The information below is sample information to give you an indication of possible charges, but the best way to find out how much your transaction or case is likely to cost is to telephone us on 0131 202 7516 or 0141 404 0436 or email us on info@gibsonkerr.co.uk to discuss your specific requirements.
Hourly rates
If work is being charged based on time spent, the hourly charges we make for different personnel within our structure are as follows. We will normally select the level of fee earner we believe is appropriate for your case, but if you wish to discuss this with us, please ask.
| FEE RATE TABLE | Hourly Rate ex VAT | VAT | Hourly Rate inc VAT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Partner and accredited specialist | £300.00 | £60.00 | £360.00 |
| Consultant | £250.00 | £50.00 | £300.00 |
| Partner | £250.00 | £50.00 | £300.00 |
| Associate | £235.00 | £47.00 | £282.00 |
| Senior Solicitor | £220.00 | £44.00 | £264.00 |
| Solicitor | £200.00 | £40.00 | £240.00 |
| Paralegal | £180.00 | £36.00 | £216.00 |
| Trainee Solicitor | £165.00 | £33.00 | £198.00 |
| Other Staff Members | £165.00 | £33.00 | £198.00 |
Travelling Rate for (all) fee earners: – There is no fixed rate. This is decided on a case-by-case basis depending on how much travelling is involved. You should discuss this with the solicitor acting on your behalf
We carry out some work for a FIXED FEE. Examples are:-
Property Law
The discharge of standard security on repayment of a mortgage in full, where it is not part of any other conveyancing transaction. (Includes AML ID and proof of address requirements for new clients)
| Fee | £275.00 |
| VAT | £55.00 |
| Registration Dues of Discharge | £60.00 |
| Total | £390.00 |
Family Law
Initial meeting
We charge £225 including VAT for an initial meeting. At this meeting we will typically explore the background of your case and advise you on your options and the likely cost of these, if that is possible.
Simplified divorce or dissolution of civil partnership – two years’ separation
We charge £360 including VAT at 20% but excluding the court fees which are currently £125, but are subject to review annually. For this we will have an initial meeting with you, take instructions, prepare the paperwork for you to sign, submit this to court and advise you when the divorce is granted. This fee will not cover additional work if the other party challenges the divorce.
Simplified divorce or dissolution of civil partnership – one year’s separation
We charge £600 including VAT at 20% but excluding the court fees which are currently £125, but are subject to review annually. For this we will have an initial meeting with you, take instructions, prepare the paperwork for you to sign, deal with the consent form, submit this to court and advise you when the divorce is granted. This fee will not cover additional work if the other party challenges the divorce.
Undefended divorce – one or two years’ separation
If you have children under the age of 16 you cannot proceed by way of the simplified procedure. For a divorce action raised in court, we charge £1,200 including all fees, VAT and court costs. This is on the basis that there is no opposition to the divorce, no difficulties with service of the papers and no other unforeseen events. For this fee, we have an initial meeting with you, prepare the papers, lodge these with the court, serve these on the other party, prepare affidavits and have these notarised and lodged with the court. We advise you when the divorce is granted.
Undefended divorce – unreasonable behaviour or adultery
If you have children under the age of 16 you cannot proceed by way of the simplified procedure. For a divorce action raised in court we charge £1,500 including all fees, VAT and court costs. This is on the basis that there is no opposition to the divorce, no difficulties with service of the papers and no other unforeseen events. For this fee, we have an initial meeting with you, prepare the papers, lodge these with the court, serve these on the other party, prepare affidavits and have these notarised and lodged with the court. We advise you when the divorce is granted.
Personal Law
Basic Wills
Single Basic Will (for the estate of one person) £360 inclusive of VAT at 20%
Basic Mirror Wills (identical wills drafted for two persons) £540 inclusive of VAT at 20%
Mirror wills are generally only appropriate for married, civil partnered or cohabiting couples where neither partner has children from a separate relationship.
Our prices above include:
- a 30-minute meeting in our office to take your instructions;
- explaining legal rights;
- preparing a draft will for you to review;
- making simple changes to your draft will following review;
- execution of the will, including a 15 minute in our office for signing of the will;
- storage of your original will; and
- providing you with a copy of your will.
Our fixed price for a basic will, or basic mirror wills, does not include:
- advice on, or drafting associated with, bespoke will trusts or liferents;
- advice on, or drafting associated with, complex or numerous legacies;
- substantive or numerous changes to your instructions after our first meeting;
- additional meetings;
- advice on inheritance tax or tax planning;
- advice on, or drafting associated with, minimising legal rights claims or disinheriting beneficiaries; and
- advice on, or drafting associated with, cost of care planning.
Note: This fixed price will only cover the services mentioned. Your case may require additional work that is not included. We will discuss this with you at our first meeting or when it becomes clear that additional work is required. If additional costs arise due to matters related to your own personal circumstances, we will discuss this with you at the earliest opportunity and we will advise you of any increase in price that may arise.
Non-Basic Wills
For non-basic wills that include any one of the non-standard items listed above, we charge an additional fee of £180 inclusive of VAT at 20%. For complex wills or advice where your personal circumstances are complicated, we will charge based on the hourly rates set out above.
Powers of Attorney
Power of Attorney for one person £360 inclusive of VAT at 20% plus outlays (currently £79 to register the power of attorney)
Mirror Powers of Attorney for two people £540 inclusive of VAT at 20% plus outlays (currently £158 to register the two powers of attorney)
Our prices above include:
- a 30-minute meeting at our office to take your instructions for the power of attorney;
- preparation of all the documents for the appointment of up to two principal attorneys;
- a 15-minute signing meeting at our office;
- registration of the power of attorney with the Office of the Public Guardian;
- providing you with a copy of your power of attorney registration certificate.
Sample costs – NOT fixed fee:-
Sample Property Law Costs
Conveyancing – Purchase for first time buyer with mortgage (price up to £199,999)
| Purchase Price up to | £199,999 | |
| Purchase Conveyancing | ||
| Our Fee | £950.00 | |
| VAT | £190.00 | |
| Land Register – Disposition | £360.00 | |
| Land Register – Standard Security | £60.00 | |
| LBTT (Stamp Duty) – Basic Charge (all transactions) | £1,099.00 | |
| LBTT (Stamp Duty) – Additional Dwelling Supplement | 4.00% | £0.00 |
| LBTT (Stamp Duty) – First Time Buyer Relief | -£600.00 | |
| Total Purchase Conveyancing | £2,059.00 |
Estate Agency and Sale Conveyancing
| Sale Price | £175,000 | |
| Estate Agency Fee | ||
| Commission | 0.65% | £1,137.50 |
| Marketing Fee | £425.00 | |
| Estate Agency Fee sub-total | £1,562.50 | |
| VAT | £312.50 | |
| Home Report | £498.00 | |
| ESPC | £345.00 | |
| Total Estate Agency | £2,718.00 | |
| Sale Conveyancing Fee | ||
| Our Fee | £950.00 | |
| VAT | £190.00 | |
| Land Register – Discharge of Security | £60.00 | |
| Legal Searches | £180.00 | |
| Advance Notice | £10.00 | |
| Level 3 Plans Report | £115.00 | |
| Total Sale Conveyancing | £1,505.00 | |
| Total Sale Estate Agency and Conveyancing | £4,223.00 |
Sample Family Law Costs
We suggest an initial £225 meeting after which we can usually give you an indicative cost of the work.
Sample Personal Law Costs
Our executry work is charged on the basis of our hourly rates. For standard executries where we deal with the entire administration process, our average fee works out at approximately 2 – 3% of the value of the assets in the estate. For high value estates with assets over £1 million, the average is 1 – 2%. However, this is a guideline only and the fees will vary depending on the amount and complexity of the work involved.