We believe in being clear and upfront about our fees. The information set out on this page is intended as a general guide to the likely costs and work involved in those services.
Actual costs may vary depending on the specific circumstances of your matter, and we will provide you with a more accurate estimate once we have further details. This information is designed to help you understand what to expect and compare your options with confidence before making a decision.
This section sets out our typical fees and likely costs for matters handled by our Dispute Resolution and Employment teams, including debt recovery and unfair or wrongful dismissal claims.
The costs set out below apply to a claim for debt recovery, i.e. a breach of contract relating to the recovery of unpaid invoices, for a value of up to £100,000. 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.
For the avoidance of any doubt, Ansons do not carry out or advise upon licencing applications.
Variable costs based on the fee earner's hourly rate and the time spent on the matter would apply if the claim is defended, taking effect from the point that the Defence is filed. We would expect a claim, assuming it proceeded to a final hearing, to cost within the following ranges:
| Value of Claim | Fixed Fee Default Judgment | Variable Lower Cost (after Defence filed) | Variable Upper Cost (after Defence filed) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to £1,500 | £500 | £2,500 | £5,000 |
| £1,500 – £5,000 | £750 | — | — |
| £5,000 – £10,000 | £1,000 | £3,500 | £8,000 |
| £10,000 – £25,000 | N/A | £5,000 | £20,000 |
| £25,000 – £100,000 | N/A | £5,000 | £50,000 |
The following Court fees are payable when your claim is issued:
| Value of your Claim | Court Issued Claim Fee |
|---|---|
| Up to £300 | £35 |
| £300 – £500 | £50 |
| £500 – £1,000 | £70 |
| £1,000 – £1,500 | £80 |
| £1,500 – £3,000 | £115 |
| £3,000 – £5,000 | £205 |
| £5,000 – £10,000 | £455 |
| £10,000 – £200,000 | 5% of the value of the claim |
| Greater than £200,000 | £10,000 |
| Work included | Timescale for completion |
|---|---|
| Preparing Letter of Claim | 28 days from date of instruction |
| Drafting and filing Claim Form and Particulars of Claim | Within 2 months from date of instruction to file and serve pleadings |
| Requesting Default Judgment | Not more than 30 days after issue of proceedings |
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.
| Disbursement | Lower cost | Upper cost |
|---|---|---|
| Counsel's brief fee for interim or application hearing | £1,000 | £7,500 |
| Counsel's final hearing fee | £750 | £45,000 |
| Counsel's fee for advice (written or in conference) | £500 | £6,000 |
| Solicitor's travel and accommodation | £10 | £500 |
| Expert reports (where applicable) | £250 | £20,000 |
These costs will depend on the nature, complexity and value of the case.
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 and be sensitive to the specific issues in each case. For example, an unfair dismissal claim may take between 1 and 5 days hearing time, or may have liability, damages and costs issues all dealt with at separate hearings.
However, we would expect a claim, assuming it proceeded to a final hearing (whether brought or defended), to cost within the following ranges:
| Claim type | Complexity | Lower cost | Maximum cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wrongful Dismissal | — | £4,000 | £17,500 |
| Unfair Dismissal | Simple case | £8,500 | £14,000 |
| Medium case | £10,000 | £25,000 | |
| Complex case | £20,000 | £40,000 |
| Disbursement | Lower cost | Maximum cost |
|---|---|---|
| Counsel's brief fee for interim hearing | £750 | £6,500 |
| Counsel's final hearing fee | £1,500 | £6,000 (per day) |
| Counsel's fee for advice (written or in conference) | £1,000 | £5,000 |
| Solicitor's travel and accommodation | £15 | £500 |
| Expert reports (where applicable) | £750 | £3,000 |
| Work included | Timescale for completion |
|---|---|
| Drafting and submitting ET1 with any Particulars of Claim | 5 months from dismissal |
| Receiving / drafting and submitting ET3 Response | 28 days after issue and service of proceedings (unless an extension has been granted) |
| Considering Directions and/or attending a PHR | 2–6 months after issue |
| Preparing client's Disclosure Lists | 3–12 months after issue |
| Reviewing other side's Disclosure Lists | 3–12 months after issue |
| Agreeing and preparing Hearing Bundle | 4–13 months after issue |
| Preparing client's Witness Statements (max. of 3) | 5–15 months after issue |
| Reviewing other side's Witness Statements | 5–16 months after issue |
| Preparing Schedule of Loss / Counter Schedule | With pleadings to 18 months (depending on Tribunal Directions) |
| Preparing / amending agreed Case Summary | 5–16 months after issue |
| Preparing / amending Chronology | 5–16 months after issue |
| Preparing / amending Cast List | 5–16 months after issue |
| Arranging representation at Final Hearing | 6–18 months after issue |
| Attendance at Final Hearing | 6–18 months after issue |
| Engaging the other side and/or ACAS in settlement negotiations | Anytime between instruction and completion |
The times quoted above are estimates only and will vary case to case depending on the Orders set by the Employment Tribunal.
As a general rule we do not offer "No Win / No Fee" agreements in Employment Tribunal cases. If we were to consider offering one, it would be on the basis of a Damages Based Agreement, under which you would be responsible for paying:
Our fees for variable-rate work are calculated on an hourly basis, depending on the time spent on your file by our solicitors and fee earners. Full details of the solicitor handling your matter will be provided in our client care letter.
Our full hourly rates for all fee earner classes are set out on a single page so they're always up to date.
All of our fees and any third party costs and expenses set out on this page are exclusive of VAT, which is chargeable at the rate of 20% (i.e. VAT is payable on top of the figures set out above). It is not possible to specify the exact VAT figure payable on every case, 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.
Your matter will be handled by our specialist Dispute Resolution or Employment Law team, with advice across a wide range of civil and commercial matters from landlord and tenant issues to debt matters, high-value shareholder and director disputes, intellectual property issues and contentious probate matters.
For full team profiles and experience, visit our department pages:
Our full Estate Administration service typically includes the following:
Our typical fees, services and timescales for probate applications and estate administration are set out below, in line with the SRA Transparency Rules. These relate to uncontested estates where all assets are in the UK. We will always provide a tailored estimate once we have sufficient information about the estate.
| Scenario | Typical timescale | Typical fees (from) |
|---|---|---|
| Will present + No IHT payable | 3 months | £1,250 |
| No Will + No IHT payable | 6 months | £1,500 |
| Will present + IHT payable | 3 months | £2,500 |
| No Will + IHT payable | 6 months | £3,000 |
| Scenario | Typical timescale | Typical fees (from) |
|---|---|---|
| Will present + No IHT payable | 6–12 months | £2,000 |
| No Will + No IHT payable | 12 months | £2,250 |
| Will present + IHT payable | 9 months – 2 years | £4,000 |
| No Will + IHT payable | 1–2 years | £4,500 |
Our fees for dealing with estates not liable to Inheritance Tax will usually be lower than for taxable estates. Other factors that can affect our fees include:
These are typical third-party costs we may have to pay on your behalf. We will ask you for funds on account to cover anticipated expenses where the estate is not yet in funds.
| Disbursement | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Probate application court fee | £300 + £16 per additional copy |
| Land Registry Office Copy Entries | £7 + VAT per title required |
| UK bankruptcy search | £6 + VAT per beneficiary |
| Overseas bankruptcy search | Dependent on country of residence |
| Advertisements — London Gazette (to help protect against unexpected claims from unknown creditors) | Approximately £85 + VAT |
| Advertisements — Local newspaper | Variable |
All fees and disbursements quoted in this section are exclusive of VAT where applicable.
We will advise you of the likely timescale to complete the Grant application and the administration of the estate at the outset of the matter. Any timescale will depend heavily on HMRC and Probate Registry processing times, which can vary considerably. We will keep you updated and explain any changes to expected timescales or fees.
Your matter will be handled by our specialist Wills, Trusts and Probate team, which collectively has over 75 years' experience and a strong reputation in dealing with high-value and agricultural estates.
For full team profiles and experience, visit our Wills, Trusts and Probate department page.
Our full hourly rates for all fee earner classes are set out on a single page so they're always up to date.
Each estate is different. Once we have discussed the estate with you and reviewed the key paperwork (for example the Will and asset information), we will provide a personalised fee estimate and will always keep you updated if our estimate needs to be revised as the matter progresses.
We are currently finalising the detailed cost and service information for our Residential Conveyancing service. This page will be updated shortly.
In the meantime, please get in touch and our Conveyancing team will be happy to provide a personalised quote for your matter.
Get in touch
