Pricing
at Setfords

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How long will my house 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 process takes between 8-12 weeks.

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, it could take 4 weeks. However, if you are buying a leasehold property that requires an extension of the lease, this can take significantly longer, between 2 and 6 months. In such situations additional charges apply.

Typical stages of the process

The precise stages involved in the purchase of a residential property vary according to the circumstances. However, below is a guideline of the stages you would expect in a conveyancing transaction:

• Take your instructions and give you initial advice together with our quote for fees and disbursements.
• Open your file and send out our initial papers for your completion and return
• Check finances are in place to fund purchase and contact lender’s solicitors if needed
• Receive and advise on contract documents
• Carry out searches
• Obtain further planning documentation if required
• Make any necessary enquiries of seller’s solicitor
• Give you advice on all documents and information received
• Go through conditions of mortgage offer with you
• Send final contract to you for signature
• Agree completion date (date from which you own the property)
• Exchange contracts and notify you that this has happened
• Arrange for all monies needed to be received from lender and you
• Complete purchase
• Deal with payment of Stamp Duty/Land Tax
• Deal with application for registration at Land Registry
• Once registration has been completed a copy will be sent to you with our closing letter.
• Your file will then be closed.

The exact costs will depend on the individual circumstances of any matter. It is important that we are able to provide you with as much guidance and certainty as to the likely costs involved in your matter. So that we can give you certainty about pricing we ask you to provide us with as much information as possible at the beginning of the matter.

The fee earners within Setfords have varying levels of experience and knowledge which can be applied to best match the needs of your matter. Each fee earner will charge at a different hourly rate and the range of these rates start from £100 plus VAT (£120) up to £420 plus VAT (£504) depending on the level of experience and geographical location of the fee earner involved. The fee earner working on your case will charge at their hourly rate and record their time for undertaking the work involved. We base our charges on the time spent. For maximum transparency, we divide an hour into ten blocks of six minutes to record the time spent on your case. This breakdown is what you will see in our time records and on all the invoices we send you where the matter is quoted based on a time estimate rather than a fixed fee.

Example of applying for the grant, collecting and distributing the assets

We anticipate this could take between 20 and 30 hours of work at a rate which will not exceed £420 (plus VAT) per hour. Total costs will range between £4000 (plus VAT) – £12600 (plus VAT).

Please bear in mind, there may be circumstances that could mean costs sit outside of the anticipated range. We will always provide a transparent breakdown of costs in our letter of engagement.

There is an additional fee of £23 plus VAT for each executor to carry out anti money laundering checks, a requirement for all clients of Setfords to prevent financial risk to you and the firm.

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. This quote example is for estates where:

• There is a valid will
• There is no more than one property
• There are no more than 3-5 bank or building society accounts
• There are no other intangible assets
• There are up to 5 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 claims made against the estate

Disbursements likely to be included in this fee:

• Probate application fee of £300
• Bankruptcy-only Land Charges Department searches (£2 per beneficiary)
• Post in The London Gazette – Protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors. £150-£250 (plus VAT)
• Post in a Local Newspaper – This also helps to protect against unexpected claims. £150-£250 (plus VAT)
• 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.
• 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 &pound1.50 (1 per asset usually).
• Dealing with the sale or transfer of any property in the estate is not included.

How long could this take?

On average, estates that fall within this range are dealt with within 8-18 months. Typically, obtaining the grant of probate takes 4-9 months. Collecting assets then follows, which can take between 3-6 months. Once this has been done and all tax finalised, we can distribute the assets, which normally takes 2-4 months weeks.

The exact costs will depend on the individual circumstances of any matter. It is important that we are able to provide you with as much guidance and certainty as to the likely costs involved in your matter. So that we can give you certainty about pricing we ask you to provide us with as much information as possible at the beginning of the matter.

The fee earners within Setfords have varying levels of experience and knowledge which can be applied to best match the needs of your matter. Each fee earner will charge at a different hourly rate and the range of these rates start from £120 plus VAT (£144) up to £225 plus VAT (£270) depending on the level of experience and geographical location of the fee earner involved. The fee earner working on your case will charge at their hourly rate and record their time for undertaking the work involved. We base our charges on the time spent. For maximum transparency, we divide an hour into ten blocks of six minutes to record the time spent on your case. This breakdown is what you will see in our time records and on all the invoices we send you where the matter is quoted based on a time estimate rather than a fixed fee.

In some circumstances we are able to offer a fixed fee for the work which we carry out for you. This work includes the following:

Please bear in mind, there may be circumstances that could mean costs sit outside of the anticipated range. We will always provide a transparent breakdown of costs in our letter of engagement.

There is an additional fee of £23 (plus VAT) to carry out anti money laundering checks, a requirement for all clients of Setfords to prevent financial risk to you and the firm.

The fee would 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

The key stages of this example matter are based on the presumption that you have entered a guilty plea and have a date for your hearing.

• Meet with your solicitor to provide instructions on what happened.
• We will consider initial disclosure, and any other evidence and provide advice.
• Arranging to take any witness statements if necessary.
• 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 will discuss the outcome with you. If advice is required on appeal, this will carry an additional cost.

The exact costs will depend on the individual circumstances of any matter. It is important that we are able to provide you with as much guidance and certainty as to the likely costs involved in your matter. So that we can give you certainty about pricing we ask you to provide us with as much information as possible at the beginning of the matter.

The fee earners within Setfords have varying levels of experience and knowledge which can be applied to best match the needs of your matter. Each fee earner will charge at a different hourly rate and the range of these rates start from £150 plus VAT (£180) up to £350 plus VAT (£420) depending on the level of experience and geographical location of the fee earner involved. The fee earner working on your case will charge at their hourly rate and record their time for undertaking the work involved. We base our charges on the time spent. For maximum transparency, we divide an hour into ten blocks of six minutes to record the time spent on your case. This breakdown is what you will see in our time records and on all the invoices we send you where the matter is quoted based on a time estimate rather than a fixed fee.

The costs could range between £250 (plus VAT) and £7500 (plus VAT) for immigration cases.

Please bear in mind, there may be circumstances that could mean costs sit outside of the anticipated range. We will always provide a transparent breakdown of costs in our letter of engagement.

There is an additional fee of £23 (plus VAT) to carry out anti money laundering checks, a requirement for all clients of Setfords to prevent financial risk to you and the firm.

The exact number of hours it will take depends on the circumstances of your case. Such as:

• The amount of supporting evidence that we need to consider
• Which language(s) you speak
• Whether you are applying with other dependants

If you are able to provide sufficient evidence at our first meeting and clearly meet the applicable Immigration Rules, the cost is likely to be at the lower end of this range.

What services are included

The work would involve:

• discussing your circumstances in detail and confirming whether this is the most appropriate application for you to make and what other options may be available to you;
• giving you advice about the requirements of the Immigration Rules and whether you meet the criteria.
• if you do not fulfil certain criteria, whether this can be overcome and how;
• considering the supporting evidence you have provided;
• where necessary, helping you obtain further evidence (such as medical records and bank statements), including taking statements of any witnesses;
• preparing your application and submitting it on your behalf;
• attendance at a Home Office interview: if the Home Office ask you to attend an interview, we will give you clear advice (and discuss the possibility of us attending with you) at the appropriate time.
• giving you advice about the outcome of the application and any further steps you need to take.

*the amount of hours depends on the number of documents, whether they need to be translated, whether anything is missing and how long it will take to obtain the missing documents Disbursements (not included in costs set out above):

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as visa fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.

• Independent expert reports e.g. medical experts. These are not required in many cases: we will let you know as soon as possible if we consider an expert report is necessary.
• If there is an interview and we do attend with you, there will be additional disbursements in respect of our mileage/travel expenses.

The costs quoted here do not include:

• Any Home Office fees for making the application. You will pay this to the Home Office directly as part of the application process.
• Where the Home Office refuse your application, advice and assistance in relation to any appeal

How long could my application take?

We cannot guarantee how long the Home Office will take to process your application. Read the current processing times.

We will normally be able to submit this type of application within 2 weeks of you instructing us, but we will let you know at the earliest opportunity if it is likely to take longer than this.

Please note the anticipated number of hours and fees are an estimate based on the facts above. All applications are likely to vary and of course, we can give you a more accurate estimate once we have more information about your specific case.

The exact costs will depend on the individual circumstances of any matter. It is important that we are able to provide you with as much guidance and certainty as to the likely costs involved in your matter. So that we can give you certainty about pricing we ask you to provide us with as much information as possible at the beginning of the matter.

The fee earners within Setfords have varying levels of experience and knowledge which can be applied to best match the needs of your matter. Each fee earner will charge at a different hourly rate and the range of these rates start from £100 plus VAT (£120) up to £500 plus VAT (£600) depending on the level of experience and geographical location of the fee earner involved. The fee earner working on your case will charge at their hourly rate and record their time for undertaking the work involved. We base our charges on the time spent. For maximum transparency, we divide an hour into ten blocks of six minutes to record the time spent on your case. This breakdown is what you will see in our time records and on all the invoices we send you where the matter is quoted based on a time estimate rather than a fixed fee.

Our example pricing for bringing and defending claims for unfair or wrongful dismissal:

Simple case: £500 (plus VAT) to £5000 (plus VAT)

Medium complexity case: £2,500 (plus VAT) to £12,500 (plus VAT)

High complexity case: £5,000 (plus VAT) to £50,000 (plus VAT)

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

There is an additional fee of £23 (plus VAT) to carry out anti money laundering checks, a requirement for all clients of Setfords to prevent financial risk to you and the firm.

There will be an additional charge for attending a Tribunal Hearing of up to £2,500 per day (plus VAT) where we are to attend. Generally, we would allow 2-5 days depending on 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.

Counsel’s fees estimated between £1,000 (plus VAT) and £5,000 (plus VAT) per day (depending on experience of the advocate) for attending a Tribunal Hearing (including preparation)

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 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.

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 2-16 weeks.

If your claim proceeds to a Final Hearing, your case is likely to take 16-52 weeks. 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.

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.

The exact costs will depend on the individual circumstances of any matter. It is important that we are able to provide you with as much guidance and certainty as to the likely costs involved in your matter. So that we can give you certainty about pricing we ask you to provide us with as much information as possible at the beginning of the matter.

The fee earners within Setfords have varying levels of experience and knowledge which can be applied to best match the needs of your matter. Each fee earner will charge at a different hourly rate and the range of these rates start from £150 plus VAT (£180) up to £450 plus VAT (£540) depending on the level of experience and geographical location of the fee earner involved. The fee earner working on your case will charge at their hourly rate and record their time for undertaking the work involved. We base our charges on the time spent. For maximum transparency, we divide an hour into ten blocks of six minutes to record the time spent on your case. This breakdown is what you will see in our time records and on all the invoices we send you where the matter is quoted based on a time estimate rather than a fixed fee.

In some circumstances we are able to offer a fixed fee for the work which we carry out for you. This work includes the following:

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 4-6 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 if this is defended it can take in excess of 42 weeks. 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.

The exact costs will depend on the individual circumstances of any matter. It is important that we are able to provide you with as much guidance and certainty as to the likely costs involved in your matter. So that we can give you certainty about pricing we ask you to provide us with as much information as possible at the beginning of the matter.

The fee earners within Setfords have varying levels of experience and knowledge which can be applied to best match the needs of your matter. Each fee earner will charge at a different hourly rate and the range of these rates start from £150 plus VAT (£180) up to £350 plus VAT (£420) depending on the level of experience and geographical location of the fee earner involved. The fee earner working on your case will charge at their hourly rate and record their time for undertaking the work involved. We base our charges on the time spent. For maximum transparency, we divide an hour into ten blocks of six minutes to record the time spent on your case. This breakdown is what you will see in our time records and on all the invoices we send you where the matter is quoted based on a time estimate rather than a fixed fee.

Example simple application: £1,200 (plus VAT) to – £3,500 (plus VAT).

Example medium complexity application: £2,500 (plus VAT) to- £5,500 (plus VAT).

Example high complexity application: the cost could start from £6,000 (plus VAT) but may be higher depending on the complexity of the work involved.

Please bear in mind, there may be circumstances that could mean costs sit outside of the anticipated range. We will always provide a transparent breakdown of costs in our letter of engagement.

There is an additional fee of £23 (plus VAT) to carry out anti money laundering checks, a requirement for all clients of Setfords to prevent financial risk to you and the firm.

Disbursements

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as the application fee. We will pay the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.

• Application fee (payable to licensing authority) £100-365*
• Advertising fee £150-450 plus VAT*
• • Enquiry agent fees to display public notices £150-450 (VAT may be chargeable in addition)*

*These fees vary depending on the individual premises and where it is located. The fees can on occasion be higher than the ranges given above. We will give you an accurate figure for each item as soon as we are able to do so.

Fee includes:

• Taking your instructions and advising you as to how you can promote the licensing objectives within your application
• Advising you as the type of plans you are required to submit with your application.
• Completing the application form for a new premises licence (including the operating schedule) in accordance with your instructions and submitting this to the local licensing authority alongside suitable plans. You must provide suitable plans.
• Providing guidance on the fee levels payable to the licensing authority.
• Preparing copies of the premises licence application for disclosure to the responsible authorities and serving copies of the application on the responsible authorities.
• Drafting the notices advertising the premises licence application and submitting the notice to the local newspaper.
• Arranging with you for you to display the notice(s) advertising the premises licence application and advising as to where and how this should be done by you in order to comply with the requirements of the Licensing Act 2003.
• Providing a Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS) consent form for signature by a personal licence holder proposed by you.
• Checking the licence once granted and correcting any errors with the licensing authority.
• The fee does not include:
• obtaining suitable plans
• attending pre-consultation meetings with the Licensing Authority or Responsible Authorities, nor their fee for this meeting.
• dealing with or advising you in relation to queries or representations received from either the responsible authorities or other interested parties
• advising on varying the licence
• attendance and representation at a licensing sub-committee hearing of the responsible authority. If representations are received and attendance and representation at a licensing sub-committee is required then we will provide a separate fee estimate for this work which will be charged at an hourly rate.

How long will my application take?

Matters usually take 6-14 weeks from receipt of full instructions from you. This is on the basis of the application being relatively straightforward and you being able to provide all the necessary documents promptly. If your matter is more complex, for example, if there is substantial opposition from interested parties, or if there is a delay in receiving the documents we need, it may take longer.

It is important to note that our fees are subject to Value Added Tax (VAT) which is charged at 20 percent. In addition any disbursements incurred may be subject to VAT which is charged at 20 percent