Fees

Our Fees

Our fee structure is set up so as to give you a clear understanding of what our services cost from the very outset, and what the maximum amount you would have to pay is.

This means that you will know before we begin to work on your case, what our charges will be, and these charges will not change, unless there is a change of circumstance in your case and the nature of the work we need to do changes. We will always inform you before we begin any such work, and give you an estimate of the additional fees. We will also inform you before we bill you for any disbursements we make on your behalf, such as interpreter and translation costs, expert reports and unusual travel expenses.

All our work is privately funded even though the clients are made aware of their entitlement to have public funding.  Unfortunately, we do not undertake any Legal Aid Work.

We recognise that seeing a solicitor often comes at a difficult and stressful time in a person’s life. We aim to provide high-quality legal advice combined with value for money.

Our cost commitment is as follows:

• A Transparent fee structure agreed in advance
• Regular fully itemised billing
• Value for money for service
• No hidden extras at any time

Our fees are mainly calculated using an hourly rate, which is set according to our fee earners’ knowledge and experience. Please refer to our fee earning categories below and to our individual profile pages.

Our current hourly rates range from £110 to £450, but we are happy to discuss our fees directly with you to give a closer estimate of the likely costs bearing in mind your individual circumstances, including the level and complexity of your case as well as the level of service that you require.

For convenience, we have set out below more information on some of the mainstream applications that we undertake. The guide price range envisages us providing an office-based service, and excludes in-person attendance at Home Office premium appointments or interviews. The prices listed below are for guidance only. We can give you a quote reflecting the complexity and urgency of your case in advance of any work undertaken. We are happy to discuss in greater detail the steps likely to be taken, and timescales, or to provide a bespoke quote

We are transparent about our fees and will give our best estimate at the outset and throughout the case so that you can remain in control of the funding. We do not currently offer a no win/ no charge arrangements or other contingency fee or damage-based arrangement. 

Costs

The following fee ranges are provided on the basis of one applicant, without any applications for dependant family members. Applications for related multiple applicants may be charged at different rates. In all cases, we will provide you with an individual fee based on your circumstances once we have received full details from you. The fee ranges provided are based on applications where you comply with the relevant immigration rules; have no prior adverse immigration history; provide us with all required documents in a timely manner; there is no time urgency or discretionary elements to your application; and there are no other factors that may make your application non-standard.

We would ordinarily charge on a fixed-fee basis, which will vary depending on the seniority and experience of the lawyers who will assist you with your immigration requirements.  Our hourly rates range from £110 to £450 plus VAT.

For convenience, we have set out below more information on some of the mainstream applications that we undertake. The guide price range envisages us providing an office-based service and excludes in-person attendance at Home Office premium appointments or interviews. Because the services we offer are bespoke, the fees listed below should be referenced as a guide only.

Our immigration team advises on all types of UK immigration applications. If the service you require is not listed below, please contact the immigration team and we will provide you with a quotation for your individual case.

The costs for straight forward visa applications are outlined below:

Our fees below do not include VAT or disbursements

Charging VAT in relation to immigration matters can be complex as it may depend on where the client lives and what immigration permission they have. We will confirm whether VAT (at a rate of 20%) is payable when we have been instructed and can work out if VAT is properly chargeable.

IMMIGRATION

Any case that is defended (contested) or the matter is not covered by our above services, all work will be conducted and billed at our hourly charging rates which ranges from £110 to £450 plus VAT depending on the legal qualifications, experience and expertise of the person dealing with your case.

During the initial consultation or any subsequent meetings, we will be able to advise you about your options including the hourly rates or providing fixed fee quotes for specific items of work.

Key Stages
The key stages of a typical application are as follows.  However, please be aware that your application type may vary from the below:

• Taking your initial instructions and receiving a full background of your immigration requirements;
• Discussing your circumstances in detail and confirming the most appropriate visa application for you and advising on whether you meet the requirements for such a visa to be granted to you;
• Providing you with a list of required documents and details regarding the application process;
• Reviewing all application documents and drafting your application form;
• Preparing your application for submission to the Home Office including booking your appointment to submit your biometrics and application bundle.  All applications will be submitted with a letter of representations detailing how you meet the requirements for a visa to be granted to you;
• Providing you with instructions and assistance to submit your biometrics and application;
• Assisting you to prepare for an interview with the Home Office, should it be required; and
• Receiving the decision of your application from the Home Office and providing you with instructions for complying with your immigration conditions.

Timescale
The time that it takes from taking your initial instructions to submitting your application to the Home Office will depend upon the complexity of your case, your circumstances and how quickly the required documentation for the application can be provided by you.

Upon submission, we cannot guarantee how long it will take the Home Office to process your application.  Please see here for the Home Office’s current guidelines on processing times.

COURT WORK

FAMILY

These services do not include:

• Negotiating the family finances
• Difficulties in serving your spouse with the divorce petition or other complexities that arise regarding this.
• Bailiff fees for personal service of the divorce petition or any other court fees in relation to service
• Instructing tracing agents and personal service of the divorce petition or any other fees in relation to this
• Resolving childcare arrangements
• The Petitioner’s costs if a costs order is made against the respondent
• Any required attendance at Court
• The court fees

Disbursements (Immigration)
As well as our fees mentioned above we will also charge for disbursements that we pay on your behalf. This may include costs such as translation fees and courier fees and can typically range from £30 to £800. There will also be the costs of the Home Office fees, biometric enrolment fees and the appointment costs which are set by the Home Office’s commercial partner. The Home Office’s fees vary depending on the kind of application and the duration of the visa, and the appointment costs will vary depending on where and how the application will be submitted and whether a priority service for expedited determination is being utilised. Home Office fees are subject to change and can be found here.

Any applicant seeking a visa with a duration in excess of six months will also be required to pay an Immigration Health Surcharge if applicable which is charged for every year that the visa will be valid. Immigration Health Surcharge fees.

As well as the Home Office application fees, appointment submission costs, Immigration Health Surcharge costs and any required translation, DNA testing or courier costs, applicants may also incur costs for the following (please note, however, that the below is not an exhaustive list of all possible costs and they do not apply to every type of application):

 Criminal Record Certificate – Applicants applying from outside of the UK will be required to obtain a Criminal Record Certificate from any country where he or she has lived for more than 12 months (whether continuously or in total) in the last ten years while aged 18 or over.  Costs for a Criminal Record Certificates will vary depending on the country from which they are obtained and will typically cost between £45 to £100;

 Evidence of English Language – Applicants may also be required to demonstrate their English language level by sitting a Home Office-approved English language test or obtaining documentation from UK NARIC to confirm that their degree was taught in English and it at least the equivalent of a UK Bachelor’s degree.  The cost of the English language test will vary depending on the country where the test is taken and the course provider but typically cost around £200.  The UK NARIC documentation will cost from £125 plus VAT, depending on the time-scales and documentation required;

 Tuberculosis Testing – If the applicant is requesting a visa with a duration of more than six months and the application is being made from outside of the UK, where the applicant has been living in a tuberculosis-prevalent country for more than six months within the last 12 months, the applicant will also be required to obtain a certificate from a Home Office-approved tuberculosis testing clinic.  The cost of the tuberculosis test will vary from clinic to clinic but likely to cost from £50.  A list of TB-prevalent countries can be found here;

 Life in the UK Test – Applicants for ILR must sit and pass the Life in the UK test prior to the submission of their ILR application.  The Life in the UK test fee is £50.  Applicants may also wish to purchase the Life in the UK textbook and other kinds of study material.  The cost of the textbook and study material will vary depending on where they are purchased.

NOTE:

*Initial consultation fee will be deducted from the final bill if we then go on to deal with your case.

**Immigration applications for more than one individual will be charged at an extra 50% per application for each additional person