Introduction

Price and Service Information - Rule 1.1

Complaints Information - Rule 2.1

These rules set out the information authorised firms, and individuals providing services to the public from outside authorised firms, should make available to clients and potential clients.

The rules aim to ensure people have accurate and relevant information about a solicitor or firm when they are considering purchasing legal services and will help members of the public and small businesses make informed choices, improving competition in the legal market.

Price and Service Information 1.1

An authorised body [or an individual practising in the circumstances set out in regulation 10.2(b)(i) to (vii) of the SRA Authorisation of Individuals Regulations,] who publishes as part of its usual business the availability of any of the services set out at rule 1.3 to individuals or at rule 1.4 to businesses, must, in relation to those services, publish on its website cost information in accordance with rule 1.5 and 1.6.

1.2 Rule 1.1 does not apply to publicly funded work.

1.3 The services in relation to individuals are:

1. The conveyance of residential real property or real estate which comprise:
1. freehold or leasehold sales or purchases; or
2. mortgages or re-mortgages;
2. the collection and distribution of assets belonging to a person following their death, where these are within the UK and the matters are not contested;
3. the preparation and submission of immigration applications, excluding asylum applications;
4. the provision of advice and representation at the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) in relation to appeals against Home Office visa or immigration decisions, excluding asylum appeals;
5. the provision of advice and representation at the Magistrates Court in relation to summary only road traffic offences dealt with at a single hearing;
6. the provision of advice and representation to employees in relation to the bringing of claims before the Employment Tribunal against an employer for unfair dismissal or wrongful dismissal.

1.4 The services in relation to businesses are:

1. (a) the provision of advice and representation to employers in relation to defending claims before the Employment Tribunal brought by an employee for unfair dismissal or wrongful dismissal;
2. (b) debt recovery up to the value of £100,000;
3. (c) the provision of advice and assistance and representation in relation to licensing applications for business premises.

1.5 Costs information must include:

1. the total cost of the service or, where not practicable, the average cost or range of costs;
2. the basis for your charges, including any hourly rates or fixed fees;
3. the experience and qualifications of anyone carrying out the work, and of their supervisors;
4. a description of, and the cost of, any likely disbursements, and where the actual cost of a disbursement is not known, the average cost or range of costs;
5. whether any fees or disbursements attract VAT and if so the amount of VAT they attract;
6. details of what services are included in the price displayed, including the key stages of the matter and likely timescales for each stage, and details of any services that might reasonably be expected to be included in the price displayed but are not; and
7. if you use conditional fee or damages based agreements, the circumstances in which clients may have to make any payments themselves for your services (including from any damages).

1.6 Cost information published under this rule must be clear and accessible and in a prominent place on your website.

CGS Legal Debt Recovery

Disputed Claims –

Lawyers in Department

Single debts to be recovered for Letter Before Action, costs thereafter charge at the above hourly rates - Court fees are also determined by the value of your claim and are currently set at:

PERSONAL AND CORPORATE INSOLVENCY PROCEEDINGS

Bankruptcy – petition against an individual

Winding up a Company

We do not take on work that requires legal aid.

PLEASE CHECK THE TERMS OF ANY INSURANCE POLICY IN YOUR NAME OR IN THE NAME OF ANYONE YOU RESIDE WITH. TYPICALLY, THIS WILL BE FOUND IN A HOME/CONTENTS OR BUILDINGS INSURANCE POLICY. YOU MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR LEGAL EXPENSES INSURANCE TO COVER A CLAIM IN THE EMPLOYMENT TRIBUNALS. IF YOU BELIEVE YOU MAY HAVE LEGAL EXPENSES INSURANCE, PLEASE NOTIFY YOUR INSURER WITHOUT DELAY AS MANY APPPLY TIME LIMITS FOR REPORTING CLAIMS TO THEM (TYPICALLY 120 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF THE ‘EVENT’ OCCURING).

RESIDENTIAL CONVEYANCING FEES

Our clients are diverse and from multiple jurisdictions. We appreciate the privilege of sitting alongside our clients as a trusted advisor, building strong personal connections to them and their businesses. Because the services we offer are bespoke, the following fees should be referenced as a guide only.

Costs

Average fees, based on a standard sale or purchase of a freehold or leasehold property for a price of £500,000.00 is as follows:

NOTE:

VAT is chargeable at 20% and, where it is required to be paid, has been noted in the figures above.

Stamp Duty Land Tax is payable on a purchase. The amount will depend on the value of the property and your circumstances. You can obtain an indication of the likely amount on the government's website .

*The sums marked with an asterisk are fees payable to third parties. These fees vary from property to property. There is no accepted amount and on occasion they can be significantly more than estimated above. We will be able to provide accurate figures once we have contacted the parties involved in your transaction.

NOTE:

The sums marked with an asterisk are fees payable to third parties. These fees vary from property to property and depending if the urgency of the matter. There is no accepted amount and on occasion they can be significantly more than estimated above. We will be able to provide accurate figures once we have contacted the parties involved in your transaction.

NOTE:

The sums marked with an asterisk are fees payable to third parties. These fees vary from property to property. There is no accepted amount and on occasion they can be significantly more than estimated above. We will be able to provide accurate figures once we have contacted the parties involved in your transaction.

Assumptions

• This is a standard transaction and 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
• The mortgage is with a high street lender and we are not required to negotiate or advise on finance terms
• If the property is leasehold, this is the assignment of an existing lease and is not the grant of a new lease
• The transaction is concluded in a timely manner and no unforeseen complications arise
• All parties to the transaction are co-operative and there is no unreasonable delay from third parties providing documents
• No indemnity policies are required. Additional disbursements may apply if indemnity policies are required

Matters likely to affect the cost

• Value of the property
• Urgency of instruction
• Requirement for a lock out or exclusivity agreement
• Off plan, newly built
• Listed buildings requiring planning review and advice
• Refurbished properties that may require planning and construction review and advice
• Company involvement (additional searches at Companies House / company resolutions)

Key Stages

The precise stages involved in the sale or purchase of any residential property will vary according to the circumstances, however, the key stages are set out below:

Purchase

• Take your instructions and complete our identification and money laundering checks including verifying source of wealth and funds
• Check finances are in place to fund purchase and contact lender's solicitors if needed
• Receive and advise on contract documents
• Carry out searches
• Receive a copy of your surveyor's report on the physical aspects of the property and liaise further as necessary
• Obtain further planning documentation if required
• Make any necessary enquiries of seller's solicitor
• Give you advice on all documents and information received in a comprehensive report on title
• Go through conditions of mortgage offer
• Advise you on joint ownership
• Draft Transfer
• Agree completion date (date from which you own the property)
• Send final contract to you for signature with request for the deposit
• Exchange contracts and notify you that this has happened
• Obtain pre-completion searches
• Arrange for all monies needed to be received from lender and you
• Complete purchase
• Deal with payment of Stamp Duty/Land Tax
• Serve any post completion notices (eg notice of assignment / charge)
• Deal with application for registration at Land Registry

Sale

• Take your instructions and complete our identification and money laundering checks including verifying source of wealth and funds
• Provide you with standard property questionnaires to complete
• Check sale proceeds will be sufficient to discharge any existing mortgages on the Property
• Draft contract documents and prepare sales pack
• With your help, respond to any enquiries by the buyer's solicitor
• Agree the contract and transfer with the buyer's solicitor.
• Agree completion date (date on which the property is transferred to the buyer)
• Send final contract to you for signature
• Exchange contracts and notify you that this has happened
• Send transfer to you for signature
• Complete sale
• Send monies to lender to obtain discharge of any mortgage
• Pay selling agent from sale proceeds (if agreed)
• Return remaining funds to you.

Timescale

If all information is available and all parties act without delay, you should allow a period of approximately 3 weeks on average to exchange. This will give us time to review the documents, produce a report for you and allow you time to digest it.

Completion can take place at any time after exchange on a date agreed by the parties at exchange. Banks will usually require up to 5 working days' notice to draw down mortgage funds and sellers will often request between 2-4 weeks to vacate a property after exchange.

The actual speed of the transaction will depend on a number of factors some of which are set out below.

• Your speed in providing us with suitable and sufficient ID and proof of address documents, sufficient proof of source of wealth and funds
• Existence of buyer's mortgage offer and instructions to act from buyer's lender
• Whether sale / purchase dependent on simultaneous purchase / sale of any other property
• Availability of full pre-contract package from seller with all relevant title documents and planning documents
• Both parties' speed in providing replies / instructions to their conveyancers
• Speed of obtaining search results from local authorities
• Existence of title defects
• Existence of physical defects / breaches of planning permission/listed building or building control
• If leasehold, speed of landlord / managing agent in providing full management pack and responding to any queries / requests for consent

Included in the cost

Sale

• Liaising with the Selling Agent to assist with the preparation of the sales particulars
• With your help, preparing a full sales pack for the purchaser including replies to standard enquiries, title details, all relevant copy documents, such as planning permissions, guarantees and certificates and, if it's a leasehold, management information from the managing agents
• Preparing a draft contract on your terms and negotiating that with the purchaser's solicitor
• Liaising with your bank to arrange for the redemption of any mortgage on the Property
• If the property is leasehold, obtaining any necessary consents from your landlord

Purchase

• Full investigation of legal title to the property and rights required for its proper enjoyment, together with a full set of standard searches for your property purchase
• Comprehensive report on our investigations and copies of all documents referred to including advice as to matters affecting ownership in the future, such as alterations / lettings etc. This report will also help your solicitor prepare for a quick sale in the future
• Completion and submission of SDLT forms and payment of SDLT
• Registration of the property in your name at the Land Registry (subject to paying the Land Registry fees) and, if relevant, securing the bank's charge on the property

Remortgage

• Investigation of title according to instructions from your new bank including obtaining all new searches and replies to enquiries if required
• If leasehold, obtaining any necessary consents from the landlord
• Liaising with your existing lender to remove their mortgage from your title
• Applying to the Land Registry to register the mortgage of the new lender against your title

Not included in the cost

• Tax advice.
• Face to face meetings (other than to verify identity)
• Interpretation of planning documents other than on a superficial level
• Advice regarding neighbouring and adjoining properties
• Preparation of lock out / exclusivity agreements if required
• Drafting of co-habitation agreements / trust deeds
• Preparation of supplemental documents eg licences / tenancies / deeds of variation
• Negotiating finance terms

However, we can provide assistance in relation to any or all of these matters if so required. Please ask and we can provide further information about our fees.

Motoring offences: Fixed fee

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.

Example (fixed fee)

Drink driving offence, guilty plea - fixed fee £1,500 + VAT

Fee includes:

• 2 hours attendance/preparation
• considering evidence
• taking your instructions
• providing advice on likely sentence
• Attendance and representation at a single hearing at the Magistrates Court

In cases involving special reasons, these are charged at the same rate as a trial.

Our hourly rate is £325 to £500 depending on level of fee earner.

The same rates apply to actual representation at hearings.

The fee does 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 your 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 (this will have an additional cost, at our hourly rates).

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 (or our agreed appointed representative/ Counsel) will attend court on the day and meet with you before going before the court. How long we have to spend at Court is entirely dependent on the Court listing, other cases in the Court list and the complexity of your case.

We will discuss the outcome with you.

If advice is required on appeal, this will carry an additional cost to be agreed.

Fixed Fee Employment Solicitors

1) Notify your employer of a grievance- £220.00 plus VAT. This includes:

• A 30 minute appointment;
• Reviewing documents;
• Drafting a letter for you to provide to your employer.

(2) Appeal against a disciplinary outcome- £220.00 plus VAT. This includes:

• A 30 minute appointment;
• Reviewing documents;
• Drafting an appeal letter for you to provide to your employer.

3) Settlement Agreement advice - Minimum of £300.00 plus VAT (usually paid by your employer). This includes:

• Considering your Contract of Employment and proposed Settlement Agreement;
• Providing oral advice over the telephone;
• A Solicitor signing the required certificate.

4) Contract of Employment Advice- £250.00 plus VAT (if there are more than 2 restrictive covenants then the fixed fee is £500.00 plus VAT). This includes:

• Considering your existing contract;
• Providing you with written advice on terms, including enforceability of restrictive covenant(s).