Our fees
Conveyancing fees
We set out details of our typical fees for dealing with residential conveyancing matters below and we believe these fees are competitive but we do not promise to be the cheapest but would remind you that given that your chosen conveyancer will be responsible for handling a significant financial transaction on your behalf, we would urge you to consider that the quality of the service you receive should be a greater factor than a potential small saving on fees incurred.
Our team has over seventy years of collective experience in delivering high quality work in all matters relating to conveyancing. We have been accredited under the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Standard (https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/for-the-public/using-a-solicitor/quality-marks/conveyancing/) since the inception of that scheme in 2011. We have a five-member property team all of whom are fully qualified lawyers either solicitors or Legal Executives. Residential conveyancing work will be carried out by the lawyers listed below under the supervision of partners Helen Henson and Nick Hyman (see their profiles here) both of whom have wide and lengthy experience of dealing with residential and commercial property matters.
We would stress therefore that your property transactions will be handled by a qualified and experienced lawyer with the day to day assistance of his or her experienced secretary. We would point out that in many firms you will find the bulk of the residential conveyancing work is carried out by unqualified paralegals and whilst they may be supervised by qualified lawyers, your day to day dealings would be with the paralegals.
However, if you choose to instruct us to do your residential conveyancing you will deal directly with the qualified lawyer responsible for your matter.
Our conveyancing team
Ashleigh Lydford – Partner
Ashleigh qualified as a solicitor in July 2016 having also completed her training contract with us. She obtained her degree in law from the University of The West of England and completed the Legal Practice Course at Bournemouth University.
For the latter part of her training contract and since qualifying Ashleigh has specialised in residential and commercial property matters.
Trudy Wareham – Chartered Legal Executive
After raising her family, Trudy completed her legal training in 2002 and became a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives in 2004 and has specialised in residential conveyancing ever since, joining us in August 2014. Trudy is also based at our Wimborne Office
Our Fees for the Purchase, Sale and Re-Mortgage of Residential Properties
We set out details of our fees below firstly for Purchases and then for Sales
Click here if you are buying a property
Click here if you are selling a property
The fees are different for the purchase of a leasehold property so please ensure you refer to the correct fees. If you are purchasing a flat or apartment, even though this may be described as “freehold”, in practice this only means that upon purchase of the flat itself you will acquire a share of the freehold and inevitably the flat or apartment itself will have a leasehold title and therefore the leasehold supplement will apply.
The fees set out below are what you will be charged for the appropriate transaction assuming it is straightforward and proceeds in a normal manner. However, there are individual aspects to every transaction and whilst we have tried to cover some of these possibilities by detailing the supplements which may be applicable, for this reason these fees cannot be regarded as binding estimates. That said we would always be pleased to provide a written & specific fees quotation to you upon request so we may have chance to do so based upon the fullest possible and accurate information. If you like us to do so please click here.
In the fee tables below, we do use some terminology that relates to the conveyancing process and so if you are not familiar with the process, possibly because you have not bought or sold a property for some time or you are a first-time buyer, we would urge to read our Guide to Moving Home which may be found here.
PURCHASE OF A FREEHOLD OR LEASEHOLD PROPERTY
Our fees cover the legal work detailed below in order to complete the purchase of your new home, including dealing with registration at the Land Registry and dealing with the payment of Stamp Duty Land Tax (Stamp Duty) if the property is in England, or Land Transaction Tax (Land Tax) if the property you wish to buy is in Wales.
THE PURCHASE PROCESS AND THE WORK WE SHALL DO FOR YOU
The precise stages and legal work involved in a purchase of a residential property vary according to the circumstances but will generally include:
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taking your instructions,
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investigating title to the property and making necessary enquiries through the Seller and the local authority,
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conducting a search on the property through the local authority and the Land Registry if necessary,
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agreeing a contract of sale with the Seller,
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where applicable acting for any mortgagee, obtaining mortgage advance,
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exchanging contracts,
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completing the purchase,
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Submitting the Stamp Duty Land Tax return on your behalf and paying any duty due on your behalf
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Registering the purchase (and any mortgage) at the Land Registry
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Dealing with any procedural requirements for notice of transfer etc. under any Lease,
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all routine correspondence throughout with yourself, the seller's legal representative and any estate agents, the local authority and the land registry, and any freehold/management company.
We will not advise you upon planning matters or matters involving valuation or taxation. Such enquiries require specialist advice from a planning expert, surveyor/valuer, tax specialist or accountant.
We will also not advise you upon the state of repair and condition of the property and any queries in this regard need to be referred to your own independent surveyor
Our fee assumes that:
a. this is a standard transaction and that no unforeseen matters arise including for example (but not limited to) a defect in title which requires remedying prior to completion or the preparation of additional documents ancillary to the main transaction
b. the transaction is concluded in a timely manner and no unforeseen complications arise
c. all parties to the transaction are co-operative and there is no unreasonable delay from third parties providing documentation
Disbursements are expenses related to your transaction that are payable to third parties, such as Land Registry fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process. We reserve the right to ask for payment in advance to cover some disbursement which are incurred prior to exchange of contracts (This will primarily be the cost of the pre-contract searches)
TBC = To be confirmed when we have specific instructions and sufficient information from you
Stamp Duty or Land Tax
This depends on the purchase price of your property. You can calculate the amount you will need to pay by using HMRC's website or if the property is located in Wales by using the Welsh Revenue Authority's website.
All leases provide a number of formalities to be observed when the property changes hands but they vary in each transaction as do the fees charged by the Landlord or Agent.
The following are most likely, and the first (notice) is always required and we indicate what may be a typical fee. However, these fees will only be confirmed to us once the transaction is underway
Notice of new owner (and Mortgage if any) to landlord and Agent £75.00/£150.00 + Vat.
Entering into Separate Deed of Covenant £75.00/£150.00 + Vat
Transferring share if share of Freehold comes with flat £75/£125.00 + Vat
SALE OF A FREEHOLD OR LEASEHOLD PROPERTY
Our fees cover the legal work detailed below in order to complete the sale of your home.
THE SALE PROCESS AND THE WORK WE SHALL DO FOR YOU
The precise stages and legal work involved in a sale of a residential property vary according to the circumstances but will generally include:
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Taking your instructions,
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obtaining the title deeds,
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preparing the contract of sale,
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providing information on the property to the purchaser,
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dealing with their enquiries on the property,
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exchanging contracts with the purchaser,
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obtaining payment from the purchaser,
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all routine correspondence throughout with yourself, the purchaser’s legal representative and any estate agent, the local authority and the Land Registry and any freeholder/ management company regarding any property maintenance.
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where applicable redeeming any mortgage,
We will not advise you upon planning matters or matters involving valuation or taxation. Such enquiries require specialist advice from a planning expert, surveyor/valuer, tax specialist or accountant.
Our fee assumes that:
a. this is a standard transaction and that no unforeseen matters arise including for example (but not limited to) a defect in title which requires remedying prior to completion or the preparation of additional documents ancillary to the main transaction
b. in the case of a leasehold sale that it is the sale of an existing lease and is not the creation/grant of a new lease
c. the transaction is concluded in a timely manner and no unforeseen complication arise
d. all parties to the transaction are co-operative and there is no unreasonable delay from third parties providing documentation
e. no indemnity policies are required. (Sometimes such policies are required by the buyer’s conveyancer to deal with a variety of matters including for example a possible defect in the title or missing documentation.) Additional disbursements may apply if indemnity policies are required.
Disbursements are expenses related to your transaction that are payable to third parties, such as Land Registry fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process. We reserve the right to ask for payment in advance to cover some disbursement which are incurred prior to exchange of contracts (This will primarily be the cost of the official copies of your title and for leasehold properties, the fee for the LPE management pack)
TBC = To be confirmed when we have specific instructions and sufficient information from you
Management Pack
This (LPE = Leasehold Property Enquiries) is a standard style pack of information relating to the flat, the service charge, repairs to the building and so on which the Seller has to supply to the Buyer. We will obtain this on your behalf from the managing Agent who will charge a fee for providing this. The estimated fee set out above of £240 including Vat is an average going rate for such fee but we will only be able to find out the actual fee charged ( be it lower or higher) once the transaction is underway)
Transfer Fee (% of sale price)
Where a leasehold flat is a retirement or sheltered property, the lease sometimes provides that the Freeholder is entitled to payment of a fee upon the transfer(sale) of the flat. This is usually expressed to be a percentage of the sale price as specified in the lease. As the fee will vary from block to block, we can only confirm this upon seeing the lease.
RE-MORTGAGE OF A FREEHOLD OR LEASEHOLD PROPERTY
Our fees cover the legal work detailed below in order to complete the re-mortgage of your property, including dealing with registration at the Land Registry.
THE RE-MORTGAGE PROCESS AND THE WORK WE SHALL DO FOR YOU
The precise stages and legal work involved in a re-mortgage of a residential property vary according to the instructions of the new lender but will generally include:
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taking your instructions,
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investigating title to the property conducting a search on the property through the local authority (if required by the Lender) and the Land Registry if necessary,
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obtaining mortgage advance,
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Confirming sum required to pay off existing mortgage
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completing the re-mortgage and redeeming (paying off) the old mortgage,
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Registering the new mortgage at the Land Registry
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Dealing with any procedural requirements for notice of mortgage under any Lease,
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all routine correspondence throughout with yourself, the Lender, the local authority and the land registry, and any freehold/management company.
We will not advise you upon matters involving valuation or whether the proposed mortgage is suitable or appropriate for your needs and circumstances. Such enquiries require specialist advice from a mortgage advisor, surveyor/valuer, tax specialist or accountant.
Our fee assumes that:
d. this is a standard transaction and that no unforeseen matters arise including for example (but not limited to) a defect in title which requires remedying prior to completion or the preparation of additional documents ancillary to the main transaction
e. the transaction is concluded in a timely manner and no unforeseen complications arise
f. all parties to the transaction are co-operative and there is no unreasonable delay from third parties providing documentation
Disbursements are expenses related to your transaction that are payable to third parties, such as Land Registry fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process. We reserve the right to ask for payment in advance to cover some disbursement which are incurred prior to exchange of contracts (This will primarily be the cost of the searches). Not all Lenders require such searches and accept Indemnity insurance instead. We can only clarify this for you upon receipt of mortgage instructions and if appropriate we can then confirm the cost of such insurance
TBC = To be confirmed when we have specific instructions and sufficient information
HOW LONG WILL MY HOUSE SALE OR PURCHASE TAKE?
Experience shows us that the average timescale to complete a residential sale or purchase is in the region of 2-3 months. Realistically we would expect to be in a position to exchange Contracts 4-6 weeks after we receive cleared funds to cover the cost of the necessary Searches on a purchase or in the case of a sale after we receive the necessary forms fully completed by you with supporting documentation – in either case assuming there are no particular complications or issues to resolve. Whether exchange and completion can be achieved within these timescales for you will very much depend on the nature and extent of the chain with which you are involved and your requirements and those of the other parties as to the completion date requirements. Sometimes, where appropriate or necessary, transactions can be completed quicker than set out above. However, in all cases we will regularly liaise with you and keep you informed as to the progress of your transaction(s).
The progress of any transaction towards exchange and completion is dependent upon the extent of the chain and primarily the slowest/least advanced link in that chain. For that reason, so that expectations as to timescale can be realistic it is essential that everyone in the chain offers full and frank information as to his, her or their position and realistic ability to proceed. We will know from your instructions if for example your ability to proceed is dependent upon any other transaction, event or payment. We appreciate this is personal information but because it is very relevant to the progress of your transaction unless we are instructed to the contrary in writing, we shall proceed on the basis that we are authorised to share that information with other Solicitors and agents involved not only in your transaction but in any linked transaction in your chain.
HOW LONG WILL MY RE-MORTGAGE TAKE?
Experience shows us that the average timescale to complete a re-mortgage is in the region of 4-6 weeks following receipt of mortgage instructions and cleared funds to cover the cost of the any necessary Searches - assuming there are no particular complications or issues to resolve. Sometimes, where appropriate or necessary, remortgages can be completed quicker than set out above. However, in all cases we will regularly liaise with you and keep you informed as to the progress of your transaction(s).
Wills, LPAs and Probate
PRIVATE CLIENT DEPARTMENT
Our team of Lawyers have many years of collective experience in delivering high quality work over a comprehensive range of services including Probate and Estate Administration, Will drafting, Trust creation and administration, Deputyship Orders, tax planning and Powers of Attorney.
Making the best provision for your family for now and in the years to come requires careful planning with help from an experienced and professional Firm of Solicitors. Whether you are seeking to arrange how your Estate should be divided or require advice as to how to mitigate the burden of Inheritance Tax or have recently suffered a bereavement, our team is trained to advise and assist you in all matters associated with Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney and Probate.
FEES
Further to this fee scale please note more detailed information set out below.
Wills
Our fee for a single standard Will will be £250 plus VAT. Our fee for mirror Wills (i.e. a joint instruction where reciprocal provision is made will be £425 plus VAT.
Our fee will cover taking your instructions, preparing the draft Will, sending the draft Will to you for your approval, drafting any amendments as necessary and attending upon you to explain the terms of the Will and thereafter to deal with its execution.
We will advise you as to the likely inheritance tax consequences of the provisions which you have asked us to include in your Will on the basis of the information which you have given to us. If you require additional advice regarding tax efficiency or on life-time tax planning, then additional fees may arise which we will discuss with you at the time.
These fees assume that no unusual difficulties will be encountered but if the matter proves to be more complex or time consuming than is normally expected our fee may be more. We will explain and agree this with you before proceeding. Additional work will be chargeable at the hourly rate applicable to the relevant Fee Earner dealing with the matter as listed below. You will always be advised of any additional fees before they are incurred and charged to you.
We would normally expect to send out to you a draft copy of a standard Will within seven working days of you providing us with clear instructions. If the instructions are complex or involve complicated drafting it may take a further seven days. This timescale may be extended further if it is necessary to involve a third party such as a doctor to provide a capacity assessment. Once the Will has been approved and you have informed us you are ready to proceed, we would expect to arrange an appointment to deal with the signing of the engrossed Will within a further ten working days.
Lasting Power of Attorney
You may make a Lasting Power of Attorney for financial decisions and/or a separate Lasting Power of Attorney to cover Health & Care decisions. Our fees for Lasting Powers of Attorney for one person whether for Financial or Health & Care Decisions is £450 plus VAT for one or £650 plus VAT for both type.
If a joint instruction from two people our fees would be £650 plus VAT for one type each or £850 plus VAT for both types each.
For each individual LPA submitted there is a Court fee of £82, although a fee remission is possible depending on your financial circumstances. We can explain this to you and assess whether you may be entitled to seek a remission when we meet with you.
The work involved for the above fees cover advising you on LPAs and your options, taking your instructions, preparing draft documents, sending the drafts to you for approval, making any amendments as necessary, attending upon you to explain the terms and effect and thereafter to deal with execution, including acting as a Certificate provider where requested. Where necessary, to prepare the papers to notify any third party as appropriate; apply for registration of each LPA; lodge application papers with the Office of the Public Guardian; confirm once registration completed and supply a certified copy of each registered LPA.
Any additional work will be chargeable at the hourly rate applicable to the relevant Fee Earner dealing with the matter as listed below.
Our experience shows us that realistically the average timescale to lodge a Lasting Power of Attorney for registration is four to eight weeks from the date on which you provide us with sufficient details to draft an LPA until the finalisation of the signing of the LPA. This timescale may be extended if it is necessary to involve a third party such as a doctor to provide an assessment or to act as certificate provider. For the Office of the Public Guardian to register an LPA and return the registered documentation to us takes around eight to ten weeks. The timescale could be extended if there is any objection to the application to register an LPA or an application for an exemption or remission of the registration fee is claimed.
Fees for covering other services, including creation and administration of settlements and Trusts, Living Wills, tax planning and Deputyship applications are available on request by contacting any member of our experienced Departmental Team.
Probate – uncontested cases where all assets are in the UK
We can support you through this difficult process by obtaining the grant of representation on your behalf.
Our fees are based on the amount of time it takes us to apply for the grant of representation and to collect, distribute the estate assets and the seniority and experience of the solicitors and other fee earners working on your matter. The solicitors and other fee earners will be specifically agreed with you at the outset of your matter once we know the details and circumstances involved and will generally cover all of the work required to complete the administration of the estate.
In addition to the above, our fees are also dependent on the specific circumstances of the estate including its size and complexity, and as a result our fees may increase or decrease accordingly. For example, if there is one beneficiary, one bank account and no property, our costs will normally be relatively low. If there are multiple bank accounts, a property and multiple beneficiaries, and if Inheritance Tax is payable, our costs will normally be higher.
Our current charge rates range from £180 for a newly/recently qualified solicitor to £280 for a senior partner/consultant.
Typically the cost of obtaining a grant of representation and administering an uncontested estate consisting only of assets situated in the UK will be between £3,000 and £7,000. We will handle the full process for you. The band of fees set out in this paragraph applies to estates where:
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There is a valid will
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The deceased was domiciled in the UK
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There are no assets outside the UK
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There are no more than three bank or building society accounts
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There is no more than one property
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There are no other intangible assets
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There are no more than five beneficiaries
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There are no disputes between beneficiaries on division of assets. If disputes arise this is likely to lead to an increase in costs
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There is no inheritance tax payable and the executors do not need to submit a full account to HMRC
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There are no claims made against the estate
Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as court fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process and these are then added to our invoice. Disbursements are not included in our estimate, however, these normally include:
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Probate application fee of £273 plus £1.50 for each official copy of the grant of representation.
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Bankruptcy-only Land Charges Department searches (£2 per name)
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£100 to £350 for statutory advertisements in the London Gazette and a local newspaper in order to protect the personal representatives against unexpected claims from unknown creditors (the costs of these advertisements may vary depending on the location, publication and the number of advertisements required).
Potential additional costs
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If there is no will and/or the estate consists of any share holdings (stocks and bonds) there are likely to be additional costs that could range significantly depending on the estate and how it is to be dealt with. We can give you a more accurate quote once we have more information.
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Dealing with the sale or transfer of any property in the estate is not included. Information about the property services we offer, together with our fees, is available on our website or upon request.
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Trust administration is not included in this quote, but we can advise on this as appropriate and provide you with a quote.
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If there are non-UK assets there may be additional costs of obtaining advice from foreign counsel and liaising with foreign financial and governmental institutions.
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Disputes arising during the administration of an estate may incur additional costs and we will provide a further estimate as soon as practicable.
VAT
VAT is payable at 20% on all legal fees and taxable disbursements.
How long will this take?
On average, estates that fall within this range are dealt with within six to twelve months. This time frame represents three to six months to obtain the grant of representation, two to three months to collect in assets and one to three months to distribute the assets and generally wind up the administration.
If the administration of the estate is straightforward then the timeframe will likely be at the lower end of these estimates, however, if the estate is substantial in size and complexity then the time frame may be more than these estimates.
As part of our service we will:
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Provide you with a dedicated and experienced probate specialist to work on your matter
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Identify the legally appointed personal representatives and beneficiaries
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Accurately identify the type of grant of representation you will require
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Obtain the relevant documents required to make the application
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Complete the grant of representation application and the relevant HMRC forms
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Draft a Statement of Truth for the executor/s to sign
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Make the application to the District Probate Court on your behalf
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Obtain the grant of representation
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Collect and distribute all assets in the estate
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Prepare detailed estate accounts setting out the sums received and paid out during the course of the administration.
We can also help you if you only want us to obtain a grant of probate using form IHT205
Preparing the Statement of Truth and completing Form IHT205 (based on information provided by you) is charged at a fixed fee dependent on the size and complexity of the estate of £750 - £1,000 plus VAT and disbursements. This fee or retainer does not include the administration of the estate as explained above. Jacobs & Reeves is under no obligation to check the accuracy of the information you provide prior to preparing the Statement of Truth and IHT205. There is a disbursement fee of £155 payable to the Probate Registry on the date the application is made and you would be required to pay this fee (plus the Registry’s additional fee of £1.50 for each sealed copy grant).
LAWYERS
Fiona Kenny
Fiona is a solicitor who specialises in Estate Administration. She qualified as a solicitor in 2006 after completing a Masters Degree in Legal Studies at Bristol University. Fiona has worked in the South of England, including London and joined our Private Client Team in September 2019.
Currently hourly rate £245 + VAT where fixed fees do not apply.