Price Transparency
Debt Recovery
At Best Solicitors our Debt Recovery services are charged on a fixed rate. That fixed rate is charged at 30% of the reclaimed debt plus VAT, together with any disbursements. Disbursements are any costs of third parties which are incurred during the course of our instruction, such as court fees which are determined on the value of the amount claimed from the Debtor these are set by the court and can be viewed on the HMCTS website in a document named an EX50. Disbursements may include the fees in instructing process servers to serve documents, experts where necessary and a barrister who may be instructed to draft documents or attend any hearing including the final hearing.
Disbursements for the Court Fee and for any process servers will vary, depending upon the value of your claim, so are not possible to quantify without information on the value of your claim.
If the Debt is over £100,000 then our hourly rates will apply, these can be viewed here, the hourly rates do not include VAT and these would be added on.
We will prepare any requisite pre-action protocol letter and service your action for debt to trial including preparing any pleadings, instructions of counsel and instruction of any third party where necessary which is required to advance any claim. It is hard to determine how long any recovery of debt can take, but we would expect a response to any demand within 21 days and thereafter winding up petition or court proceedings can be issued. If a winding up petition is required then a hearing may be listed within 6 weeks, if any court proceedings are issued this can take several months if not a year to resolve.
The team here at Best is guided by the Director and Head of Department Thomas Tilbrook and assisted by Glen Herbert and Megan Armitage. Together we have combined experience of 40 years. Thomas is a Grade A fee earner, Glen is a Grade B and Megan a Grade D.
Employment Law Department
At Best Solicitors we offer a range of funding options for our employment law services – both for employees and for employers. For more information, please see below. Please note that the fees below are an indication of charges and are on the assumption that the service required will not prove to be substantially more complex or time consuming than expected. Should this situation arise then we would of course let you know.
We are passionate about providing South Yorkshire with affordable employment law advice. We offer our services to both businesses and individuals with a no win no fee policy on most cases. This means if we see that your case has a reasonable prospect of success, we will only charge you if we win your case. We take your claim at the point where it will require intervention following disciplinary action or dismissal. This could also be when you have suffered discrimination or other employment related issues. We will represent you in relation to pursuance of the claim to ACAS and thereafter if required to an employment tribunal.
Our legal prices are comprised of the following:
We offer an initial no obligation telephone consultation free half hour appointment.
Agreed hourly rates/fixed fees
Nikki Sharpe deals with employment issues at Best Solicitors. Nikki qualified as a Solicitor in 1997 and has specialised in Employment Law since 2015. The hourly rate we offer reflects Nikki’s experience and the complexity of your case. We can work on a fixed fee basis with no hidden costs. Nikki’s Hourly rate is £217.00 + VAT (£43.40) per hour.
Nikki is supervised by Donna Tilbrook, Solicitor and Chief Executive Officer of Best Solicitors.
Merit Assessment of new case or ongoing employment claim.
£250 + VAT (£50) 60-minute telephone consultation which includes review of documentation and an email with advice following the meeting.
Employment Tribunal Advice and Representation from Employees/Employers
If you are involved in an Employment Tribunal claim, we can assist you throughout the process and represent you at any hearings. We can also help with each stage of the process if you prefer, from preparing and filing your Employment Tribunal claim form to representation at a final hearing. We offer fixed fees and other types of funding at key stages of the employment tribunal process as below:
- Preparation of your claim form or response form to the Employment Tribunal – £500 plus VAT (£100)
- Preparation and attendance at preliminary hearing – £300 plus VAT (£120).
- Consideration of and advice upon response form – £150 plus VAT (£30)
- Preparation of a Schedule of Loss setting out the value of your claim – £300 plus VAT (£60)
- Preparation of a list of documents and bundle. This can vary depending on number of documents and complexity of the case. A fee will be agreed with you before completing the work.
- Witness Statements (per witness) Usually between 1 – 4 hours. Preparation time and attendance upon your witnesses and you can vary depending on the number of witnesses and the length of the witness statements. We will give you a more accurate estimate when we are aware of the number of witnesses you will need to call and the amount of evidence that will be covered in your statements.
- Instructions to a Barrister (if required) £200 plus VAT (£40).
- Representation at a final hearing – £1000 plus VAT for a one-day hearing and £660 plus VAT for any subsequent days. In addition to the preparation time set out above, you will be charged for routine letters, emails, telephone calls and attendance as detailed in our terms and conditions of business. Longer emails or correspondence are charged in accordance with the time spent dealing that item.
Damaged Based Agreements (No Win No Fee)
In most cases we act on a damage-based agreements (No Win No Fee).
This would be subject to our undertaking a thorough risk assessment of your potential claim. Under these agreements we will take 35% inclusive of VAT of any settlement or Employment Tribunal award. If you lose your case, you will pay us nothing expect any disbursements. Disbursements are costs payable to third parties and may include fees for a medical report or records and barrister’s fees.
Legal Expenses Insurance
Some employees can fund their claim by way of legal expense insurance. However, this type of insurance does not always cover every aspect of the employment case, particularly before any dismissal or resignation.
If you think you may have legal expense insurance then you should check your insurance policies – particularly those relevant to your home, car or other insurance you may have. You can then contact the insurance company direct and see if they will offer representation. It is possible to appoint your own solicitor rather than use the solicitor appointed by the insurance company and we can help you if you have any queries in this regard.
Trade Union
If you are a member of a trade union you should check first to see if they will fund any claim for you. You are free, however, to contact us if you do not wish to use your trade union but you should clarify first with the union whether you have cover to pursue a claim.
Payment by the employer
Win or lose at an employment tribunal neither party is normally entitled to recover any legal costs. As part of a negotiated settlement, the employer or ex-employer may agree to at least pay a contribution towards legal costs and VAT. In some cases, the employer will pay all of these.
Settlement Agreements
If you are an employee then your employer will offer you a contribution towards your legal fees and in the majority of cases we will not charge you any more than your employer has offered to both advise you upon the agreement and negotiate a better settlement for you if appropriate. Please note the minimum fee for this work is £250 + VAT (£50) for a standard agreement.
If the agreement is complex then the cost will be higher and if you want to negotiate terms the cost could be £500 plus VAT (£100) – £750 plus VAT (£150).
Motoring Private Client
We have an experienced team of lawyers who can deal with your motoring case before the court. All of our qualified solicitors have more than 20 years post qualification experience representing before both the Magistrates and Crown court.
We offer advice without representation, advice and representation and if necessary and appropriate advice upon appeal and representation at appeal to the Crown Court.
Cases usually commence in the Magistrates Court. Please contact us once you have received notification of intended prosecution so that we can advise and assist prior to the hearing date. Even if you have attended the court alone and now require representation or advice concerning what happened at court then please do not hesitate to contact us as we may be able to assist. Of course as in all court proceedings, we can only give you an estimate of time frames as those are set by the court not ourselves.
The disbursements are as set out below (Travel and mileage), and would be plus VAT. There may be occasions where an experts report may be required, but the cost of such reports would be calculated on a case by case basis.
| Interview and advice
Interview, advice and written representation to the Court |
£125 + VAT (of £25.00)
£350 + VAT (of £70.00) |
| Speeding/careless driving – advice and representation at Court | £500 + VAT (of £100.00) |
| OPL – advice and representation at Court | £450 + VAT (of £90.00) |
| Exception Hardship – interview, advice and representation at Court on a guilty plea but where you are liable to disqualification as a “totter” and wish to retain your license | £600 + VAT (of £120.00) |
| Special Reasons – interview, advice and representation at Court on a guilty plea, but where you are liable to argue special reasons for not disqualifying Any expert reports to be obtained the costs will be added to the fee | £750 + VAT (of £150.00) |
| Travel and Mileage – *matters outside Sheffield and Barnsley will require an additional mileage fee | 45p per mile + VAT (of £0.09) + standard parking fees as incurred |
Private Client
A guide to service charges for Wills & Probate services:
| Wills | Net | VAT | Gross |
| Simple – Individual | £275.00 | £55.00 | £330.00 |
| Simple – Mirror | £400.00 | £80.00 | £480.00 |
| Property Trust – Individual | £450.00 | £90.00 | £540.00 |
| Property Trust – Mirror | £600.00 | £120.00 | £720.00 |
| VPDT Trust – Individual | £550.00 | £110.00 | £660.00 |
| VPDT Trust – Mirror
Discretionary Trust – Simple Discretionary Trust – Mirror |
£700.00
£550.00 £700.00 |
£140.00
£110.00 £140.00 |
£840.00
£660.00 £840.00 |
| Codicils | Net | VAT | Gross |
| Individual | £150.00 | £30.00 | £180.00 |
| Mirror | £200.00 | £40.00 | £240.00 |
| Lasting Power of Attorney | Net | VAT | Gross |
| P & FA or H & W – Individual | £400.00 | £80.00 | £480.00 |
| P & FA and H & W – Individual | £800.00 | £160.00 | £960.00 |
| P & FA or H & W – Mirror | £800.00 | £160.00 | £960.00 |
| P & FA and H & W – Mirror | £1600.00 | £320.00 | £1920.00 |
*Court Fee of £82 applies for the registration of each LPA – payable to the OPG
| Registration of Enduring Power of Attorney | Net | VAT | Gross |
| Registration of an EPA | £250.00 | £100.00 | £600.00 |
*Court Fee of £92 applies for the registration of each EPA – payable to the OPG
| General Power of Attorney | Net | VAT | Gross |
| Preparation of GPOA | £500.00 | £100.00 | £600.00 |
| Court of Protection | Net | VAT | Gross |
| Deputyship Application for Finances | £950.00 | £190.00 | £1140.00 |
* Court Fee of £408 applies for the application to the Court of Protection plus a medical professional must complete form COP3 and they will charge a fee for this service. Deputy Bond Fee payable upon appointment as Deputy plus annual fees to the COP
| Home Visit Fee | Net | VAT | Gross |
| Payable in addition to standard fees for the work type (assessed on a case by case basis) (consider applying if location is in excess of 20 miles from the office) | £50.00 | £10.00 | £60.00 |
| Emergency Will | Net | VAT | Gross |
| Payable in addition to standard fees for the work type if the Will is to be prepared on an urgent basis/out of normal hours (assessed on a case by case basis) (consider applying if work required to be completed the same day or within 24 hours) | £350.00 | £70.00 | £420.00 |
| Probate and Administration of Estates | Net | VAT | Gross |
| Application for a Grant of Representation only (no estate administration) | £950.00 | £190.00 | £1140.00 |
| Application for a Grant of Representation only (no estate administration) plus application to transfer NRB | £1500.00 | £300.00 | £1800.00 |
| Application for a Grant of Representation only (no estate administration) plus completion of IHT400 (non-taxable estate)
Application for a Grant of Representation only (no estate administration) plus completion of IHT400 (taxable estate) |
£2000.00
£2500.00 |
£400.00
£500.00 |
£2400.00
£3000.00 |
| Full Administration of Estate – estate value up to £150,000 | £3000.00 plus VAT (£600.00) = £3600.00 plus 1% of the estates gross value |
| Full Administration of Estate – estate value up to £300,000 | £3500.00 plus VAT (£700.00) = £4200.00 plus 1% of the estates gross value |
| Full Administration of Estate – estate value up to £500,000 | £4000.00 plus VAT (£800.00) = £4800.00 plus 1% of the estates gross value |
| Full Administration of Estate – estate value up to £1,000,000 | £4500.00 plus VAT (£900.00) = £5400.00 plus 1% of the estates gross value |
| Full Administration of Estate – estate value above £1,000,000 | £5000.00 plus VAT (£1000.00) = £6000.00 plus 1% of the estates gross value |
*Probate Registry Fee of £300 payable for the Grant of Representation plus additional copies (1.50 each)
| Administration of Estate as Independent Administrator | |
| Acting as Independent Administrator in the administration of an Estate | Fee Earners Hourly Charing Rate Director of Wills & Probate £275 plus VAT. |
*Probate Registry Fee of £300 payable for the Grant of Representation plus additional copies
| Deed of Variation | Net | VAT | Gross |
| Preparation of a Deed of Variation | £450.00 | £90.00 | £540.00 |
| Registration of Trusts | Net | VAT | Gross |
| Registration of Trust with HMRC | £450.00 | £90.00 | £540.00 |
| Administration of Trusts | Net | VAT | Gross |
| Annual Fee for dealing with day to day administration of trust (Retainer) | £500.00 | £100.00 | £600.00 |
| Deed of Retirement and Appointment of Trustees | £350.00 | £70.00 | £420.00 |
| Deed of Appointment | £350.00 | £70.00 | £420.00 |
All fees are plus disbursements and VAT at 20%. Likely disbursements for probate are the court application fee of £300.
Fee Earners
Anne Rogers – Director of Wills & Probate – Director/Head of Department – £275.00 plus VAT per hour
Alicia Mate – Legal Advisor – Probate Paralegal – £150.00 plus VAT per hour
Ellie Whitehead – Legal Advisor – Probate Paralegal – £150.00 plus VAT per hour
Emily Allison – Legal Assistant – Junior Paralegal – £110.00 plus VAT per hour
Timescales
It is difficult to predict how long the administration of the estate will take, since we will be relying on other companies and organisations providing us with information and on the Probate Registry to provide us with the Grant of Probate. The efficiency of third parties is completely out of our control. However, we would expect to be in a position to conclude the administration of the estate within approximately 12-18 months. This is assuming there are no difficulties on the way and that the matter progresses smoothly. We will keep you updated as to progress.
Residential Conveyancing
Purchase
| £ Range | Fee (Net) £ |
| 0.00 to 75,000 | 750.00 |
| 75,001-100,000 | 800.00 |
| 100,001-125,000 | 825.00 |
| 125,001- 150,000 | 850.00 |
| 150,001-175,000 | 875.00 |
| 175,001-200,000 | 900.00 |
| 200,001-250,000 | 925.00 |
| 250,001-300,000 | 950.00 |
| 300,001-400,000 | 975.00 |
| 400,001-500,000 | 1000.00 |
| 500,001-600,000 | 1100.00 |
| 600,001+ | 2500.00 |
Our legal fees cover:
- Assessing the seller’s title
- Raising pre-contract enquiries
- Reviewing the mortgage offer and lender’s requirements (if applicable)
- Obtaining and assessing all standard searches
- Reporting our findings to you (and your lender)
- Undertaking the exchange and completion procedures
- Following completion, we will arrange for the payment of Stamp Duty Land Tax (“SDLT”) and forward the return on your behalf as well as apply to the Land Registry to register your purchase, deal with any requisitions and forward to you a copy of the completed title.
Upon completion, we need to submit the balance purchase monies to your seller’s solicitor by telegraphic transfer. Our fees do not include the telegraphic transfer fee, which costs £17.50 (+ VAT at 20%). If there is a surplus due back to you and you need this repaid by telegraphic transfer, a further £17.50 plus VAT at 20% will be payable.
Tax advice is excluded as a standard part of the conveyancing transaction fee. We are able to refer you for tax advice, if this is required.
Disbursements on a purchase (not included in our legal fees set out above.)
Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties. We handle the payment of disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.
The following disbursements usually always apply:
- Searches to identify potential risks with the property. These are usually around £260 (inc VAT at 20%) but vary between properties and if you want us to carry out additional non-standard searches
- Land Registry Fees. These vary depending on the value of your property. Further information about these fees can be found by visiting the Land Registry website – https://fee-calculator.landregistry.gov.uk/
You will also need to pay Stamp Duty Land Tax when purchasing a property but the amount depends on the value of the property you are buying. 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.
Once we have reviewed the documents relating to your purchase we will let you know if any other disbursements are likely to be payable.
New Build
| £ Range | Fee (Net) £ |
| 0.00 to 75,000 | 850.00 |
| 75,001-100,000 | 875.00 |
| 100,001-125,000 | 900.00 |
| 125,001- 150,000 | 925.00 |
| 150,001-175,000 | 950.00 |
| 175,001-200,000 | 975.00 |
| 200,001-250,000 | 1000.00 |
| 250,001-300,000 | 1025.00 |
| 300,001-400,000 | 1050.00 |
| 400,001-500,000 | 1075.00 |
| 500,001-600,000 | 1500.00 |
| 600,001+ | 2500.00 |
Our legal fees cover:
- Assessing the seller’s title
- Raising pre-contract enquiries
- Reviewing the mortgage offer and lender’s requirements (if applicable)
- Obtaining and assessing all standard searches
- Reporting our findings to you (and your lender)
- Undertaking the exchange and completion procedures
- Following completion, we will arrange for the payment of Stamp Duty Land Tax (“SDLT”) and forward the return on your behalf as well as apply to the Land Registry to register your purchase, deal with any requisitions and forward to you a copy of the completed title.
Upon completion, we need to submit the balance purchase monies to your seller’s solicitor by telegraphic transfer. Our fees do not include the telegraphic transfer fee, which costs £17.50 (+ VAT at 20%). If there is a surplus due back to you and you need this repaid by telegraphic transfer, a further £17.50 plus VAT at 0% will be payable.
Tax advice is excluded as a standard part of the conveyancing transaction fee. We are able to refer you to for tax advice, if this is required.
Disbursements on a new build purchase (not included in our legal fees set out above.)
See above, as for purchase.
Sale
| £ Range | Fee (Net) £ |
| 0.00 to 75,000 | 700.00 |
| 75,001-100,000 | 725.00 |
| 100,001-125,000 | 750.00 |
| 125,001- 150,000 | 775.00 |
| 150,001-175,000 | 800.00 |
| 175,001-200,000 | 825.00 |
| 200,001-250,000 | 850.00 |
| 250,001-300,000 | 875.00 |
| 300,001-400,000 | 900.00 |
| 400,001-500,000 | 925.00 |
| 500,001-600,000 | 1500.00 |
| 600,001+ | 2500.00 |
Our legal fees cover:
- Obtaining title information and documents from the Land Registry
- Gathering information from you and third parties necessary to issue the contract and related information to the Buyer’s legal representatives
- Handling pre-contract enquiries raised by the buyer
- Redeeming the first legal charge (mortgage) on the property (if applicable) and undertaking the exchange and completion procedures.
Upon completion, we need to submit the balance required to redeem any existing mortgage to your lender by telegraphic transfer. Our fees do not include the telegraphic transfer fee, which costs £17.50 (+ VAT at 20%). If there is a surplus due back to you and you need this repaid by telegraphic transfer, a further £17.50 plus VAT at 20% will be payable.
Tax advice is excluded as a standard part of the conveyancing transaction fee. We are able to refer you for tax advice, if this is required.
Disbursements on a sale (not included in our legal fees set out above.)
Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties. We handle the payment of disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.
The following disbursements usually always apply:
- Office Copies/Land Registry Searches/Bankruptcy searches to confirm everyone involved can go ahead with the transaction. We usually provide an estimate of no more than £19.50 (inc VAT at 20%) to cover these costs however you will only ever pay the amount we actually expend.
Once we have reviewed the documents relating to your sale we will let you know if any other disbursements are likely to be payable, for example, fees payable to a ground landlord/management company for leasehold information.
Remortgage
| £ Range | Fee (Net) £ |
| 0.00 to 100,000 | 500.00 |
| 100,001-200,00 | 550.00 |
| 200,001-300,00 | 600.00 |
| 300,001-400,00 | 650.00 |
| 400,001-500,00 | 750.00 |
| 500,001-600,00 | 850.00 |
| 600,001-700,00 | 950.00 |
| 700,001-800,00 | 1200.00 |
| 800,001+ | 1500.00 |
Our legal fees cover:
- Obtaining and assessing title information and documents from the Land Registry
- Liaising with the existing mortgage lender (if applicable) and reviewing the mortgage offer and lender’s requirements
- The completion procedure
- Your lender may require searches, in which case we will obtain and assess all standard searches, reporting our finding to you (and your lender). Your lender may accept no search indemnity insurance as an alternative and we will explore this option with you when we have received the mortgage offer from your lender
- Following completion, we will apply to the Land Registry to register the mortgage, deal with any requisitions and forward to you a copy of the completed title.
Upon completion, we need to submit the balance required to redeem any existing mortgage to your lender by telegraphic transfer. Our fees do not include the telegraphic transfer fee, which costs £17.50 (+ VAT at 20%). If there is a surplus due back to you and you need this repaid by telegraphic transfer, a further £17.50 plus VAT at 20% will be payable.
Tax advice is excluded as a standard part of the conveyancing transaction fee. We are able to refer you for tax advice, if this is required.
Disbursements on a re-mortgage (not included in our legal fees set out above.)
Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties. We handle the payment of disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.
The following disbursements usually always apply:
- Office Copies/Land Registry Searches/Bankruptcy searches to confirm everyone involved can go ahead with the transaction. We usually provide an estimate of no more than £19.50 (inc VAT at 20%) to cover these costs however you will only ever pay the amount we actually expend.
- No Search Policy (inc VAT at 20%)
- If your original conveyancer didn’t carry out searches when you bought your property, your new lender may ask for a special insurance policy. This protects you and the lender in case you have to sell the property at a loss due to a problem that a search would have flagged.
- We charge a fee for setting up the policy and will let you know the cost of the policy itself once we have the full details.
- Land Registry Fees. These vary depending on the value of your property. Further information about these fees can be found by visiting the Land Registry website – https://fee-calculator.landregistry.gov.uk/
Once we have reviewed the documents relating to your transaction we will let you know if any other disbursements are likely to be payable.
Transfer of Equity
| £ Range | Fee (Net) £ |
| 0.00 to 100,000 | 500.00 |
| 100,001-200,00 | 550.00 |
| 200,001-300,00 | 600.00 |
| 300,001-400,00 | 650.00 |
| 400,001-500,00 | 750.00 |
| 500,001-600,00 | 850.00 |
| 600,001-700,00 | 950.00 |
| 700,001-800,00 | 1200.00 |
| 800,001+ | 1500.00 |
Disbursements on a Transfer of Equity (not included in our legal fees set out above.)
Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties. We handle the payment of disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.
The following disbursements usually always apply:
- Office Copies/Land Registry Searches/Bankruptcy searches to confirm everyone involved can go ahead with the transaction. We usually provide an estimate of no more than £19.50 (inc VAT at 20%) to cover these costs however you will only pay the amount we actually expend.
- No Search Policy (inc VAT at 20%)
- If your original conveyancer didn’t carry out searches when you bought your property, your new lender may ask for a special insurance policy. This protects you and the lender in case you have to sell the property at a loss due to a problem that a search would have flagged.
- We charge a fee for setting up the policy and will let you know the cost of the policy itself once we have the full details.
- Land Registry Fees. These vary depending on the value of your property. Further information about these fees can be found by visiting the Land Registry website – https://fee-calculator.landregistry.gov.uk/
Once we have reviewed the documents relating to your transaction we will let you know if any other disbursements are likely to be payable.
Additional disbursements and costs (which are matter specific, and may not apply to all matters) –
- OS1 priority final search – £4.20 per title
- Bankruptcy search – £3.20 per client
- If the property is a flat:- £150+ VAT added to fees
- Leasehold House £50.00 plus VAT
- If it is shared ownership:- £12.005 + VAT added to fees
- If new build property:- £150.00 + VAT added to fees
- Help to Buy ISA/Lifetime :- £50.00 + VAT per person
- If it is a Help to Buy mortgage:- £250.00 + VAT added to fees
- Gifted deposit per gift £50.00 plus VAT
- Cash purchase £100.00 plus VAT
- Shared ownership £50.00 plus VAT
- Digital onboarding, if opted for (including anti money laundering searches) variable prices usually no more than £37.30
- SDLT and Land Registry submission fee £6.00 (inc VAT) each
The conveyancing team is a multi-disciplinary team of both qualified solicitors, CILEX trained fee earners, junior fee earners and experienced support staff.
Best Solicitors is accredited with the Conveyancing Quality Standard by the Law Society. In accordance with our obligations under the accreditation, your transaction, where appropriate, will comply with the Conveyancing Protocol (2019 edition) and will use the Law Society Code for Completion by Post (2019 edition).
Timescales
The average national timescale is currently 150 days (over 21 weeks – as at June 2022).
BEST Solicitors Limited are completing 95% of transactions quicker than that national average, with a freehold transaction completing in and average of 8-12 weeks, and a leasehold transaction in an average of 12-16 weeks.
