Fixed fees are a quote given that will cover the completion of a specific piece of non-contentious work, such as giving initial advice, reviewing or amending contracts or deeds of trust and drafting a letter. Our billable hourly rates will apply for contentious work that needs to be estimated based on the amount of time it will take to complete or complex non-contentious matters.
We will aim to give our clients some degree of certainty by quoting them with fixed fees. However, for complex or litigious matters, offering billable hourly rates ensures that the client is only paying for the work that has been carried out and will often work out to be cheaper than paying a large sum of money for a matter which may not require it.
Please refer to the ‘Hourly Rates’ section further down for a breakdown of the different hourly rates charged by lawyers of varying seniority.
For clients with litigious matters, we offer on-account fees that will take away the stress of having to make regular payments. In such circumstances, the solicitor and the client will agree upon a sum of money that the client will put in the account, and as work is completed, the payments will be drawn from the account by the solicitor. We will consult with you if the budget limit has been reached.
Litigation costs can often spiral out of control if a person is not careful, and they may end up with a large debt. One way in which we aim to help our clients manage their budget is by ‘staging work’. If a piece of work is simple and does not require a legal professional to complete it, we will allow our clients to complete that piece of work themselves, which will save them money.
We will also break down the different types of work into stages so that you, as our client, can see when each piece of work has been completed. You will also see what the next stage is and how much it will cost, and this will allow for flexibility between each step. This will help if the matter takes a turn, the stages can be changed, and the client has not paid for work that may no longer be required.
We aim to bill at each stage rather than monthly. This allows a client to pay smaller bills as and when they come instead of potentially receiving a large bill at the end of each month. The solicitor handling your case will regularly update you with matters regarding it. If you have any queries about the billing, please do not hesitate to ask the solicitor assigned to you. By doing so, you can keep up to date with the work that is being billed.
PRICES ARE DEPENDENT ON VARIABLES SUCH AS:
The level of seniority of the lawyer that will be working on the case
The estimated time it will take to complete the work
The level of complexity the work may have.
| Lawyer’s Level of Seniority | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|
| Grade A – Senior Practitioner (8 years & Above PQE) | £425 |
| Grade B- Solicitor (4-8 years’ experience) | £275 |
| Grade C – Trainee/ Associate Solicitor (0-4 years’ experience) |
£225 |
| Grade D – Senior Paralegal | £150 |
| Legal Administrative Staff | £75 |
Our charges are calculated with reference to the time spent by the staff at Hillary Cooper Law conducting your claim. In addition to the agreed fees, you will be separately liable for Value Added Tax (VAT) at the rate prevailing at the time.
COMMERCIAL DEBT RECOVERY MATTERS
(Subject to VAT. Please note estimates may vary depending on the facts of each case and the seniority of the practitioner acting on the case).
| CLIENT ATTER | Simple/Straightforward Caseload |
Medium Caseload | Hard/Complex Caseload | Notes | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Stage 1: Pre-Commencement of Proceedings: |
From £750 (London) From £750 + Travel & Accommodation Costs (Outside London) | From £1,500 (London) From £1,500 + Travel & Accommodation Cost (Outside London) |
From £2,500 (London) From £2,500 + Travel & Accommodation Cost (Outside London) NOTA BENE: |
All fees are exclusive of court application fees; and any expenses incurred in the proper administration of the case: For example but not limited to the following:- expert witness fees, process servers, mediation venue booking, special courier services, private investigators etc. |
ADDITIONAL FEES APPLY FOR OBTAINING COUNSEL’S OPINION ON THE MERITS OF CLAIM OR QUANTUM. |
| Initiating Alternative Dispute Resolution. |
Simple/ Straightforward Caseload |
Medium Caseload |
Hard/ Complex Caseload |
Notes | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Stage 2: Post-Commencement of Issuing Claim or Defence at Court. One Attendance to Case Management Hearing |
From £850 (London) From £850 + Travel & Accommodation Costs (Outside London) | From £1,750 (London) From £1750 + Travel Accommodation Costs (Outside London) | From £3,500 (London)From £3,500 + Travel Cost (Outside London) NOTA BENE: (Professional fees may vary depending on complexity) |
All fees areAll fees are exclusive of court application fees; and any expenses incurred in the proper administration of the case: For example but not limited to the following:- expert witness fees, process servers, mediation venue booking, special courier services, private investigators etc. |
ADDITIONAL COSTS INCURRED FOR ADDITIONAL COURT APPEARANCES AND MEDIATION SESSIONS |
| Travel to and from Courts (extra fees charged) | Simple/Straightforward Caseload | Medium Caseload | Hard/Complex Caseload | Notes | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Stage 3:Litigation -Final hearings, and |
From £750 (London)From £750 + Travel Costs (Outside London) NOTA BENE: |
From £1500 (London) From £1500+ Travel Cost (Outside London) NOTA BENE: |
From £2,500 (London)From £2,500 + Travel Cost (Outside London) NOTA BENE: |
All fees are exclusive of court application fees; and any expenses incurred in the proper administration of the case: For example but not limited to the following:- expert witness fees, process servers, mediation venue booking, special courier services, private investigators etc |
ADDITIONAL COSTS WILL BE INCURRED FOR ADDITIONAL COURT APPEARANCES; TAKING INSTRUCTIONS FOR APPEALS; AND DRAFTING OF APPEAL APPLICATIONS. |