SRA Price Transparency
In accordance with the Solicitors Regulation Authority, we have set out our estimated charges below. For a quote specifically tailored to your case, please contact our office.
Our charges are made up of our fees for the legal work and ‘disbursements’. Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to other people, such as barrister’s fees. We sometimes handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.
Where VAT is referred to below please note that this will be charged at the applicable rate, which is currently 20%.
Your case will be handled by a trusted member of our experienced litigation team. We have a number of qualified lawyers in the team as well as experienced paralegals who specialise in this area of law. Once we know who will be handling your case, we will introduce you to them and provide you with full details of their background and qualifications. Full details of the experience and qualifications of our team are available on our website including the types of work normally undertaken.
Regardless of who is working on your case the matter will be supervised by either Waleed Tahirkheli (PQE: 7 years) or Mohammed Sarwar Khan (PQE: 26 years).
Our solicitors generally work on a fixed fee hourly basis and their hourly rates, unless there is an alternative funding agreement in place are set out below:
| Legal Role | Hourly Rate |
| Partner/Solicitor with more than 8 years’ PQE | £500.00 (plus VAT) |
| Solicitor with more than 4 years’ PQE | £350.00 (plus VAT) |
| Solicitor with less than 4 years’ PQE | £250.00 (plus VAT) |
| Trainee Solicitor / Paralegal | £150.00 (plus VAT) |
At Eldwick Law, our team of solicitors are committed to helping individuals and companies who are seeking to recover any outstanding debt(s) owed, whatever the quantum, where the debtor is based in England and Wales. If you wish to proceed with a claim, you should be aware of the following: the VAT element of our fee cannot be reclaimed from the debtor, interest and compensation may increase the debt cost; the costs quoted below do not include enforcement action such as if bailiffs need to collect the debt on your behalf.
STAGE 1: PRE-ACTION
Our debt recovery procedures are commenced by first sending our client a Client Care Letter together with a copy of our Standard Terms & Conditions. Once a signed copy has been returned to us, we will proceed with preparing and sending a pre-action letter/letter of claim to the debtor, which sets out in detail the background of the dispute and the quantum of the debt that we are seeking to recover. If the debtor is willing to pay the outstanding debt, then our legal charges will be approximately £1000 plus VAT. The letter before action will require the debtor to pay the outstanding sum within 21 days for individuals and companies. However, please note in complicated cases the other side will normally have up to 3 months in which they may respond. The below is an estimate of our fees to assist in a straightforward debt recovery matter:
|
Pre-action |
Individuals |
Companies |
|
Taking your instructions and reviewing documentation |
£750.00 (plus VAT) |
£750.00 (plus VAT) |
|
Undertaking appropriate searches |
£150.00 (plus VAT) |
£300.00 (plus VAT) |
|
Sending a letter before action |
£1,000.00 (plus VAT) |
£1,000.00 (plus VAT) |
|
Receiving payment and sending onto you, or if the debt is not paid, drafting and issuing a claim |
£1500.00 (plus VAT) |
£1500.00 (plus VAT) |
STAGE 2: ISSUING LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
If the letter of claim to the debtor does not result in payment, we will issue a claim in the County Court or High Court (as appropriate) which involves preparing a Claim Form and Particulars of Claim to recover the debt owed. The defendant has 14 days to respond to the claim if they file a Defence. If they file an Acknowledgment of Service, then they will have a further 14 days in which to file their Defence. If there is no Acknowledgment of Service or Defence filed within the specific time frame, we could then make a request for a judgement in default.
To minimise the stress and costs of litigation, we may enter into a negotiation with the debtor to settle the costs without recourse to the court. This could be by way of a mediation for example.
Supplementary charges may be incurred if proceedings are issued, such as Counsel’s fees and expert's fees. The cost of these will largely depend on the circumstances involved and we may charge additional fees depending on the length and complexity of the claim.
|
Legal Proceedings |
Individuals |
Companies |
|
Where no Acknowledgment of Service of Defence is received, applying to the court to enter Judgement in default |
£350.00 (plus VAT) |
£350.00 (plus VAT) |
|
When judgement in default is received, write to the other side to request payment |
£150.00 (plus VAT) |
£150.00 (plus VAT) |
|
If payment is not received within the deadline, providing you with advice on next steps and likely costs |
£500.00 (plus VAT) |
£500.00 (plus VAT) |
Court Fees
Please note the court fee may vary depending on the value of the claim. The estimated costs below include us preparing and filing the Claim Form and Particulars of Claim with the court.
|
Claim amount |
Paper form fee |
Online claim fee |
Our fee |
|
Up to £300 |
£35 |
£25 |
£150.00 (plus VAT) |
|
£300.01 to £500 |
£50 |
£35 |
£175.00 (plus VAT) |
|
£500.01 to £1,000 |
£70 |
£60 |
£200.00 (plus VAT) |
|
£1,000.01 to £1,500 |
£80 |
£70 |
£250.00 (plus VAT) |
|
£1,500.01 to £3,000 |
£115 |
£105 |
£350.00 (plus VAT) |
|
£3,000.01 to £5,000 |
£205 |
£185 |
£450.00 (plus VAT) |
|
£5,000.01 to £10,000 |
£455 |
£410 |
£550.00 (plus VAT) |
|
£10,000.01 to £100,000 |
5% of the claim |
4.5% of the claim |
£1500.00 (plus VAT) |
|
£100,000.01 to £200,000 |
5% of the claim |
You cannot make a claim online |
£3000.00 (plus VAT) |
|
More than £200,000 |
£10,000 |
You cannot make a claim online |
£5000.00 (plus VAT) |
Disbursements
You will need to pay for ‘disbursements’ in addition to our costs as described above. In a debt recovery matter the most common disbursements tend to relate to application fees and the barrister's costs. It is difficult to estimate what overall fees would be without knowing about the detail of your case. Please contact us for more information.
Each case varies depending on the circumstances, so it is important that you contact us if there is anything specific in your case, so that we can provide you with a more tailored and detailed quote.
How Long Will My Case Take?
How long it will take to recover the debt in question will depend on a number of factors. 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 4-8 weeks (depending on the complexity of your claim and not including the time for the other party to respond). If your claim proceeds to a final hearing, your case is likely to take between 24 and 52 weeks, but this will also depend on court listings and the complexity of the claim. In more complicated claims, you can expect trial listings to take more than a year. 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.
On average, an immigration application takes between 4-12 hours to complete. The average cost of your case can be seen in our price structure above, which sets out our hourly rate dependent on the level of solicitor assigned to your case. This means on average costs are between £1,400 and £4,200 (plus VAT). The exact time spent, and fees charged will depend on the circumstances in your case. Such as:
- how straight-forward your case is in terms of the law;
- whether it is necessary to appeal;
- the amount of supporting evidence that we need to consider;
- which language(s) you speak;
- whether you are applying with other dependants.
If you are able to provide enough evidence early on in the case and it is obvious that you meet the legal tests for your immigration application then the cost is likely to be at the lower end of the price range given above. If the case is more complex and proceeds to an appeal then the costs of your case will likely exceed this price range.
Disbursements
You will need to pay for ‘disbursements’ in addition to our costs as described above. In an immigration matter the most common disbursements tend to relate to interpreter’s fees. Interpreters are not needed in many cases but if an interpreter is needed the hourly rate charge is normally about £25 per hour. This is in addition to our fees as set out above. It is difficult to estimate what overall interpreter fees would be without knowing about the detail of your case. Please contact us for more information.
In most cases we do not need to instruct a barrister (specialists in attending and arguing at Court) on your behalf. If a barrister is needed then the hourly rate is likely to be in the region of £300 per hour, depending on the experience of the barrister. Immigration applications will normally require between 6-8 hours of the Barrister’s time (if applicable), depending on the complexity of your case.
We do not normally need to incur the cost of preparing a medical report on your behalf but should this be required we will tell you straight away.
If there is an interview with the immigration authorities and you ask us to attend with you, there will be further disbursements for our travel costs.
The costs quoted here do not include:
- Home Office fees for making the application;
- Advice and assistance in relation to any appeal if your application is refused.
Key Stages of Your Case
The examples of typical costs above cover all of the work in relation to the following key stages an immigration application:
- Discussing your circumstances and options throughout the process;
- Giving you advice about the requirements of the Immigration Rules and whether you meet the criteria;
- If you do not fulfil certain criteria, whether this can be overcome and how;
- Considering the supporting evidence you have provided;
- Where necessary, helping you obtain further evidence (such as medical records and bank statements), including taking statements of any witnesses;
- Preparing your application and submitting it on your behalf;
- Giving you advice about the outcome of the application and any further steps you need to take.
It would not normally be necessary to undertake other work or incur other costs other than those described above. However, we would be very happy to provide you with a more tailored quote for all stages of your particular case once we know about your specific circumstances.
How Long Will My Case Take?
Unfortunately, we do not have control over how long the Home Office take to process applications. However, you can view the current processing times online.
In terms of submitting your application to the Home Office we can normally achieve this within 2-4 weeks of you instructing us.
Price transparency rules only apply in relation to summary only motoring offences under Part I of the Road Traffic Act 1988 and/or s89 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. For example:
- Driving while disqualified;
- Driving without insurance;
- Careless driving;
- Failing to stop or report; and
- Speeding.
The average cost of your case is set out below:
- Early guilty plea: £400 plus VAT
- Trial: £1200 plus VAT
The price may vary depending on the circumstances in your case, such as:
- Instruction of any expert witnesses;
- Taking statements from any witnesses;
- Advice and assistance in relation to a special reasons hearing;
- Advice or assistance in relation to any appeal
Trial
Costs are at a fixed rate set out in our pricing structure. If the case is more complex and proceeds to an appeal then the costs of your case will likely exceed the fixed price range.
Disbursements
You will need to pay for ‘disbursements’ in addition to our costs as described above. For example, attendance and representation at a single hearing at the Magistrates Court on the basis that you either plead guilty or, if you plead Not Guilty your case is adjourned to a separate trial date. Instructing expert witnesses, obtaining medical records and reports, witness statements and any advice in relation to an appeal or special reasons hearing. Whilst we cannot provide you with a fixed fee quote, we would be very happy to provide you with a more tailored quote for all stages of your particular case once we know about your specific circumstances.
Key Stages of Your Case
The examples of typical costs above cover all of the work in relation to the following key stages for magistrates court traffic work:
- Discussing your circumstances and options throughout the process;
- Giving you advice about the requirements of the Road Traffic Act, Road Traffic Regulation Act and the relevant court procedures.
- If you do not fulfil certain criteria, whether this can be overcome and how;
- Considering the supporting evidence you have provided;
- Providing advice on likely sentence;
- Attend court on the day and meet with you before going before the court;
- Discuss the outcome with you. If advice is required on appeal, this will carry an additional cost.
How Long Will My Case Take?
Unfortunately, we cannot provide a timescale of when your hearing will take place, as this depends on the court listing for that day.
Statutory Demand
This is a formal demand for payment that is undisputed or admitted and is usually served within 48 hours. Our costs for preparing a Statutory Demand is £500 plus VAT. If the debtor ignores the Statutory Demand or cannot pay the money, you can issue a bankruptcy order if you are owed £5,000 or more by an individual, or you can apply to liquidate a company if the debtor owes you £750 or more.
Bankruptcy petition
You can present a bankruptcy petition to court for someone’s assets to be taken and sold to pay their debt owed to you. The court fees to bankrupt an individual or a company are £990 for the petition deposit and £280 for court costs. Our costs are £1000 plus VAT.
Insolvency
You can choose to ‘wind up’ a company, where the company goes into compulsory liquidation. To apply, you must be able to prove that the company cannot pay you. If you are successful, the company’s assets are sold, and funds are paid to you. The court fees to wind up a company are £1600 for a petition deposit and £280 in court fees. Our costs are £1000 plus VAT.