Price Transparency

Residential Property Conveyancing

We are really pleased you chose to obtain a conveyancing estimate from our firm. Hutchins and Co is led by our Managing Partner Aliosman Halil, and has been going from strength to strength since 1971. We strongly believe in transparency with all our legal prices and pride ourselves on having a simple and competitive fee structure.

The table below shows our current fee estimates for buying and selling properties in the U.K. We are required to charge VAT. VAT is a government tax that we are required to charge, and will usually be added at 20% to our fees and disbursements, except where we indicate the disbursements are outside the scope of VAT. The fees listed are our average fee ranges for a purchase transaction. The fee (including additional fees and disbursements) may vary depending on the source of the instruction, your solicitor’s experience and location, the property price and what work we are required to do.

(A) Freehold Sales/Purchases

*All our prices include VAT.

Purchase Price up to £399,999.00	£1,200.00
Purchase Price between £400,000.00 to £499,999.00	£1,320.00
Purchase Price between £500,000.00 to £749,999.00	£1,440.00
Purchase Price between £750,000.00 to £999,999.00	£1,560.00
Purchase Price over £1,000,000.00	Please call or email us for a quote

*Please note that all our prices include VAT.

(B) Leasehold Sales/Purchases

Purchase Price up to £399,999.00	£1,320.00
Purchase Price between £400,000.00 to £499,999.00	£1,440.00
Purchase Price between £500,000.00 to £749,999.00	£1,560.00
Purchase Price between £750,000.00 to £999,999.00	£1,680.00
Purchase Price over £1,000,000.00	£1,680.00
Purchase Price over £1,000,000.00	Please call or email us for a quote

*Please note that all our prices include VAT.

The above is an indication of our charges on the assumption that the transaction will not be substantially more complex or time consuming than expected. In addition to our fees you may be liable to pay stamp duty, land registry fees and other disbursements. Please call our office on 0208 986 3911 and ask to speak to one of the conveyancing team who will be able to give you a comprehensive quote and then email you with full details including all disbursements applicable to your transaction. If you prefer please fill up the form below.

Disbursements Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as search fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process. There are certain disbursements which will be set out in the individual lease relating to the Property. The disbursements which we anticipate will apply are set out separately below. This list is not exhaustive and other disbursements may apply depending on the term of the lease. We will update you on the specific fees upon receipt and review of the lease from the seller’s solicitors.

Search Pack: £549 (+20% VAT of £109.80)
Land Registry Fee: £40 – £910

Anticipated Disbursements^*

Notice of Transfer fee – This fee if chargeable is set out in the lease. Often the fee is between £150- £250.
Notice of Charge fee (if the property is to be mortgaged) – This fee is set out in the lease. Often the fee is between £150 and £250.
Deed of Covenant fee – This fee is provided by the management company for the property and can be difficult to estimate. Often it is between £150 and £300.
Certificate of Compliance fee – To be confirmed upon receipt of the lease, as can range between £50 – £300.

*These fees vary from property to property and can on occasion be significantly more than the ranges given above. We can give you an accurate figure once we have sight of your specific documents.

You should also be aware that ground rent and service charge are likely to apply throughout your ownership of the property. We will confirm the ground rent and the anticipated service charge as soon as this we receive this information.

Other Additional Fees (If applicable to your transaction):

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 up to a year to complete, however, you may be required to exchange within 4 weeks. If you are buying a leasehold property that requires an extension of the lease, this can take significantly longer, between 3 and 4 months. In such, a situation additional charges would apply.

* Our fee assumes that:

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
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 complication arise
all parties to the transaction are co-operative and there is no unreasonable delay from third parties providing documentation
no indemnity policies are required. Additional disbursements may apply if indemnity policies are required.

If you wish to use an online quote calculator for residential conveyancing Below is list of things you may wish to consider if you use an online quote calculator for conveyancing matters. You could, if you wish, build questions to find out the following information:

value of the property
first-time buyer
re-mortgage
freehold or leasehold
new build
first registration of title
whether a mortgage or not, or Islamic mortgage
in purchase cases, whether primary residence, buy to let or second/holiday home
multiple owners
shared ownership scheme
using a help to buy scheme, and whether it is an equity loan or ISA
purchase under right to buy
purchase at auction
property has been repossessed

NB: This list is not intended to be exhaustive. The important point is that the information you request should generate the total cost. Please note that any disbursements (save for SDLT/LTT) should be included in the total cost quoted to consumers.

Stages of the process

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:

Take your instructions and give you initial advice
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

Stamp Duty Land Tax

This depends on 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. Referral fee (if any)

We are required by the SRA rules to provide price information regarding the conveyance of residential property that is:

Freehold sale or purchase
Leasehold sale or purchase
Mortgages or re-mortgages

However, we provide a much wider range of services to do with residential (and commercial) conveyancing. We are able to assist you if you are a first time investor or even a property investor, We can then give you independent advice in connection with surveys and valuations, mortgages, re-mortgages, deposits, transfers of equity (e.g. in divorce proceedings where the property is transferred from joint names into one of the parties’ name as part of the financial settlement), leasehold matters, estate agent and a number of other features about which you will need to know With vast experience of conveyancing, we offer a wide range of professional legal advice on buying and selling residential property. We also deal with re-mortgages, transfer of equity, plot sales, right to buy and buy to let.

Area	Our Fees (excluding VAT @ 20%) Prices Starting From £	Expected Disbursements (Costs that clients will be responsible to pay on top of our fees) £	Expected Timescales after instructed, required supporting documentation, contracts and fees received (please also see below)
Freehold Sale	795.00	40.00	4-8 weeks
Freehold Purchase	895.00	150.00	4-8 weeks
Leasehold Sale	850.00	150.00	4-8 weeks
Leasehold Purchase	995.00	200.00	4-12 weeks
Mortgages or re-mortgages	695.00	30.00	3-5 weeks

Example: Stages of the process

The precise stages involved in the purchase of a residential property vary according to the circumstances. However, below are examples of key stages that we include in our fees quoted to clients:

Take your instructions
Receive monies on account
Give you initial advice
Check that 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 solicitors
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 (Stamp Duty) if the property is in England, or Land Transaction Tax (Land Tax) if the property you wish to buy is in Wales
Deal with the application for registration at the Land Registry

Factors that would typically increase the cost of our service are, for example, if the legal title is defective or part of the property is unregistered, if we discover building regulations or planning permission has not been obtained, and if crucial documents we have previously requested from you have not been provided

Disbursements 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.

Stamp Duty or Land Tax (on purchase)

This depends on the purchase price of your property. You can calculate the amount you will need to pay by using HMRC’s website (https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/calculate-stamp-duty-land-tax/#/intro) or if the property is located in Wales by using the Welsh Revenue Authority’s website (https://beta.gov.wales/land-transaction-tax-calculator)

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 4-12 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 4-16 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 a situation additional charges could apply.

Probate (uncontested cases with all assets in the UK)

Our team has over 48 years of collective experience in delivering high quality work in all matters relating to probate. The team has particular expertise in high value estates and multiple benefactors.

We have 6 members of the team who may work on your matter. Regardless of who works on your matter, they will be supervised by Anupam Sood, a Senior Solicitor, who has over 25 years of experience in dealing with probate matters

We are required by the SRA rules to provide price information regarding probate work in relation to uncontested cases where all the assets are in the UK. This includes both testate and intestate and taxable and non-taxable estates.

However, we provide a much wider range of services to do with probate but we do not provide services to do with associated tax returns.

Area	Our Fees (excluding VAT @ 20%) Prices Starting From £	Expected Disbursements (Costs that clients will be responsible to pay on top of our fees) £	Expected Timescales after instructed, required supporting documentation, contracts and fees received (please also see below)
Probate Small Estates up to £325,000.00	1,250.00	260.52**	8-10 months
Probate Medium Estates from £325,000.00 to £650,000.00	2,250.00	260.52	12-14 months
Probate Larger Estates above £650,000.00	3,350.00	260.52**	14-18 months
Preparation and Execution of Deeds of Variation/Disclaimer	950.00	N/A	1 -2 months

** Please note that the disbursements can vary and are dependent on various other matters such as the Local Newspaper publishing the advertisement and the amount of copies obtained. In addition, please note that any property transfer fees and disbursements will be additional to those listed above and will be charged in accordance with our property fees and disbursements.

(https://www.gov.uk/guidance/hmrc-tools-and-calculators)

As part of our fixed fee we will:

Provide you with a dedicated and experienced probate solicitor to work on your matter
Identify the legally appointed executors or administrators and beneficiaries
Accurately identify the type of Probate application you will require
Obtain the relevant documents required to make the application
Complete the Probate Application and the relevant HMRC forms
Draft a legal oath for you to swear
Make the application to the Probate Registry on your behalf
Obtain the Probate and securely send two copies to you
Collect and distribute all assets in the estate

We will handle the full process for you.

The Small Estates quote is based on the following

There is a valid will
There is no more than one property
There are no more than 5 bank or building society accounts
There are no other intangible assets
There are no more than 3 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

The Medium Estates quote is based on the following

There is a valid will
There are no more than 2 properties
There are no more than 7 bank or building society accounts
There are no other intangible assets
There are no more than 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

The Large Estates quote is based on the following

There is a valid will
There are no more than 3 properties
There are no more than 7 bank or building society accounts
There are no more than 5 different shareholdings
There are no other intangible assets
There are no more than 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 are no claims made against the estate

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.

Disbursements include:

Probate application fee of £155.00 plus 2 copies
£104.52 Post in The London Gazette – Protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors.

Potential additional costs

If there is no will or the estate consists of any share holdings (stocks and bonds) there are 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 £0.50 (1 per asset usually).
Dealing with the sale or transfer of any property in the estate is not included

How long will this take?

On average, estates that fall within the small estate band are dealt with within 8-10 months, medium estates are dealt with usually within 12-14 months and larger estates are dealt with within 14-18 months. Typically, obtaining the grant of probate takes 4-6 weeks. Collecting assets then follows, which can take between 8-10 weeks. Once this has been done, we can distribute the assets, which normally takes 2-3 weeks.

Employment Tribunals (claims for unfair or wrongful dismissal)

Our team has over 48 years of collective experience in delivering high quality work in all matters relating to employment tribunals. The team has particular expertise in failure to follow proper procedure matters

We have six members of the team who may work on your matter. Regardless of who works on your matter, they will be supervised by Anupam Sood, a Senior Solicitor who has over 25 years of experience in dealing with employment tribunal matters

We are required by the SRA to provide price information for assistance regarding claims for unfair or wrongful dismissal at the Employment Tribunal.

Area	Our Fees (excluding VAT @ 20%) £	Expected Disbursements (Costs that clients will be responsible to pay on top of our fees) £	Expected Timescales after instructed, required supporting documentation and fees received
Advising other funding options available, such as cover under an insurance policy	300.00	0.00	Work to be completed at first appointment
Form ET1 (the claim form outlining your case and the nature of the dispute)	950.00		3 working days
Form ET3 (the response form when a claim has been made against you)	1,050.00		3 working days
Particulars of claim (document that sets out the factual detail of your claim, and the legal basis for it)	600.00	350.00 (Counsel)	3 working days
Making an Unless order – If you do not comply with an order made by the Employment Tribunal you risk losing part (or all) of your claim/response	600.00	350.00 (Counsel)	3 working days
Interlocutory applications (a provisional decision given during the course of a legal action)	600.00	350.00 (Counsel)	3 working days

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

Simple case: £3,000.00 – £4,500.00 (excluding VAT)

Medium complexity case: £6,000.00 – £9,000.00 (excluding VAT)

High complexity case: £12,000.00 – £18,000.00 (excluding 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 will be an additional charge for attending a Tribunal Hearing of £750.00 per day (excluding VAT). Generally, we would allow 1-2 days depending on the complexity of your case.

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 £750.00 to £1,200.00 per day excluding VAT (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 18-24 weeks. If your claim proceeds to a Final Hearing, your case is likely to take 36 – 48 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.

Immigration (excluding asylum)

Our team has over 79 years of collective experience in delivering high quality work in all matters relating to immigration. The team has particular expertise in complex, poorly evidenced, applications for leave to remain.

We have six members of the team who may work on your matter. Regardless of who works on your matter, they will be supervised by Anupam Sood, a Senior Solicitor, who has over 25 years of experience in dealing with immigration matters

We are required by the SRA rules to provide price information for the following:

Applications for naturalisation or registration under the British Nationality Act 1981
Applications on behalf of European Economic Area (EEA) nationals and their family members under the applicable EEA Regulations or Immigration Rules, including applications for permanent residence, residence cards, and registration certificates
Applications under the Immigration Rules, including:
- student and work experience visas
- visit visas (for tourism, or visiting friends or family)
- spouse and partners applications, including fiancé(e)s or proposed civil partners
- applications for work, business or study under the Points-Based System
- dependent relative and family reunion applications
- ancestry visas
- other categories, such as applications on the basis of long residence

However, we provide a much wider range of services to do with immigration such as, but not limited to, asylum applications, statelessness applications, human rights/private life applications, applications for Secretary of State immigration bail, reconsideration and legacy requests, judicial review, such as claims for unlawful detention, and immigration services to businesses (e.g. applications for certificates of sponsorship or confirmation of acceptance for studies), civil penalty notices, applying for a sponsorship licence, certificate of sponsorship, Tier 2, priority service, premium service, Tier 4 sponsorship licence, Tier 5 sponsorship licence, business visitors, investors and entrepreneurs, and landlords’ tenants immigration checks.

Area	Our Fees (excluding VAT @ 20%) £	Expected Disbursements (Costs that clients will be responsible to pay on top of our fees) £	Expected Timescales after instructed, required supporting documentation and fees received
Applications for naturalisation or registration under the British Nationality Act 1981 Naturalisation Registration	500.00 300.00	The Home Office fees (please see url below) The Home Office fees (please see url below)	7 days 2 Days
Applications on behalf of European Economic Area (EEA) nationals and their family members under the applicable EEA Regulations or Immigration Rules, including applications for permanent residence, residence cards, and registration certificates Permanent Residence Residence Cards Registration Certificates	1,200.00 1000.00 1000.00	The Home Office fees (please see url below) The Home Office fees (please see url below) The Home Office fees (please see url below)	1-2 weeks 1 wee 1 weekk
Applications under the Immigration Rules, including: student and work experience visas visit visas (for tourism, or visiting friends / family) spouse and partners applications, including fiancé(e)s or proposed civil partners applications for work, business or study under the Points-Based System; dependent relative and family reunion applications ancestry visas	1,200.00 600.00 1,200.00 from outside the UK 1,000.00 from the UK 2,000.00 1,200.00 2,000.00	The Home Office fees (please see url below) Visa application fees Visa application fees & IHS fee HO fees & IHS fees The Home Office fees (please see url below) “ “ “ “	1-2 weeks 1 week 1-2 weeks 1 week 1-2 weeks 1 week 1-2 weeks

Latest Home Office fees may be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visa-regulations-revised-table/8-october-2018

(We will first look to signpost you to firms that may be able to manage your matter whilst drawing on public funds. We do not charge a fee to do this. You may instruct us either after having no joy with firms that may draw on public funds or you wish to use our services regardless).

Our quoted fee includes:

Considering the supporting evidence you have provided
Attending upon you
Taking your instructions and providing advice including about the requirements of the Immigration Rules and whether you meet the criteria
If you do not fulfil certain criteria, advising you whether this can be overcome and how
Where necessary, helping you obtain further evidence (such as medical records and bank statements), including taking statements of any witnesses
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
Preparing your application and submitting it on your behalf
Advising you on timelines and the outcome of your application and any further steps you need to take

Our fees do not include for attending interviews with you or where the Home Office refuse your application, advice and assistance in relation to any appeal. We will quote you separately for this work if you wish to instruct us for this.

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. These may include, but are not limited:

Home Office fees for making the application. You will pay this to the
Home Office directly as part of the application process
Immigration Health Surcharge fees
Interpreters fees (usually not required)
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.

How long will my application take to be decided by the Home Office?

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

For Small Businesses

Debt Recovery (up to £100,00)

Our team has over 48 years of collective experience in delivering high quality work in all matters relating to debt recovery. The team has particular expertise in all aspects of private and commercial civil litigation.

We are required by the SRA to provide price information for assistance regarding debt recovery up to £100,000.

Area	Our Fees (excluding VAT @ 20%) £	Expected Disbursements (Costs that clients will be responsible to pay on top of our fees) £	Expected Timescales after instructed, required supporting documentation and fees received
Pre-action Small Claims (Most Claims under £10,000)	650.00	Court fee dependant on claim value, plus Counsel fees	1-2 weeks
Small Claims to Trial (Most Claims under £10,000)	1,100.00	Court fee dependant on claim value, plus Counsel fees	1-2 weeks
Pre-action Fast Track (Claims Between £10,000 to £25,000)	1,250.00	Court fee dependant on claim value, plus Counsel fees	1-3 weeks
Fast Track Claims to Trial (Claims Between £10,000 to £25,000)	2,500.00	Court fee dependant on claim value, plus Counsel fees	1-3 weeks
Pre-action Multi Track Claims (Claims for over £25,000)	7,000.00	Court fee dependant on claim value, plus Counsel fees	1-3 weeks
Pre-action Multi Track Claims to Trial (Claims for over £25,000)	12,000.00	Court fee dependant on claim value, plus Counsel fees	1-4 weeks

Court Claims

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.

Debt value	Our Fees (excluding VAT @ 20%) Prices Starting From £	Expected Disbursements (Costs that clients will be responsible to pay on top of our fees) Court fee £	Total
Up to £5,000	1,750.00	Court fee dependant on claim value, plus Counsel fees	£X
£5,001 – £10,000	2,700.00	Court fee dependant on claim value, plus Counsel fees	£X
£10,001 – £50,000	4,750.00	Court fee dependant on claim value, plus Counsel fees	£X

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 the time specified, providing you with advice on next steps and likely costs

Matters usually take 10 – 18 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 Judgement in default. If enforcement action is needed, the matter will take longer to resolve.

Employment Tribunals (defending claims for unfair or wrongful dismissal)

We are required by the SRA to provide price information for assistance regarding defending claims for unfair or wrongful dismissal at the Employment Tribunal.

We do not, currently, offer this service.

Licensing Applications for business premises (new applications or varying existing licenses)

Our team has over 47 years of collective experience in delivering high quality work in all matters relating to licensing. The team has particular expertise in applications for premises licences and representations against revocation of premises licences.

We are required by the SRA to provide price information to businesses in relation to applying for a new premises licence or to vary a premises licence to allow those premises to be used for one or more licensable activities. This means that the rules are limited to two types of applications – applications for a premises licence under Section 17 of the Licensing Act 2003 and applications to vary a premises licence under Section 34 of the Licensing Act 2003.

The rules are limited to two types of applications as follows:

Area	Our Fees (excluding VAT @ 20%) Prices Starting From £	Expected Disbursements (Costs that clients will be responsible to pay on top of our fees) Court fee £	Expected Timescales to lodge application after instructed, required supporting documentation and fees received
Applications for a premises licence under Section 17 of the Licensing Act 2003	2,750.00	TBC	3-4 Months
Applications to vary a premises licence under Section 34 of the Licensing Act 2003	1,950.00	TBC	3-4 Months
Representations at initial review hearing of a premises licence that is being suspended or revoked	2,250.00	TBC

As shown above under disbursements, additional costs are payable for submitting and advertising the application and these are calculated the licensing application fee is based on the rateable value of the property.. (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/alcohol-licensing-fee-levels)

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. These are:

Application fee (payable to licensing authority) £TBC*
Advertising fee £TBC*

*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.

The quoted 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 yourself.
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 12-16 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.

Although the above table shows our typical costs for each application, our normal range of costs for cases of different complexity is as follows:

Simple application: £2,750 plus VAT (based on 10 hours at an hourly rate of £275 plus VAT)
Medium complexity: £3,850 plus VAT (based on 14 hours at an hourly rate of £275 plus VAT)
High complexity: £4,125 plus VAT (based on 15 hours at an hourly rate of £275 plus VAT)

Factors affecting complexity may include whether there is a cumulative impact policy in place, the type and size of the premises, or whether it is in a residential area.

Experience and Qualifications

(Please note all qualified team members have longer experience than just post-qualified experience)

Team Member	Job Title	Areas (shown above) that they work in	Date Qualified/Date Started Working in Area of Law	Estimated numbers or examples of cases they have dealt with in given areas	Percentage of their time spent on given areas	Complexity or type of issues they typically deal with
Harjinder Singh Johal	Solicitor (Qualified to Supervise)	1,3	15/02/02	c1,315	40%	Varying complexity
Manesha Stella Fernando	Solicitor – Supervisor	1	17/01/11	c950	100%	Varying complexity from simple cash purchases to 7 figures off-plan new builds
Jaskuren Singh Thiara	Solicitor (Qualified to Supervise) Accredited Mediator	1,2,3,4,5,6, 8	01/07/13	c1,900	100%	Varying complexity from Low to High with High Value litigation matters, Property transactions and family matters
Sumair Iqbal	Solicitor (Qualified to Supervise) Accredited Mediator	1,2,3,4,5,6,8	15/09/15	c1,900	100%	Varying complexity from Low to High with High Value litigation matters, Property transactions family matters and motoring offence matters
Sandip Kaur Shergill	Solicitor (Qualified to Supervise) Accredited Mediator	1,2,3,4,5,6,8	02/05/06	c3,150	100%	Varying complexity from Medium to High with High Value Property transactions, litigation and family matters
Anupam Sood	Solicitor – Supervisor and Supervisor of Supervisors Accredited Mediator	1,2,3,4,5,6,8	15/03/96	c8,750	70%	Varying complexity from Medium to High with High Value Property transactions, litigation and family matters
Lucy Mei-Ngik Chuo	Solicitor (Qualified to Supervise)	5	17/03/08	c30	5%	Simple matters
Zarina Gani	Solicitor (Qualified to Supervise	3	01/11/91	c4,150	100%	Complex fraud; serious organised crime; dealing with all aspects of crime from shoplifting to murder; all aspects of drug offences; all motoring offences from drink drive to death by dangerous driving
Timothy John Spooner	Solicitor – Supervisor	3	01/04/81	c4,775	100%	Complex fraud; serious organised crime; dealing with all aspects of crime from shoplifting to murder; all aspects of drug offences; all motoring offences from drink drive to death by dangerous driving
Siddhant Sood	Paralegal	1,2,5	13/07/22	c100	95%	Varying complexity
Muhandiramge Antoinette Rochelle Fernando	Solicitor (Qualified to Supervise)	1	01/04/11	c425	100%	Varying complexity
Benison Chacko Thandieckal	Solicitor (Qualified to Supervise)	1	01/04/04	c950	100%	Varying complexity
Kariyakarawanage Agnes Malani Fernando	Paralegal	5	01/05/95	c3,975	100%	Varying complexity
Ina Kadiu	Solicitor	3	01/11/16	c165	20%	Varying complexity
Eljona Rexhaj	Paralegal	3	17/01/17	c18	10%	Varying complexity
Patrick Mills	Trainee Solicitor	1, 2, 3, 6, 8	21/06/21	c10	6%	Varying complexity from Medium to High with High Value Property transactions, litigation and family matters
Dan Botnari	Paralegal	1, 2, 3, 6, 8	21/06/21	c10	10%	Varying complexity
Maily Thi Nyugen	Trainee Solicitor	1, 2, 6, 8	19/07/21	c150	95%	Varying complexity
Palamandadige Sudhara Dhanuri Ariyananda	Trainee Solicitor Accredited Mediator	1,2,5	18/10/22	c50	95%	Varying complexity

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