Cockfosters Head Office

East Barnet Office

How We Charge

We aim to be as transparent as possible about how we calculate your legal costs. Below you will find detailed information about our fee structure.

PWJ Solicitors office sign

Our charges will be calculated mainly by reference to the time spent in relation to your matter. Value Added Tax is chargeable, together with disbursements. We ask for disbursements to be paid in advance. Our charging rates are reviewable from time to time. You will be told of any increase.

Please see the specific sections explaining the costs of probate, conveyancing, employment law, wills and lasting powers of attorney for specific information on costs relating to an area of practice,

  • We will charge you for each hour of work carried depending on the experience of the fee earner acting for you. Our hourly rates are listed below. Routine letters made or received and considered and routine telephone calls made or received will be charged in units of 1/10th of an hour. Our letters, emails and calls will be charged for on a time basis. We will add VAT to our charges at the rate which is present when the work is done. At present VAT is 20%.
  • We will inform you if any unforeseen extra work becomes necessary, for example due to unexpected difficulties or if your requirements or the circumstances change significantly during the matter.
  • We will also inform you in writing of the estimated cost of the extra work before incurring extra costs.
  • Our professional fees are referable to the time spent charged in minimal units of 6 minutes (which includes all telephone calls).
  • The current categories of Fee Earner and current hourly charge out rates are listed below. The charge-out rates are exclusive of VAT.
  • Charge out rates will apply to all the work done on your case including time spent making or receiving telephone calls, reading incoming post, dictating outgoing letters, preparing file notes of meetings, telephone calls and general file notes, considering and drafting documents, preparing instructions and briefs to barristers, researching law where necessary, attending conferences with barristers, travelling time, attending at Court, meetings with you or the lawyers acting for the other person in your case or other people connected with the matter, taking statements from witnesses and so on, and setting up bank transfers.
  • In addition to the charges made by the Banks in respect of funds transfers (which will be advised directly to you if applicable) an additional fee will be charged to you by the firm to reflect the time spent in organising, monitoring and dispatching each funds transfer. The amount will be advised.

Charge-Out Rates

  • Senior Partners & Consultants – £365 per hour +VAT @20%
  • Managing Partner – £350 per hour +VAT @20%
  • Partners, or Solicitors with 10yrs+post-qualified experience – £325 per hour +VAT @20%
  • Other Partners – £310 per hour +VAT@20%
  • Solicitors with less than 10yrs post-qualified experience – £258 per hour+ VAT@20%
  • Solicitors with less than 5yrs post-qualified experience – £242 per hour +VAT@20%
  • Fellow & Associate, Legal Executives & Senior paralegals – £237 per hour+ VAT@20%
  • Trainee Solicitors/Junior paralegals – £180 per hour +VAT@20%
  • Clerks – £155 per hour +VAT@20%

These charge-out rates may be increased if any of the factors mentioned above apply.

Payment on Account

We, like most firms of solicitors, require payments on account of costs. We reserve this right in respect of every matter and reserve the right to cease acting on any matter where a request is not met. We render interim accounts. This will help you to budget and assist our cash flow.

Disbursements

There will also be certain additional expenses (disbursements) including but not limited to applications for Office Copy Entries, Land Charges Searches, possible Company Searches, Land Registry Searches, Probate fees, Court fees, Expert’s fees and Counsel’s fees and Bank charges for which you will be responsible. VAT will be charged on these as appropriate. We will indicate the amount of these when they are incurred and will try to estimate them as accurately as possible in advance. In virtually all cases we will seek funds from you in advance which will need to be cleared (this normally takes 5-7 working days from payment) in order to meet such liabilities before they are incurred. We will not accept cash for payment of disbursements.

Outstanding Accounts

In conveyancing matters our fees and disbursements are payable prior to completion save where interim accounts have been rendered. In that and all other cases, our fees are payable on delivery of our account. Thereafter, we reserve the right to charge interest on outstanding accounts. In regard to contentious and non-contentious matters, we charge interest at the rate of 8% per annum. We reserve the right to stop working on your matter if payments are not made.

Where we receive from you a mixed payment containing both client and office monies, the office element will be transferred against any outstanding account within 14 days. This is to comply with Law Society regulations.

How we charge

Fees by Service

We aim to be as transparent as possible about how we calculate your legal costs.

Probate Employment Law Freehold Purchase Freehold Sale Leasehold Purchase Leasehold Sale

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Contact our friendly team today to find out how we can help you with professional and impartial legal advice.

Call: 020 8441 1556

Cockfosters Parade office

Cockfosters Head Office

East Barnet office

East Barnet Office