Fees & Complaints

Conveyancing:

• (a) Average Costs per transaction (Sale or Purchase) range from £950 plus VAT to £2,250 plus VAT (currently at 20% so £1,140 to £2,700 inclusive). If you are interested in our services, please telephone us or provide an email with the following information:
  
  
1. 1. Purchase/sale price;
2. 2. In case of a purchase, whether or not a mortgage is required and, if known, the name of the lender;
3. 3. Whether the property is freehold or leasehold and, if leasehold, the approximate number of years remaining on the term;
4. 4. In case of a joint purchase, information as to the connection between the buying parties and whether a deed of trust may be required; and
5. 5. Whether or not a related transaction is/are involved, if known.
   
   
• On receiving this information from you, we will be able to provide an accurate estimate which will be fixed subject to the transaction not becoming substantially delayed or significantly more complicated than anticipated.
  
  
• (b) The charge rate for a senior solicitor is £295 plus VAT (£354) per hour and, for a junior solicitor £200 plus VAT (£240) and for a trainee solicitor, £175 plus VAT (£210) per hour. In the case of estimated conveyancing fees, time spent will be recorded and fees charged subject to any agreed cap and the provisos set out above.
  
  
• (c) All transactions will be supervised by a senior solicitor but a trainee solicitor may assist with the necessary work.
  
  
• (d) Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) will likely apply if you are purchasing property. See the links page for HMRC's website which has an SDLT calculator.
  
  
• (e) A local authority search, drainage search and, in some cases, an environmental search may be required to be undertaken. The costs will vary depending on the London Borough or other Borough outside London; costs will be provided with the estimate to you. Land Registry fees will be payable in relation to purchases (see links page for Land Registry website fee calculator). Bank charges are normally £20 plus VAT (£24) per transfer but may be higher than this and we reserve the right to charge the costs actually incurred and VAT, if this becomes applicable; other disbursements which will be advised to you.
  
  
• (f) In relation to conveyancing work, the estimate will includes all the main steps in a purchase or sale transaction other than survey advice, planning advice and tax advice. Should such be required you must seek it. We can act as your agent for the filing of an SDLT return. See Residential Conveyancing key stages
  
  
• (g) In case your transaction does not proceed, the fees charged to you will be no more than any capped estimate (save in exceptional circumstances) and will reflect the time actually spent on the transaction.
  
  
• We aim to offer competitive fees for a high quality service and the above is for guidance only. The actual agreement (retainer) governing your case will need to be agreed between us and may vary from the above.

Complaints Procedure:

The procedure may be obtained on application to us by telephone or email and sample is here. See below. In case the complaint cannot be resolved via that internal process, you may refer the matter within the following 6 months to the Legal Services Ombudsman whose details are as follows:

Address: PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton, WV1 9WJ
Telephone: 0300 555 0333
Website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk

Note that from 1 April 2023, additionally the time limits for referring a complaint to LeO are no later than one year from the date: of the act or omission being complained about; or when the complainant should have realised that there was cause for complaint

The practice is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority who regulate Solicitors in relation to conduct issues. See the links for their details and the process.

Internal Complaints Procedure

• 1. The solicitor dealing with your matter who may be able to resolve the matter directly.
• 2. Brett Swabey who is the principal of the firm and the person nominated to deal with complaints and to who unresolved complaints should be referred. (In many cases Brett Swabey will also be the fee earner).

• 3. Within one week we will acknowledge receipt of your complaint and let you know the person dealing with it and the date by which they will respond to you.
• 4. We will respond to your complaint. This process will involve a review of the case and short written report to you. We will aim to respond within 21 days. If cause for complaint is found and it is possible to offer a solution at this stage we will write to you to ask whether the solution is acceptable to you.
• 5. We may request further clarification from you about your complaint during the review, in which case the above timeframe may need to be extended. If the response date is to be changed we will notify you of the new response date.
• 6. If cause for complaint is found and the suggested solution is not acceptable to you or you are otherwise dissatisfied with the decision made, you may refer the matter to the Legal Ombudsman, details below. Complaints to the Legal Ombudsman must normally be made within six months of receiving a final written response from us about your complaint (see above).