing rate.
• Fees will be charged for transactions that do not proceed on the basis of the amount of work carried out
• For any properties over £1m please note that a bespoke estimate of costs will be required.

Many factors determine the cost of a transaction, such as if the property is Leasehold, Freehold, New Build or Shared Ownership. Other determining factors can include Indemnity Policies, Lease Variations, Declarations of Trust and many others. It is impossible to list all of these variables and whether they will apply to your transaction however to assist we have included the more common ones above.

(Please note that we reserve the right to alter all our fees at any time and on a case by case basis depending on circumstances and at our discretion).

Sale and Purchase Disbursements

STAMP DUTY	Please see links below.
SEARCHES	Approx. £300 + VAT
LAND REGISTRY FEES PAYABLE	Please see links below

 

Remortgage Disbursements

• Title/Search insurance cost approx. £30 if accepted by your lender
• Land Registry and land charges searches £2 per name and £3 per title plus VAT
• An additional fee may be charged for redeeming any second or subsequent mortgages – ie any estimate assumes repayment of ONE mortgage only.
• Bridging finance, Transfers of Equity, staircasing, shared ownership, Help to Buy schemes and non-standard lending require a bespoke quote.
• Land Registry Fees – please see links below

Finally, there are payments that apply to every transaction and these are consistent amongst most conveyancing firms. These are often known as Disbursements, which are payments that have to be made to third parties to fulfil the requirements for transferring land. They include payments for:

• Stamp Duty (SDLT or Welsh Land Transaction Tax depending on the location of the property). Always remember the tax you pay is self-assessment and we are not tax lawyers and cannot advise. To be sure that you pay the correct amount of tax you should consider taking specialist independent tax advice before committing to any purchase. Please click here to be taken to the basic HMRC web site calculator or here for the Welsh Land Transaction Tax Calculator.
• Searches (of the local authority, mining searches, drainage searches, land registry searches, environment searches, area development searches and many more). You should budget approx. £300 plus VAT for searches depending on location and number and types of searches required.
• Land registry fees payable – again these depend on the type of property, its value, and whether an electronic submission can be made. Please click here to access the land registry website for details.

Conveyancing Time Scales

Typically 18 – 20 weeks.

All our clients understandably would like to know how long their matter may take and yet that is the one thing that no conveyancer can accurately predict. The average transaction time, according to the government, has lengthened (due to more vigorous requirements for anti-fraud investigations, money laundering checks, COVID related lockdowns, SDLT holiday and other factors) with 18-20 weeks now being the average (as at 20.10.2020). Many matters can proceed quicker than this and we will always do our best to meet a client’s requirements.

COVID SDLT and Changes on 31^st March 2021 – update

As many of you will know, recent government changes introduced an SDLT holiday which means that no tax is payable for many transactions and significantly reduced on others, depending on your circumstances. It is, however, well set out in the press and social media that during this time of pandemic, transactions are taking longer than many would like. These delays are unpredictable and caused by many factors such as lenders, local authorities, busy conveyancers, changes in client circumstances at short notice, delays at Land and Probate registries, delays in divorce courts – the list is endless.  And these are all in addition to the usual unpredictability of the English conveyancing system.

They amount to a current national average transaction time of 18-20 weeks (or nearly 5 months) making this an issue to be considered right at the outset of your transaction.

We are pleased to confirm that here at Kiteleys we are comfortably beating this average on many of our transactions but it is beholden on us, given that our purpose is to work with our clients and advise them in their best interests at all times – which is something we take very seriously – to note that we can in no way guarantee the time a transaction will take. As such, unless the Government change the current rules and scheme (which is always possible but equally unpredictable) , this means that if your purchase does not complete on or before 31^st March 2021, you will have to revert to and pay tax under the previous rules which could mean paying up to an additional £15,000.

As we cannot know if the rules may change, we have to therefore advise all our clients starting a conveyancing matter, that timing cannot be guaranteed by Kiteleys and that as with any tax, it is your responsibility to be able to pay the tax due at any given time. We will of course do all we can to help any client achieve the goals that they have set but in return we do need our clients to be informed and realistic as to the dangers and complications they may face. Experience suggests that there is no such thing as a “simple transaction” and as we get nearer the current deadline, it is inevitable that stress will increase and frustration will become greater for those that are not prepared in advance.

So, we are advising all our clients and potential clients no matter who they instruct, to be aware of this issue right from the outset and to be realistic. “Plan for the worst” may well be one solution – by making sure that you have funds available to pay any additional tax should that become necessary, and another may be to make doubly sure you have a clear view on whether you would proceed with a transaction should the additional tax become payable.

Finally, we would also advise our clients to maintain a healthy realism as to promises made by other parties offering to guarantee a transaction time or to charge greater fees to “get it through in time”.  As you can see from the above (and from a quick look at the internet) such promises may well lead to disappointment and problems when it is too late to deal with them. It is for this reason we have chosen (as we always do) to be open and up front with our clients and fulfil that basic important role that is at the heart of what we do as proud solicitors – to actually advise our clients so that they can make informed decisions at their own pace.

 

Estate Administration

The Estate Administration Team at Kiteleys will provide a cost estimate by way of a no-charge, no- obligation initial discussion either in person or over the telephone. The following is intended as a general guide.

Many of our clients prefer the reassurance of appointing Kiteleys as their Executors under their Wills but we provide the same level of service to those appointed personally as Executors who choose to instruct us. We are happy to tailor our services to meet with your requirements and this level of service may range from obtaining the grant of probate (or letters of administration) through to the complete administration of an estate.

As you would expect, our costs are based primarily upon the size and complexity of a matter as this reflects the level of involvement that is required both in terms of time and expertise.

Although most of our clients request a fixed fee this is not always the preferred option and we are also happy to agree to operate on a time spent basis and the hourly rates of the estate administration team are set out below. The most appropriate charging mechanism would be agreed in our initial discussion.

 

Fees:

As a guide for fixed fee work our fees would be in the region of:

Grant of Probate only for non-taxable estate	£1,500 plus VAT
The above but also applying for additional tax reliefs	£1,750 plus VAT
Grant of Probate only for taxable estate	£3,000 plus VAT
Deed of Variation	£500 plus VAT

 

Full Estate Administration:

Our fees fall within a range of 1.5% and 3% of the gross value of the estate plus VAT (depending on the size and complexity of the matter) with a minimum charge of £2,500 plus VAT.

As mentioned above, we are also happy to agree to operate purely on a time spent basis and provide an estimate of fees, if this is more appropriate.

 

Charging rates of the team:

Hourly rate (£) plus VAT

Ian Campbell	Solicitor Full Member of Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (“STEP”) Fully accredited member of Solicitors for the Elderly (SFE)	270.00
Andrea Rohr	Consultant Solicitor	270.00
Sarah Townsend	Director and Solicitor	270.00
Christine Jones	Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives	250.00
Linda Dewey	Solicitor	200.00
Cathy Hayes	Probate Executive	120.00
Ellie Mackin	Probate Executive	120.00
Kyle Muspratt	Probate Executive	120.00

 

Disbursements:

Probate Court fee	£155.00
Copy of Grant	£1.50 per copy
Sarah Townsend	£3.00 plus VAT

If you would like to have an initial discussion please contact a member of the Estate Administration Team on 0102 708634 and we would be delighted to answer any questions you may have.

 

Employment Tribunal:  Range of Costs

Our costs for bringing and defending claims for Unfair or Wrongful Dismissal are as follows:-

Simple case: £2500.00 – £4500.00 (excluding VAT)

Medium complexity case: £5000.00 – £8500.00 (excluding VAT)

High complexity case: £9500.00 – £12,500.00 (excluding VAT)

For a discrimination case it is likely to fall within the medium to high complexity bracket and tailored quotes will be given at the commencement of the case.

Factors that could make a case more complex:-

• Complex preliminary issues
• The number of witnesses and documents
• If it is an automatic unfair dismissal claim
• Allegations of discrimination which are linked to the dismissal
• Defending claims that are brought by litigants in person
• Making or defending a costs application

 

There will be an additional charge for attending a Tribunal Hearing of £1500.00 plus VAT per day (excluding VAT). Generally, we would allow 1-3 days depending on the complexity of your case. However, you may wish to instruct Counsel to attend on your behalf. The cost of instructing Counsel would fall into the Disbursement category below.

Disbursements

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as Tribunal fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process however these are required to be paid upfront.

Counsel’s fees are estimated between £500.00 and £1500.00 for an initial advice and £1500.00 to £2500.00 plus VAT per day (depending on experience of the advocate) for attending a Tribunal Hearing (including preparation)

Damages Based Agreements (‘DBA’)

For bringing claims for unfair dismissal, constructive dismissal or discrimination for certain cases at our total discretion we will enter into a Damages Based Agreement (DBA). A sample agreement can be found by clicking this link.

Following our first meeting we will assess your claim and advise you as to whether we will agree to enter into a DBA with you. We will raise no cost to assess your claim.

Under a DBA we will be paid at the end. If the claim succeeds, we will deduct up to 35% including VAT of the monies you recover but excluding disbursements.  If the claim does not succeed you do not pay us anything.  The only costs you may have to pay are Tribunal fees, Advocacy fees and Expert fees, if applicable. We will advise you of these in advance.

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 the merits and likely compensation (this is likely to be revisited throughout the matter and subject to change)
• Entering into pre-claim conciliation and liaising with ACAS where this is mandatory to explore whether a settlement can be reached;
• Preparing the claim or response
• Reviewing and advising on claim or response from the other party and exploring settlement and negotiating settlement throughout the process
• Preparing or considering a schedule of loss
• Preparing for (and attending) Tribunal Hearings (including preliminary Hearings and the final Hearing)
• Exchanging documents with the other party and agreeing a bundle of documents
• Speaking to witnesses, taking witness statements, drafting statements and agreeing their content.
• Reviewing and advising on the other party’s witness statements
• Agreeing a list of issues, a chronology and preparing documents for Hearing
• Preparation for and attendance at a Final Hearing, including instructions to Counsel

 

The stages set out above are an indication and if some of the 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 for your individual needs.

How long will my matter take?

This depends largely on the stage at which your case is resolved. If a settlement is reached during pre-claim conciliation, the case is likely to take between 3 and 6 months. If your claim proceeds to a Final Hearing, your case is likely to take between 9-18 months depending upon the complexity and the length of the final Hearing. We will be able to give you a more accurate idea of timescale once we have more information as the matter progresses.

 

Debt Recovery

Each case is different, meaning that costs will be discussed with you following your initial enquiry. Our charges are usually calculated based upon the number of hours engaged working on your case with each hour charged at between £150.00 to £250.00 plus VAT.

For a pre-action letter of claim for all debt values up to £100,00.00 our fee is between £225.00 and £500.00 plus VAT.

If the other party disputes your claim we will discuss the next steps and any further work that may be required in order to provide you with a revised quote and further advice regarding any additional costs that are likely to be incurred. We may be able to act on a fixed fee however if more extensive work is required it is likely we will be required to act on an hourly rate basis.

Debt Value	Court fee	Our Fee
Up to £10,000.00	£35.00 to £455.00 depending upon the value of the claim	£750.00 to £1500.00 plus VAT
£10,001.00 £25,000.00	5% of the value of the claim	£1500.00 to £2750.00 plus VAT
£25,001.00 to £100,000.00	5% of the value of the claim	£2750.00 to £5500.00 plus VAT

You should note:

• 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 do not include where enforcement action, such as the bailiff, is needed to collect your debt

Our fee includes all of the work in relation to the following key stages of a claim:

• Taking your instructions and reviewing documentation
• Undertaking initial work required
• 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 21 days, providing you with advice on next steps and likely costs

How long will my matter take?
If your debt is settled immediately upon receipt of the letter before action then it is likely the case may take just 4 to 8 weeks. However, if we need to issue Court proceedings and obtain judgment then it is likely the claim will take between 6 and 12 months depending upon complexity.