Transparency

TRANSPARENCY INFORMATION

SHL provides information regarding our charges and disbursements in a clear and understandable matter, and you will find below a guide to our charges. You should always contact us for a full quote however, as your matter is individual to you, and we provide individual quotes based on your needs. The information provided below, therefore, is a guide only.

RESIDENTIAL CONVEYANCING

Please see the link to our current fees for our prices – https://www.sthelenslaw.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/STH12173_ConveyancingPriceTable_01.pdf. Residential conveyancing is carried out on a fixed fee basis and depends upon the price of the sale or purchase, whether it is leasehold, whether there is a mortgage and other factors. While the guide shows the average cost of our fees, please contact us for a full quote which will be tailored to your particular circumstances.

The work is carried out by a team of conveyancers who all have a wide range of experience dealing with conveyancing work. The team is led by Deborah Murphy, Director and supervisor, who is a qualified solicitor with over 20 years post qualification experience, and prior to qualifying as a solicitor was a Legal Executive and has worked in the legal profession for 36 years.  Leanne Allen is a conveyancing clerk who has worked in conveyancing since 2012 and dealt with many varied residential conveyancing transactions.  Victoria Clayton is a conveyancing clerk who has worked in conveyancing for over 15 years and has dealt with all aspects of residential conveyancing. 

Disbursements are different for every transaction but please see the link for details of disbursements that may arise – https://www.sthelenslaw.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/20220104171625143.pdf. VAT is charged at 20% where indicated. 

The fee quoted covers all aspects of the conveyancing from taking initial instructions, progressing the transaction, affecting completion and then registration or redemption of any mortgages and thereafter reporting to you.  Please see the link to our Conveyancing page. 

Generally, the work involved per transaction type, and which is covered by our quoted fees is: 

PURCHASE

  • Initial paperwork and communication with all parties
  • Checking the Contracts and supporting documentation from the Sellers Solicitors
  • Checking the Title to confirm the property is saleable
  • Ordering Searches and Checking results
  • Raising enquiries with the Sellers Solicitors
  • Checking Mortgage Offer and confirm special conditions satisfied (if applicable)
  • Reporting to you on all title investigations, searches and enquiries
  • Calling in re-mortgage funds in readiness for completion
  • Raising all usual searches to ensure property is clear of charge(s) on completion.
  • Effect exchange of contracts
  • Completion of transaction
  • Registration of new Lender at H.M Land Registry post completion
  • Reporting to you and to your Lender post completion.

SALE

  • Initial paperwork and communication with all parties
  • Obtain the title deeds to your property
  • Ensuring EPC has been produced
  • Prepare and submit contract documentation to your Buyers
  • Obtain redemption figures from your lender (if applicable)
  • Negotiations for agreement as to completion date
  • Effect exchange of contracts
  • Completion of transaction
  • Discharge of mortgage debt or debts
  • Discharge of agents fee (if applicable)
  • Reporting and/or accounting to you on completion.

REMORTGAGE

  • Initial paperwork and communication with all parties
  • Obtaining the Title Deeds to your property
  • Checking title to ensure it is saleable.
  • Checking mortgage offer to ensure its terms and conditions and reporting to you thereon.
  • Raising all usual searches to ensure property is clear of charge(s) on completion.
  • Calling in re-mortgage funds in readiness for completion
  • Completion of transaction
  • Discharge of existing charge or charges
  • Registration of new Lender at H.M Land Registry post completion
  • Reporting to you and to your Lender post completion.

TRANSFER OF EQUITY

  • Initial paperwork and communication with all parties
  • Obtaining the Title Deeds to your property
  • Checking title to ensure it is saleable.
  • Prepare Transfer documentation and report to you of the same
  • Raising all usual searches to ensure property is clear of Charge(s) on completion.
  • Attending to submission of Inland Revenue Land Transaction return (if applicable)
  • Registration of title at H.M Land Registry post completion.
  • Reporting to you and post completion.

TRANSFER OF EQUITY AND REMORTGAGE

  • Initial paperwork and communication with all parties
  • Obtaining the Title Deeds to your property
  • Checking title to ensure it is saleable.
  • Prepare Transfer documentation and report to you of the same
  • Checking mortgage offer to ensure its terms and conditions and reporting to you thereon.
  • Raising all usual searches to ensure property is clear of charge(s) on completion.
  • Calling in re-mortgage funds in readiness for completion
  • Completion of transaction
  • Attending to submission of Inland Revenue Land Transaction return (if applicable)
  • Discharge of existing charge or charges
  • Registration of new Lender at H.M Land Registry post completion
  • Reporting to you and to your Lender post completion.

PURCHASE OF FREEHOLD

  • Initial paperwork and communication with all parties
  • Obtaining the Title Deeds to your property
  • Checking the Transfer and supporting documentation from the Freeholders Solicitors
  • Raising enquiries with the Freeholders Solicitors
  • Reporting to you with the Transfer documentation
  • Raising all usual searches to ensure property is clear of charge(s) on completion.
  • Completion of transaction
  • Registration of new Lender at H.M Land Registry post completion
  • Reporting to you post completion.

Each transaction is different and timescales can be from 12-20 weeks depending upon the nature of the sale or purchase.  Please see the link for a guide to the conveyancing process – https://www.sthelenslaw.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/STH18370_ConveyancingProcessDiagram_01.pdf.

DEBT WORK

We carry out debt work for a wide range of debt recovery, and the fees for same depend upon the sum being recovered.  We also do some work on a fixed fee basis, and where that is not possible, we work on an hourly rate of £350.00 per hour.  We will tell you when you ask us to carry out the work on which basis we can attempt recovery of your debt.  Whilst we cannot give a firm figure here, generally we charge as follows: 

Sending a letter of claim and sending any subsequent letters prior to issue of proceedings – £100.00 plus vat of 20% per letter 

Drafting and issuing court proceedings:  small claims up to £10,000.00 fixed fee of £250.00 plus vat @ 20%; fasttrack/multitrack up to £100,000.00 an hourly rate of £350.00 per hour plus vat of 20%, average time to draft 2 hours.  Drafting and issuing proceedings including dealing with any procedural steps to have the proceedings issued and served.  

Dealing with a defence: small claims up to £10,000.00 fixed fee of £100.00 plus vat to consider the defence and draft any necessary reply; fasttrack/multitrack up to £100,000.00 hourly rate of £350.00 plus vat to consider defence and draft any necessary reply, average time to draft 2-3 hours. 

Representation at court at a hearing: small claims up to £10,000.00 fixed fee of £350.00 plus vat @ 20%; fasttrack and multitrack up to £100,000.00 on an hourly rate of £350.00 plus vat @20%, average time of hearing 3 hours. 

Obtaining judgment if not at a hearing, and if by default: for both small claims and fasttrack/multitrack matters, fixed fee of £50.00 plus vat @ 20% 

Enforcement: in both small claims and fasttrack/multitrack we pass any enforcement on to High Court Enforcement officers who attempt recovery and charge any fees they incur to the Defendant. If they are not able to recover their fees, they charge a fixed fee of £75.00 plus vat @ 20% and a court issue fee of £71.00 for issuing the writ. 

Court fees depend upon the amount of the debt; please see link to current court fees on our debt recovery page. Court fees do not attract VAT. Other fees incurred could be enquiry agent’s fees, and this ranges from £150.00 plus vat @20% to £500.00 plus vat @20% depending upon any work that they do for us with your agreement.

 Timescales for recovery depend upon any response from the debtor and whether court proceedings are required.  We would expect a response to a letter of claim within 21 days of sending same, and if no response then we would be looking to issue court proceedings within 7 further days.  Court dates are out of our hands and it depends upon the court list, but you should be prepared for a wait of months given the current backlog.  

The supervisor of this work is Howard Nulty who has been a qualified solicitor for 40 years. Working with him is Nicola Case, a litigation clerk who has worked in the legal sector for 17 years with a varied caseload of litigated matters and debt work. Claire Campbell is a solicitor of 21 years standing and has litigated low and high value matters over a wide range of cases.  Akbar Raza is a trainee solicitor who is currently beginning his legal career in litigation.  

While this is a guide to the services provided, please contact us for a quote and we can discuss your individual circumstances and provide a detailed breakdown of what we expect you to have to pay to progress your debt recovery.  Please see this link to our Debt Recovery page.

PROBATE

Probate work is carried out by Kirsty Cartwright, a qualified solicitor since 2009.  Kirsty has undertaken the STEPS course which has provided her with a breadth of knowledge of both litigious and non-litigious probate matters.  Kirsty is assisted by Carol Ashton, probate clerk who has worked in the legal sector since 1987 and who is able to support Kirsty with many administrative tasks necessary to progress probate.  The supervisor of the department is Deborah Murphy, solicitor and Director, who qualified in 2002 but was a qualified Legal Executive prior to that since 1996 and who started her legal career in 1985. 

We offer two kinds of assistance with Probate matters.  We can apply for the grant of probate only and this is charged on a fixed fee basis of £600.00 plus vat @ 20%. Additionally, there is a Probate fee of £155.00 and £1.50 for every office copy of a Probate document required.  No VAT is applicable to those fees. 

Should you want us to deal with the entire Probate, then this is charged out on an hourly rate of £250.00 plus vat @ 20%, with the same Probate fee of £155.00 and £1.50 for each office copy, no VAT on each.  It is not possible to give a proper estimate for the work done for a full probate application as each matter is individual and it depends upon the number of beneficiaries, whether the will is challenged, the amount of the estate etc.  However, we would not expect a full probate application to be concluded in under 10 hours work.  Depending on the previously noted factors, this could escalate into many more hours, but we will always keep you advised of the sum incurred and update you regularly so that you are not taken aback by a large bill. 

The work included in the fixed fee for the Grant of Probate is generally:

  1. Take detailed instructions from you to obtain the Grant of Representation to the estate to enable the assets to be administered
  2. Prepare the documentation to lead to the Grant of Representation
  • Prepare the necessary Inheritance Tax Forms to assist with obtaining the Grant of Representation
  1. Arrange for the documentation to be signed by the Executor(s)
  2. Apply to the Probate Registry for the Grant of Representation

Should any work be required outside these parameters, we will contact you to discuss prior to progressing further. 

The work that we would expect to carry out for you in obtaining full Probate includes: 

Should further work be required outside of these parameters, we will contact you to discuss what is needed prior to progressing further. 

Please see the link to our page on Probate.