How We Charge For Our Services
Debt Recovery (up to £100,000)
Team Members and Supervision
The Debt Recovery team is frequently recommended by existing clients, many of whom have a long standing relationship with the firm.
Details of the individuals within the team and their qualifications and experience can be found in their profiles.
Fees and Charging Structures
The fee information set out in this document relate specifically to those services in the ‘Services’ section and is indicative only. Once the full details relating to your particular matter are understood, we will provide a specific fee proposal which, upon confirmation of our instruction through a signed client engagement letter and terms of business, will form the contractual basis upon which we will deliver our services.
During the progress of any matter it is possible that fees may change, up or down, due to change in your instructions, or because it is necessary to reassess the level of complexity of the matter should new information come to light or circumstances change. Should this be the case, we would discuss this with you at the time and agree any changes before progressing.
Any additional services required outside those set out in the Services section would be quoted separately on an individual basis.
Services
Debt Recovery, up to £100,000. We will assist with the recovery of your debt claim from the sending of a letter before action through to enforcement of a judgment if necessary.
Key stages in delivering these services
The life of a claim can vary dramatically on a case by case basis. In our experience, non-contested cases can take between seven days and six months. We will be able to provide you with a more accurate estimate once we have understood your particular circumstances.
How we would charge for these services
We predominately charge fixed fees at each stage of the matter, payable at the point the step is taken:
Pre-legal
- Initial instruction charge (including Letter Before Action and agreed pre action communication strategy): £50 (plus VAT of £10)
- Pre-litigation review: £100 (plus VAT of £20)
County Court Claims & Judgment
- Fixed recoverable solicitors costs at claim stage: £50 to £100 (plus VAT of between £10 and £20) (the fee increases on a sliding scale along the same lines as the court issue fees discussed below)
- Fixed recoverable solicitors costs at judgment stage: £22 to £70 (plus VAT of between £4.40 and £14) (fees will vary depending on the nature and value of the judgment being entered)
Enforcement
- Writ of Control (High Court Enforcement Officers): £135 (plus VAT of £27)
- Attachment of Earnings Order: £300 (plus VAT of £60)
- Charging Order: £300 (plus VAT of £60)
- Third Party Debt Order: £300 (plus VAT of £60)
Trace work
We will charge you a fee of £45 (plus VAT of £9) for undertaking a trace.
Although our fees are calculated on an hourly rates basis, we have agreed a cap on our fees. We will limit our fees to the total of:
- The total fixed fees set out below for the work we have performed; plus
- 20% of the debt (including interest) recovered on your behalf.
Disbursements
Disbursements are additional costs related to your matter that would typically be incurred by us on your behalf to ensure that the matter progresses in an efficient manner and would be added to your bill for payment together with your fees.
The disbursements that you could expect to be charged in respect of these matters include:
- Court Issue Fee ranging from £35 to 5% of the value of the claim, depending on the claim value
- Writ of Control £80
- Charging Order £135
- Attachment of Earnings £135
- Third Party Debt Order £135
- Advocate’s fee for attending hearing £90 to £165 (plus VAT of £18 to £33)
- Process Server’s Fee £100 to £250 (plus VAT of £20 to £50)
- Land Registry Fees £50
Additional disbursements can arise for individual court applications, barrister’s fees and enhanced tracing. Where applicable, quotes will be obtained.
VAT
Unless expressly stated otherwise, all of the fees and disbursements referred to would be subject to VAT, payable in addition, calculated at the standard rate of 20%.
All disbursements and VAT are payable in addition to our fee
Defended claims allocated to the Small Claims Track (£10,000 and below)
Defended claims allocated to the Small Claims Track (£10,000 and below) will be handled by the Commercial Recoveries Team. In such circumstances our fees for assisting will be charged on a time spent basis. The hourly rates for the Team are:
- Partner: £275 per hour (plus VAT of £55 per hour)
- Paralegal: £125 per hour (plus VAT of £25 per hour)
- Debt Recovery Assistant: £90 (plus VAT of £18 per hour)
What these fees include
- Pre-legal matters – includes taking your initial instructions, issuing a letter before claim and any non-complex correspondence with the debtor
- County Court Claims – includes taking your instructions, undertaking appropriate searches and issuing the claim
- Judgments – includes advising on the options depending on the type of judgment being requested and filing the appropriate request with the court
- Enforcement – includes advising you on the options, drafting and preparing the appropriate application/request and continued monitoring of the process
- Defended claims – receiving, reviewing and advising on the contents of the defence, filing directions questionnaires, representing you in telephone mediation, drafting and filing witness statements and evidence, briefing an agent/counsel
What these fees do not include
Our fees do not include advice or action on any issues that do not relate to recovery of your debt or representation at hearings. Nor do they include complex cases or claims where counterclaims are filed. Any correspondence which falls outside of the fixed fee will be charged at an hourly rate (which can be found above).
Most debt claims are claimed on the basis of contract law. Should a claim require advice of a different area of law we may need to refer your matter to a different department who will charge on a different basis. We will always inform you of the likely costs and seek your authority before taking such steps.
