Introduction

We work hard in ensuring to keep our client’s up to date with the cost of any legal work which we have carried out. At the outset you will be informed of our solicitor’s hourly rates so you get an understanding of our fees.

In some cases, we are able to provide either fixed fees or more clarity with a range of pricing.

The VAT charged will be at 20% and you will be informed of the costs including the VAT.

We review our fees on a regular basis, considering client’s feedback, to ensure we continue to offer a cost-effective debt recovery service.

If you have any immediate questions on the topic of cost then please do not hesitate to email us at info@harrisandgreensolicitors.com

Divorce:

Applicant

The general rule on who pays the legal fees in divorce is that each person getting divorced will pay their own legal costs. 

The person applying for the divorce known as the applicant will be responsible for covering the court fee (currently £593) and the costs of the solicitors who assist the parties with the divorce process if they are instructed. If we are instructed by you, our fixed fee for divorce matters are £720 including VAT.

If you are on a low income or in receipt of state benefits including Jobseekers Allowance, Income Support, Income-related Employment, and Support Allowance and Universal credit, you can apply to the court for help with the court fee (currently £593) by completing an EX160 form “Apply for help with fees”. 

There may be instances where you may be required to make an additional payment, if this happens our file handlers will notify you prior so you can make arrangements for the fees. Additional fees may be required when:

  • You do not know the whereabouts of your spouse (known as the Respondent);
  • Your spouse has failed to respond to the divorce documents;
  • You do not have an original marriage certificate
  • Your marriage certificate requires translating

Respondent

If we are instructed by you in responding to the divorce, our fixed fee is £480 including VAT. We will notify the Court that we will be representing you and for all future Court correspondence (this includes orders) to be sent to the file handler dealing with the matter.

Children matters

When it comes to children matters, it is difficult for our specialist solicitors to work on a fixed fee basis solely due to the fact we do not know how many hours will be required to work on your case.

We inform all our clients of the solicitors hourly rate so you can get an idea of how much it can cost you.

Although it can be daunting not knowing how much a service can cost you, rest assured we will always inform you of the cost estimate of the work which will be required and you can then make arrangements for the fees.

At the outset, we always encourage our clients to deal with matters in an amicable way. If matters can be dealt without court proceedings being issued, then costs will remain lower. If court proceedings are issued you can be expected to pay for the following:

  • Solicitors fees;
  • Court fee for issuing proceedings and/or any further applications to be made to the Court;
  • Mediation fee;
  • DNA testing fee;
  • Process server fee should we be required to serve documents on your partner.

Hourly Rate:

Director, Senior Solicitor, Consultants£217
Solicitors, Legal Executives                              £192
Trainee Solicitors        £118
Paralegal         £118

Financial matters

When it comes to financial matters, it is difficult for our specialist solicitors to work on a fixed fee basis solely due to the fact we do not know how many hours will be required to work on your case.

We inform all our clients of the solicitors hourly rate so you can get an idea of how much it can cost you.

When it comes to financial matters each case is different and if Court proceedings have been issued, different court directions may be made by the Judge which makes it more so difficult to give clients a figure of costs.

Although it can be daunting not knowing how much a service can cost you, rest  assured we will always inform you of the cost estimate of the work which will be required and you can then make arrangements for the fees.

Hourly Rate:

Director, Senior Solicitor, Consultants£217
Solicitors, Legal Executives                              £192
Trainee Solicitors        £118
Paralegal         £118

Pre-nuptial and Post-nuptial Agreements

The cost of a prenuptial agreement in the UK can vary considerably depending on the complexity of the financial circumstances of the parties involved.

The cost of a typical UK prenuptial agreement will probably range between £1,500 and £3,000, with this figure increasing as the value of assets and the complexity of the case increases.

We will advise you of our fees in advance after our initial appointment.

Personal Injury

We can deal with your personal injury claim on a “No Win No Fee” basis. What this means is that if your claim is unsuccessful, you will not be charged for the work that has been carried out by our file handlers.

“No Win No Fee” is also called a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). When you instruct us to deal with your claim, we then send our clients the CFA which you sign and return to us. It explains what is covered in the agreement and what is not covered.

Essentially, if your case is successful we will recover our cost from the third party insurers.

A Damages-Based Agreement (DBA) is a regulated agreement between a law firm and a client, in which the law firm agrees to share the risk of litigation in return for a portion of any damages recovered if the case is successful. If the claim is unsuccessful, the law firm receives no fee. This agreement is sometimes also referred to as a ‘contingency fee’ agreement and it must comply with the provisions of the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990 and the Damages-Based Agreement Regulations 2013 (the ‘2013 Regulations’).

A DBA is different from a CFA where your solicitor will usually not charge a fee if the claim or defense is unsuccessful but if the case is won, they receive their full fee, plus an additional success fee.

Profiles

Aneesah Ansar

After completing her Law Degree and Legal Practice Course, Aneesah began her legal career in 2017, initially working as a paralegal in the Multi Track department relating to Personal Injury matters.

Aneesah joined Harris and Green Solicitors in October 2018 as a Trainee Solicitor and qualified as a Solicitor in December 2020. She specialises in both Family Law and Personal Injury and has years of experience

Aneesah deals with a wide range of Family Law including divorce, civil partnership dissolution, Pre-nuptial and Post nuptial agreements, division of assets following the breakdown of a relationship and issues surrounding contact with children.

She also deals with domestic abuse work, including obtaining emergency protection orders to give clients the protection they need.

Aneesah is fluent in English and Punjabi and is content to conduct meetings and take instructions in these languages.