The aim of the SRA Transparency Rules is to make sure consumers have the information they need to make an informed choice of legal services provider, including understanding what the costs may be.
The rules which came into effect on December 6th, 2018 require all regulated law firms, who publish as part of their usual business that they offer certain services, to put on their website information on the prices they charge with regard to certain areas. The following areas apply to Bonallack & Bishop, the SRA regulated law firm that runs this website.
For private client
For business clients
NB The SRA Transparency Rules also apply to the following two areas of work – but Bonallack and Bishop cover neither of these areas;
All prices listed on this page exclude VAT
Nothing on this page creates a binding quote
In line with SRA guidelines, nothing on this page or indeed this website, offers a binding quote for each and every scenario which we may deal with, for example, pre-empting unusual complexities or that a client may not follow our advice.
Additional charges
Please note that in certain circumstances we may need to make additional charges. That would apply, for example, if you required the work to be done in an exceptionally fast manner, which would not be normal for that particular transaction, or if a personal home or hospital visit is required.
In addition, when an unforeseen complexity arises or where the way in which a client asks us to proceed means additional work, we will inform the client of this and provide revised costs information.
Rest assured however, if we are going to make such additional charges, we will always notify you in advance of any such variation to our pricing.
Preferential rates and discounts
Please note that from time to time we may offer discounts or lower rates to particular groups. For example we offer a 10% discount upon all our charges for serving or retired members of HM Armed Forces as well as the Police, Fire and Ambulance Services and NHS staff. In addition we offer staff discounts.
Our lawyers
Please see below for a summary of who will be responsible for your work in each of the teams.
Bonallack & Bishop always make sure that junior solicitors and other members of staff are supported and supervised appropriately so that the quality of advice is not affected, regardless of who is working on your case. Rest assured that those staff who are not legally qualified continue to receive extensive training within our firm and work under the direct supervision of a solicitor with suitable experience.
Residential conveyancing (Freehold sale or purchase, leasehold sale or purchase, mortgages and re-mortgages)
OUR RESIDENTIAL CONVEYANCING TEAM
Our property team has over 100 years of collective experience in delivering high quality work in all matters relating to residential conveyancing and other property transactions.
In the last 20 years, we have helped around 10,000 people move home.
The team has particular expertise in lease extension and enfranchisement work, and has a specialist team set up to act for property investors.
Regardless of who works on your matter, the team is supervised by Chris Tate, the head of the property team, a specialist property solicitor with over 30 years post qualification experience. Chris is supported in the firm’s residential conveyancing work by 2 experienced conveyancing solicitors, 2 Chartered Legal Executives, a qualified Licensed Conveyancer and a variety of supporting paralegals and property team administrators.
In addition, the firm’s specialist leasehold team deals with all of the firms lease extension, enfranchisement and right to manage work. The leasehold team is managed by Solicitor, Jenny Slater, who is supported by a further solicitor, 2 paralegals and a team administrator.
OUR RESIDENTIAL CONVEYANCING FIXED FEES
Our conveyancing fixed fees most commonly vary as follows;
However there are a number of factors which may increase or decrease your legal costs (see below).
Discover your fixed price quotation now. Simply call us now on Freephone 0800 1404544 or complete our free online enquiry form to discover your bespoke fixed price quotation, which will include not only our fees but the total you will need to pay – including stamp duty and other disbursements. We can also answer any questions you may have about the conveyancing process at the same time – with our free, no strings attached initial phone advice offer.
Factors that may increase or decrease your legal costs
These include;
Stamp Duty or Land Tax (on purchase)
The amount of what is known as SDLT depends on a number of issues including the purchase price of your property. You can calculate the amount you will need to pay by using HMRC’s website or if the property is located in Wales by using the Welsh Revenue Authority’s website.
What are Disbursements?
These are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as Land Registry fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process. We will include these disbursements in your overall bespoke fixed price quote, with all the different payments and costs clearly broken down for you.
Among the most common disbursements which may apply in your case are the following;
This list is not exhaustive and other disbursements may apply depending on your particular circumstances.
Please note that these fees vary from property to property, and on exactly which searches are required for your particular property. We can give you an accurate figure once we have sight of your specific documents.
Additional possible disbursements for leasehold property purchase only
Certain extra disbursement may apply depending on the term of the lease. These additional costs will be set out in the individual lease. We will update you on these specific fees upon receipt and review of the lease from the seller’s solicitors. However they may well include some or all of the following;
You should also be aware that ground rent and service charge are likely to apply throughout your ownership of any leasehold property. We will confirm the ground rent and the anticipated service charge when we receive this information.
How long will my house or flat purchase take?
How long it will take from your offer being accepted until you can move in to your house will depend on a number of factors. The average stage to exchange takes between 6-8 weeks.
However you do not own the property until completion is take place. In rough and general terms most straight forward residential conveyancing transactions take, on average, from instruction by you to completion, between 3 and 4 months.
It can be quicker or slower, depending on the parties in the chain. For example, if you are a first time buyer, purchasing a new build property with a mortgage in principle, the purchase of your property is likely to take longer.
However, if you are buying a leasehold property that requires an extension of the lease, this can take significantly longer, often between 6 and 12 months.
Among the factors that affect the timescale of your sale and/or purchase are the following;
Purchase of a freehold residential property
Our fees cover all of the work required to complete the purchase of your new home, including dealing with registration at the Land Registry and dealing with the payment of Stamp Duty Land Tax (Stamp Duty) if the property is in England, or Land Transaction Tax (Land Tax) if the property you wish to buy is in Wales.
The precise stages involved in the purchase of a residential property vary according to the circumstances. However, below we have suggested some key stages that you may wish to include:
Purchase of leasehold residential property
Our fees cover all the work required to complete the purchase of your new home, including dealing with registration at the Land Registry and dealing with the payment of Stamp Duty Land Tax (Stamp Duty) if the property is in England, or Land Transaction Tax (Land Tax) if the property is in Wales.
The precise stages involved in the purchase of a residential leasehold property vary according to the circumstances. They are likely to include:
Assumptions on which our conveyancing fixed fees are made
The fixed fee that we will provide you in your personal individualised written quotation assumes that:
a). this is a standard transaction and that no unforeseen matters arise including for example (but not limited to) a defect in title which requires remedying prior to completion or the preparation of additional documents ancillary to the main transaction
b). the transaction is concluded in a timely manner and no unforeseen complication arise
c). all parties to the transaction are co-operative and there is no unreasonable delay from third parties providing documentation
d). no indemnity policies are required. Additional disbursements may apply if indemnity policies are required.
e). (leasehold properties only) this is the assignment of an existing lease and is not the grant of a new lease
Referral fees
Occasionally at Bonallack and Bishop we pay referral fees for the referral to us of conveyancing work. That referral fee varies but never exceeds £100.
Probate: our fixed fee and other costs
OUR PROBATE TEAM
Our wills and probate team has many years of collective experience in delivering high quality work in all matters relating probate the administration of estates.
Regardless of who works on your matter, the team is supervised by Emma Lockwood, the Head of the Private Client team.
As at April 5, 2021, Emma is currently on maternity leave. In her absence the team is managed by Clare Cox, a Legal Executive.
OUR PROBATE FIXED FEES – for applying for the Grant of Probate only
We can help you through this difficult process by obtaining the Grant of Probate on your behalf on a fixed fee basis under the following circumstances;
We only offer probate fixed fees for all work up until the grant of probate. This fixed fee service does not cover collecting assets and distributing them.
These fixed fees are dependent on you providing us with all the information and relevant documents we require to successfully obtain grant of probate. In the event that you are not able to provide us with that information, and that requires further work by us, there will be additional charges, based on the additional time spent by us and charged at the hourly rates below.
As part of our fixed fee we will:
Disbursements which are NOT included in this fee include:
Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as court fees. We will confirm the disbursements that are payable by the executors in advance and can be recovered from the estate once the Grant of Probate has been issued.
Other Fees for Probate Work – hourly charges
If you wish for us to deal with the entire administration of the estate, including the preparation of accounts, and collection and distribution of the assets, this will be charged on an hourly rate, a rate which depends on the experience of the fee earner involved.
Our hourly rates for probate work currently vary between £180 and £250.
By way of an indication on average our fees for handling the entire administration of an estate are likely to be between £3,000 and £8,000. The exact cost will depend on the individual circumstances of the matter.
For example, if there is one beneficiary and no property, costs are likely to be at the lower end of the range. If there are multiple beneficiaries, a property and multiple bank accounts and share portfolios costs are more likely to be at the higher end.
Among the many factors that can affect the work required to be done on any particular probate case and therefore on the final legal bill are the following;
Please be aware that some of these factors, including contested probate or inheritance claims, can increase the total legal bill substantially.
We can give you a more accurate quote once we have more information of the particular circumstances of the probate in question.
PROBATE TIMESCALES
It is difficult to give an accurate estimate of how long the probate process will take because it depends on so many external factors, some of which are listed below.
However in general terms most straightforward probates take, on average, between 8 and 12 months to complete.
Typically, obtaining the Grant of Probate only on simple probate can take as little as between 10 and 12 weeks. Collecting and then distributing the assets then follows.
Among the factors that affect the timescale of your probate are the following;
INHERITANCE TAX
For more information about inheritance tax and what you may have to pay on the estate, visit the following page on the HMRC website https://www.gov.uk/inheritance-tax.
Motoring offences: Fixed fee
OUR ROAD TRAFFIC SOLICITOR
Trevor Line is a senior solicitor having qualified in 1981 and has specialised in criminal defence work and military law for over 30 years. In 1991 Trevor attained his Higher Rights Qualification which enables him to continue to represent Clients in all Higher Criminal Courts.
OUR MOTORING OFFENCES FIXED FEES
We are required to provide price information for assistance in relation to summary only motoring offences under Part I of the Road Traffic Act 1988 and s89 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984.
Our fees for representation on motoring offences are normally dealt with on an hourly rate of £225 plus vat and disbursements per hour and range, on average, from £ 250 to £400 plus vat and disbursements for simple guilty pleas.
However in individual cases it may be possible to agree a fixed fee for representation – which start as low as £250 for representation at court on a straightforward guilty plea for drink-driving or other motoring offences which are dealt with at one single hearing.
If we undertake such a motoring case on a fixed fee basis, the fixed fee will include:
That the level of fixed fee promoting offence will NOT however include
For motoring cases which are not standard guilty pleas dealt with in one single hearing and requiring representation only at that hearing, there are number of factors which affect our pricing including the following;
MOTORING OFFENCES TIMESCALES
Please note that we cannot provide a timescale of when your hearing will take place, as this depends on the court listing for that day.
Employment tribunal: Range of costs
OUR EMPLOYMENT SOLICITORS
We have successfully represented clients (both Claimants and Respondents) before both the Employment Tribunal and the Employment Appeal Tribunal, as well as speaking and writing on employment law topics. We have also advised both employers and employees on employment related matters.
We are committed to adopting alternative dispute resolution strategies when appropriate having frequently represented clients at mediation.
OUR EMPLOYMENT TRIBUNAL FEES
NB WE ARE TEMPORARILY UNABLE TO PROVIDE ADVICE ON ANY ASPECT OF EMPLOYMENT LAW.
We do not offer fixed fees for employment tribunal cases.
Our hourly rates for employment law work are currently £250 ph plus VAT.
How can I pay my Solicitor’s fees in an employment tribunal claim?
Employment tribunal cases – our range of costs
It is difficult to give an accurate estimate of how long an employment tribunal claim will take because it depends on so many external factors, some of which are listed below.
However in general terms, our pricing for bringing and defending claims for unfair or wrongful dismissal tends to result in the following average legal costs
Simple case: £5000 – £10000
Medium complexity case: £10000-£20000
High complexity case: £20000-£30000
Factors that could make a case more complex include the following:
In general terms and an average a Tribunal Hearing is likely to last one to two days, depending on various factors including the complexity of your case.
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.
If your case proceeds to final hearing, we are likely to recommend the appointment of a barrister to represent you at the tribunal hearing – you will also be responsible for the payment of your barrister’s fees as a disbursement.
Barristers typically, on average, charge between £750 and £1500 per day.
Key stages
Depending on your case and in particular on whether your matter goes to a final hearing, the following are key stages of a claim and the work we may have to do on your behalf:
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.
EMPLOYMENT TRIBUNAL CLAIM TIMESCALES
It is difficult to give an accurate estimate of how long an employment tribunal claim will take because it depends on so many external factors, some of which are listed below.
The time that it takes from taking your initial instructions to the final resolution of your matter also depends largely on the stage at which your case is resolved.
If a settlement is reached during pre-claim conciliation, a case is likely to take on average somewhere between four and eight weeks.
If your claim proceeds to a Final Hearing, your case is likely to take much longer – typically between six months and one year on average. 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.
Among the factors that affect the timescale of your employment tribunal are the following;
Damages based arrangements for employment tribunals
In appropriate cases we may offer a damages-based agreement (DBA) for Employment Tribunal claims.
In doing so we will need to assess the viability of a case before deciding whether to offer a DBA. The cost of such an assessment is likely to be in the region of £250 plus VAT for a straightforward case.
A DBA will cover our preparation costs only. It will not cover advocacy before the Tribunal. It will not cover disbursements (payment to third parties such as expert’s fees, barrister’s fees etc) which will have to be paid as the case progresses. Barrister’s fees are typically between £750 to £1500 per day plus VAT.
The DBA works on the basis that, if the claim is successful, this firm will receive a share (normally 35%) of the damages recovered. Costs are not typically awarded before the Employment Tribunal. For this reason we do not offer Conditional Fee Agreements for Employment Tribunal cases, only DBA’s.
Debt recovery: Our fees
OUR DEBT RECOVERY TEAM
Our debt recovery team has many years of collective experience in delivering high quality debt collection work.
Regardless of who works on your matter, the team is supervised by David Patterson, the head of our dispute resolution team. David qualified as a solicitor in 1989 and has over 30 years’ experience in commercial litigation and dispute resolution, working for global corporations, small and medium sized businesses and individuals.
David is a member of the Professional Negligence Lawyers Association and the Commercial Litigation Association. David is supported by an experienced Chartered Legal Executive and paralegals.
OUR DEBT RECOVERY FEES
We do not offer fixed fees for debt recovery cases.
Our hourly rates for debt recovery work are currently £250ph.
However in general terms, our pricing for debt recovery tends to result in the following average legal costs
Simple case: £750 to £1,500
Medium complexity case: £750 to £3,000
High complexity case: £750 to £5,000
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.
Anyone wishing to proceed with a claim should note that the VAT element of our fee cannot be reclaimed from your debtor.
Depending on your individual circumstances and how you want to instruct us, our fee may include all or some elements of the following work:
DEBT RECOVERY TIMESCALES
It is difficult to give an accurate estimate of how long a debt recovery case will take because it depends on a number of factors.
However in general terms most debt recovery cases usually take between 1 and 36 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 Judgment in default. If enforcement action is needed, the matter will take longer to resolve.
Our experienced solicitors have helped clients throughout England and Wales achieve the best outcomes in enfranchisement, lease extension, and right-to-manage cases.
We also work closely with trusted surveyors and block management companies, offering a complete service from start to finish.
We offer free initial legal advice and nationwide coverage.
No meeting is required, as we can manage your entire case by phone, email, or video call.
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