Possible costs
The costs set out below apply to a claim for breach of contract relating to the recovery of unpaid invoices. It is not possible to give a general indication of costs in all cases, as they will largely turn on their own facts and circumstances. However, all such claims will follow an initial fixed fee structure if they are uncontested. Variable costs based on the fee earner’s hourly rate and the amount of time spent on the matter would apply if the claim is defended, and would take effect from the point that the Defence is filed. We would expect a claim, assuming that it proceeded to a final hearing, to cost within the following ranges:
| Value of Claim | Fixed Fee Default Judgment | Variable Fees After Defence Filed | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower Cost | Upper Cost | ||
| Up to £500 | £150 | £2,100 | £7,850 |
| More than £500 but less than £1,000 | £150 | ||
| More than £1,000 but less than £5,000 | £200 | ||
| More than £5,000 but less than £10,000 | £250 | ||
| More than £10,000 but less than £25,000 | £250 | £6,000 | £16,500 |
| More than £25,000 but less than £100,000 | £250 | £8,500 | £50,000 |
| More than £100,000 but less than £250,000 | Variable | Variable | |
Court fee
The following Court Fees are payable when your claim is issued:
| Value of your Claim | Fees Payable | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Court Issued Claim | Via Money Claims Online | ||||
| Up to | £300 | but no more than | £500 | £35 | £25 |
| Greater than | £500 | but no more than | £1,000 | £50 | £32 |
| Greater than | £1,000 | but no more than | £1,500 | £70 | £60 |
| Greater than | £1,500 | but no more than | £3,000 | £80 | £70 |
| Greater than | £3,000 | but no more than | £5,000 | £115 | £105 |
| Greater than | £5,000 | but no more than | £10,000 | £205 | £185 |
| Greater than | £10,000 | but no more than | £15,000 | £455 | £410 |
| Greater than | £15,000 | but no more than | £50,000 | 5% of the value of the claim | 4.5% of the value of the claim |
| Greater than | £50,000 | but no more than | £100,000 | ||
| Greater than | £100,000 | but no more than | £150,000 | n/a | |
| Greater than | £150,000 | but no more than | £200,000 | n/a | |
| Greater than | £200,000 | £10,0000 | n/a | ||
Basis for our variable fees
Our Fees are calculated and charged on an hourly rate basis, and based on the time spent on your file by our solicitors and fee earners. Whilst full details of the solicitor who will have control of your matter will be provided in our client care letter, the following table sets out the details of those who may work on or otherwise supervise your file.
| Role | Qualification | Experience | Hourly Rate (Excluding VAT) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Director | Solicitor/ Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives | 12+ years Post Qualification Experience | £285 |
| Associate Director | Solicitor/ Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives | 8-10+ years Post Qualification Experience | £250 |
| Senior Associate | Solicitor/ Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives | 6-10+ years Post Qualification Experience | £240 |
| Associate | Solicitor/Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives | 3-6 years Post Qualification Experience | £210 |
| Solicitor/Legal Executive | Solicitor/ Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives | 0-3 years Post Qualification experience | £200 |
| Trainee Solicitor | Has completed LPC and working towards qualification | No Post Qualification experience, but may have experience of working within the legal processes and procedures | £135 |
| Paralegal | Not formal professional qualification, | No Post Qualification experience, but may have experience of working within the legal processes and procedures | £135 |
Disbursements (Third Party Costs)
During the running of any claim we expect that the following third party costs may be required:
| Disbursement | Lower cost | >Upper Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Counsel’s Brief fee for interim or application hearing | £400 | £5,000 |
| Counsel’s Final Hearing Fee | £750 | £45,000
|
| Counsel’s Fee for Advice, whether written or in Conference | £500 | £6,000 |
| Solicitor’s Travel and accommodation | £10 | £500 |
| Expert Reports (where applicable) | £250 | £20,000 |
What’s included?
The following work is carried out as part of the fixed fee element of the claim. However, if a Defence is filed the matter would proceed on a variable rate basis, and we will provide you with a more accurate fee estimate at that point:
| FIXED FEE – DEFAULT JUDGMENT | |
|---|---|
| Work Included | Time Scale for Completion. |
| Preparing Letter of Claim | 7 Days from date of instruction |
| Drafting and Filing Claim Form and Particulars of Claim | Within 2 months from the date of instruction |
| Request Default Judgment | Not more than 30 days after Issue of proceedings |
Value Added Tax (“VAT”)
All of our fees and any third party costs and expenses that we incur set out on this page are exclusive of VAT, which is chargeable at the rate of 20% (that is to say that VAT is payable on top of the figures set out above). of the sums set out above (i.e. VAT is payable at the rate of £20 per £100 of fees charged). It is not possible to specify the exact VAT figure payable on every case in this document, as it is calculated as a percentage of fees and expenses charged, and will vary in each case.
Where our client is VAT registered they will be able to reclaim the VAT from HMRC in the normal manner.
Meet the team
The Dispute Resolution team has several members, each of whom practices their own specialisms. This enables us to provide advice and assistance across a wide range of civil and commercial matters, from landlord and tenant issues, to debt matters, to high value shareholder and director disputes, to intellectual property issues, and contentious probate matters, amongst others.
The team is headed by Jason Alcock, a Director with over 15 years’ experience in dispute resolution, and all matters fall under his supervision.
Martin de Ridder, the firm’s Managing Director, also works within the Dispute Resolution Team, and works closely with Jason in the management of the team and wider firm.
In their work Martin and Jason are also assisted by various other members of the department (and being qualified solicitors themselves) including Louise Palmer and Alex Medford.
Further information about all team members and their areas of expertise can be found here.
Enquire about this service