Please see the details under Commissioner of Oaths for costs relating to the swearing of/affirmation of oaths and statutory declarations.
Our Fees
This section applies if you are formally instructing us to assist you with your legal matter. It does not apply to the service provided via any of our online consulting services (for example, Consumer Genie, https://www.consumer-genie.co.uk/ as differing terms and conditions apply).
We will always inform you in advance of our costs or anticipated costs on any matter on which we are instructed, but for some cases, the costs can vary depending on the subject matter, the complexity of the matter and the stage at which we are instructed.
Our hourly rates generally range from £225 to £265 (we are not VAT registered) and we will confirm the hourly rate when we are instructed.
The hourly rate is based on work being undertaken personally by Joanne Lezemore. If your case is to be handled by any other solicitor, we will inform you in advance of that solicitors experience and hourly rates.
Fixed Fees
For some work, such as an initial consultation, to write a pre-action letter, drafting of documents, for example, terms and conditions, employment contracts etc, we may offer you a fixed fee. This means we cannot charge more than the fee agreed.
Fee capping
Where the fees cannot be fixed, we will also give you the opportunity of setting a limit on the fees and expenses we can incur in relation to your matter. This means that you have to pay our fees up to that limit but we must ask your permission to continue working on your matter if it looks like you will have to pay more than the limits you have set. We would then write to you before we reach that limit, explain why it will cost more, review my estimate of the like costs and ask you to agree a new limit before we do more work on your matter.
Unbundled Services
Unbundled legal services, also known as limited scope representation, refer to a situation where we would provide specific legal services for certain parts of a case, rather than handling the entire matter from start to finish. This approach allows our clients to manage parts of their legal issues themselves while still benefiting from professional legal advice and assistance for more complex aspects.
The offer of retention of our services is wholly at our discretion, and based on the area on which the service is required, and we would agree on what specific tasks we would undertake. The benefits are:
- Cost-Effective: By only paying for the services you need, unbundled legal services can be more affordable than full representation. This can be particularly beneficial for clients with limited budgets.
- Client Control: Clients maintain more control over their case, as they are responsible for managing the parts of the case not handled by the lawyer. This can be empowering for clients who feel confident in handling certain aspects of their legal matters.
- Flexibility: This approach offers flexibility, allowing clients to seek legal assistance only when necessary, which can be particularly useful in straightforward cases or when the client has some legal knowledge.
- Examples of Unbundled Legal Services
- Document Review: We may review legal documents prepared by the client to ensure they are correct and complete.
- Legal Advice: Providing advice on specific legal questions or issues without taking on the entire case and/or assisting with writing a formal letter before claim.
- Negotiation: Assisting with negotiations or mediation sessions without handling the entire case.
We have set out below some examples of a range of costs for guidance purposes.
Initial Consultations
Our fees for an initial consultation will range from £225.00 to £295.00. This will cover the cost of perusing any documents relevant to your claim, and then having a meeting/telephone conference with you to discuss your claim, your legal rights, and what steps you can take to proceed with your claim.
Drafting Terms and Conditions, Contracts and Contract Reviews.
Our fees for drafting of contracts range from £450 (for example, a simple employment contract) to £1500 for complex service contracts or complex terms and conditions.
Our fees for contract reviews range from £245 to £550 depending on the length/complexity of the contract to be reviewed.
Employment Tribunals
Our pricing for bringing and defending claims for unfair or wrongful dismissal:
Simple case: £5000 to £10000
Medium complexity case: £10000 to £20000
High complexity case: £20000 to £30000
Factors that could make a case more complex:
- If it is necessary to make or defend applications to amend claims or to provide further information about an existing claim
- Defending claims that are brought by litigants in person
- Making or defending a costs application
- Complex preliminary issues such as whether the claimant is disabled (if this is not agreed by the parties)
- The number of witnesses and documents
- If it is an automatic unfair dismissal claim e.g. if you are dismissed after blowing the whistle on your employer
- Allegations of discrimination which are linked to the dismissal
There will be an additional charge for attending a Tribunal Hearing. We do not generally offer representation at a hearing, but instruct Counsel to attend with you. Counsel’s fees range from £650 to £1500 (plus VAT) per day, depending on experience.
You may also incur disbursements – these are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as court fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.
Key stages
The fees set out above cover all of the work in relation to the following key stages of a claim:
- Taking your initial instructions, reviewing the papers and advising you on merits and likely compensation (this is likely to be revisited throughout the matter and subject to change)
- Entering into pre-claim conciliation where this is mandatory to explore whether a settlement can be reached;
- Preparing claim or response
- Reviewing and advising on claim or response from other party
- Exploring settlement and negotiating settlement throughout the process
- preparing or considering a schedule of loss
- Preparing for (and attending) a Preliminary Hearing
- Exchanging documents with the other party and agreeing a bundle of documents
- Taking witness statements, drafting statements and agreeing their content with witnesses
- preparing bundle of documents
- Reviewing and advising on the other party’s witness statements
- agreeing a list of issues, a chronology and/or cast list
- Preparation and attendance at Final Hearing, including instructions to Counsel
The stages set out above are an indication and if some of stages above are not required, the fee will be reduced. You may wish to handle the claim yourself and only have our advice in relation to some of the stages. This can also be arranged on your individual needs.
How long will my matter take?
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 6 to 12 weeks. If your claim proceeds to a Final Hearing, your case is likely to take 20-30 weeks. 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.
Debt Claims for an undisputed business to business debt
Court Claims
These costs apply where your claim is in relation to an unpaid invoice which is not disputed and enforcement action is not needed. If the other party disputes your claim at any point, we will discuss any further work required and provide you with revised advice about costs if necessary, which could be on a fixed fee (e.g. if a one off letter is required), or an hourly rate if more extensive work is needed.
As well as our fees, you will have to pay Counsel’s fees for attending the hearing, whose fees range from £650 per day to £1500 per day (plus VAT). Court fees, which vary depending on the amount of your claim. A full set of Court fees can be found at
Our fees are as follows:
Debt value of up to £5000: £295 to £1200
Debt value of £5000-£10000: £295 to £1600
Debt value of £10000-£50000: £395 to £3500
If the value of the debt exceeds £50000 we will inform you of our costs having considered the complexity of the case and the documents involved.
Anyone wishing to proceed with a claim should note that:
- Interest and compensation may take the debt into a higher banding, with a higher cost;
- You may not be able to recover all or even some of your costs;
- The costs quoted above are not for matters where enforcement action, such as the bailiff, is needed to collect your debt.
The fees are based on how quickly a matter resolves (i.e. if payment is made by debtor after the first letter before action, or if proceedings are required).
Our fees includes some or all of the following steps;
- Taking your instructions and reviewing documentation
- Undertaking appropriate searches
- Sending a letter before action
- Receiving payment and sending onto you, or if the debt is not paid, drafting and issuing claim
- Where no Acknowledgment of Service or Defence is received, applying to the court to enter Judgement in default
- When Judgement in default in received, write to the other side to request payment
- If payment is not received within 28 days, providing you with advice on next steps and likely costs
Matters usually take from 3 to 20 weeks from receipt of instructions from you to receipt of payment from the other side, depending on whether or not it is necessary to issue a claim. This is on the basis that the other side pays promptly on receipt of Judgement in default. If enforcement action is needed, the matter will take longer to resolve.
There will be an additional charge for attending a Court Hearing. We do not generally offer representation at a hearing, but instruct Counsel to attend with you. Counsel’s fees range from £650 to £1500 (plus VAT) per day, depending on experience.
Other services and fees
These will be provided in advance of our undertaking any work and will be dependent upon the work to be undertaken and the complexity of the matter.
