Fees and Rates
I offer three arrangements for the work that I undertake:
- Fixed Fee: This arrangement is for matters where I am able to estimate the amount of time it will take to complete the work, such as providing written advice, advice in conference, or representation at a hearing. The fee will be agreed in advance and set out in a client care letter and accompanying fee note. This fee must be paid before the work or appearance takes place. This is a simple and transparent arrangement where you know exactly how much you are paying and for what. I aim to provide fixed fees in as many matters as possible, sometimes breaking an ongoing matter into several discreet pieces of work, each with a set fixed fee. This is sometimes referred to as “unbundling” of work or a matter.
- Minimum Fixed Fee: This arrangement is very similar to a fixed fee, but with the caveat that there may be additional work that I cannot anticipate at the outset. This type of arrangement is appropriate where I have determined that there is a minimum amount of work required up to a certain point, but further work will need to be agreed upon and billed before you pay any additional fees.
- Billing by Hourly Rate: I charge £400+VAT per hour. This rate is applied when it is impossible to determine how long it will take to complete the work. In this case, I will suggest that you pay for a set number of hours to begin with. Once I have a better understanding of the scope of the work, I can discuss with you whether I can fix the remaining work at a fixed fee or simply bill you for additional hours.
Things I Cannot Do
- I cannot hold client money on account, either directly or via a third party. This means that you cannot pay me an amount of money before fees are agreed for some aspect of work. Fees that are agreed and paid in advance are not considered client money. When you instruct a solicitor, they will typically ask you to pay a sum of money (typically in the thousands) into their client account. The solicitor then holds this money on trust for you. The solicitor is then permitted to raise invoices for work done and transfer your money from the client account to their firm account. Barristers (and BSB entities) cannot do this. Instead, we will agree on fees in advance or by hourly rates, as detailed above.
- I cannot pay your court fees, as they are not fees that are due to me. You must either pay these yourself or reimburse me if I have already paid them for you out of my own funds. The simplest way of doing this is to write a cheque payable to HM Court Services.
- Similarly, I cannot pay for disbursements (such as expert witnesses) for you. These costs must be paid/received separately. For example, court fees and expert fees.
Engagement Process
When you engage my services, if you are a lay client, I will ask you to sign an engagement letter and agree to its terms. If you are a solicitor, I will confirm the instructions in writing.
Thereafter, each element of work will be detailed and billed in a fee note, which must be paid in advance of the work undertaken.
Additional Costs
There may be additional costs to those quoted above, including:
- Court filing fees. Please see here for more information: https://www.gov.uk/court-fees-what-they-are
- Application fees. These range between free and approximately £680 and are payable directly to the court. Please see here for more information: https://www.gov.uk/court-fees-what-they-are
- There is a risk in any litigation that you may have to pay the other party’s costs if you lose your case.