LITIGATION COSTS

Our standard hourly rates are as follows:

Grade A fee earner: £215 plus VAT per hour

Overall fees will depend upon the nature and complexity of the matter. These can be broken down as follows:

-          Letter of claim: fees for a typical letter of claim range from £150 plus VAT for a straightforward case to £750 plus VAT for a more complex matter that requires detailed investigation.

-          Court proceedings: our pricing for bringing and defending claims in the Small Claims Track are as follows:

-          Small Claims Track: £1,500 - £3,000 (excluding VAT)

-          Fast Track (value £10,000 or more): £6,000 - £15,000 (excluding VAT)

-          Multi-Track (value in excess of £30,000 where the trial of the action is likely to take more than one day): £10,000 - £50,000 (excluding VAT)

Factors that could make a case more complex:

-          If it is necessary to make or defend applications to amend claims or to request or provide further information about an existing claim

-          Defending claims that are brought by litigants in person

-          Making or defending a costs application

-          Making or defending a specific disclosure application

-          The number of witnesses

-          The number of documents

Disbursements

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

Counsel’s fees for attending trial (including preparation) are estimated between £1,500 - £25,000 (depending upon experience of the advocate, the complexity of the matter and the length of trial)

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 of your case

-          Preparing the claim or defence

-          Reviewing and advising on the claim or defence from the other party

-          Exploring settlement and negotiating settlement throughout the process

-          Preparing for (and attending) costs and case management conference)

-          Preparing disclosure lists and exchanging documents with the other party

-          Taking witness statements, drafting statements and agreeing their content with witnesses

-          Reviewing and advising on the other party’s witness statements

-          Agreeing and preparing trial bundle

-          Agreeing a list of issues, a chronology and/or case list

-          Preparation and attendance at Trial, 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 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 your claim proceeds to trial, the time will depend upon the value and complexity of the case. If the case is a simple small claim with a value of under £10,000 it is likely to take 4-6 months.

If the matter is of medium complexity with a value between £10,000 - £30,000 it is likely to take 9-12 months.

If a matter is of high complexity with a value over £30,000 it is likely to take 10-15 months. 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.