Fees

All of our staff are charged out on the basis of hourly rates attributed to each solicitor, based on their experience and the value they add to a case. Trainee solicitors and paralegals are charged out at lesser rates than those of experienced solicitors and partners. A full breakdown of each fee earner’s hourly rate is available on request.

We aim to keep our hourly rates as reasonable as possible, acknowledging that quality legal advice needs to be accessible and affordable for most clients. Our hourly rates are extremely competitive when compared to other firms in London and the South East, including the City and West End.

We offer clients a variety of different options to help meet their legal fees as follows:

Fixed fees

We offer a fixed fee service on a variety of standardised procedures, such as service of possession notices

Conditional Fee Agreements

These are commonly known as “no win, no fee” agreements and our costs are only recovered in the event of the client’s claim succeeding. These are available in specific situations which we will discuss with you as appropriate.

Payment Options

You can pay us by credit card, debit card, or cheque. You can set up a direct debit to cover an agreed monthly payment.

Public Funding/ Legal Aid

We have contracts from the Legal Aid Agency to carry out publicly funded work in the areas of Family, Housing and Public Law, in all of which we have Specialist Quality Marks. Availability is subject to financial eligibility tests which change from time to time. Availability is also subject to the case meeting the criteria for legal aid. The most up to date information on both is available at www.gov.uk/legal-aid/overview

For further information regarding any of our funding schemes, please contact our main switchboard on 020 7272 1234 and they will put you through to the appropriate department.

Interest Policy

If we hold money in a separate designated client account on your behalf, we will account to you for all interest earned on that account. If we hold money in a general client account on your behalf, or if money should have been held on your behalf but was not, then we will account to you for a sum in lieu of interest calculated as below:-
We will not account to you for any interest in the following situations:

a) If the amount calculated is £20 or less

b) on money held for the payment of a professional disbursement if the person to whom the money is owed has requested a delay in settlement

c) on money held for the Legal Aid Agency

d) on an advance from us into our general client account to fund a payment on your behalf in excess of funds already held for you in that account

e) if there is a agreement to contract out of the provisions of this policy.

We will calculate and pay interest once your matter has been concluded.

We do not carry out a banking or investment service, we only hold client monies for a specific purpose and generally only for a short period of time. Therefore our interest policy may not provide the highest rate available. Subject to the above interest will be paid in accordance with the interest rate provided by our bank at that time.