Pricing
At Optimal Solicitors we understand that our diverse client base requires fast, pragmatic and solution driven advice at a competitive price to assist them with their legal matters.
We appreciate this can be daunting for any client when considering the costs of instructing solicitors. Our key focus is in offering a professional quality service and client care experience for our clients.
This is why we believe in being fully transparent from the outset regarding our fees so our client can select the services that suit them – No win No fee, fixed fee or hourly rates apply depending upon the nature of the work you instruct us with.
We therefore have a range of pricing and funding arrangements available so you can always be clear what our professional fees are. This will depend on the type of legal case we manage for you, however your case handler will be able to advise you of your options and explain what is involved every step of the way.
Details of pricing for the various services are provided below or on the following links or pages. Please note this is essentially a guide as to what costs you might incur when instructing us, however we will be happy to explain this in better detail when you speak to one of our experts about your individual circumstances.
CONVEYANCING
Our conveyancing team can guide you through any aspect of your residential property transaction. We have a wealth of experience in managing the process for sale and purchase of properties and can offer further expertise in related areas that may stem from your conveyance transaction.
We will be there to assist you at every stage of the process and apply a personal touch for what can sometimes seem to be a complex and stressful matter for you. Our aim is to reassure you through regular updates that matters are in hand.
SALE
Our fees cover all of the work required to complete the sale of your home. This will usually include dealing with payments to the Estate Agent, transferring you the sale proceeds on completion and paying off any mortgage registered against the property.
Conveyancer’s fees
Our fees include all work to complete the sale of your home – with our fees fixed at the value of your property as follows (All fees are subject to VAT at the current rate):
| Sale Price | |||
| Our Fee: | With VAT | ||
| From:- | To:- | ||
| £1,000.00 | £40,000.00 | £300.00 | £360.00 |
| £40,001.00 | £125,000.00 | £350.00 | £420.00 |
| £125,001.00 | £200,000.00 | £400.00 | £480.00 |
| £200,001.00 | £250,000.00 | £450.00 | £540.00 |
| £250,001.00 | £300,000.00 | £500.00 | £600.00 |
| £300,001.00 | £400,000.00 | £550.00 | £660.00 |
| £400,001.00 | £500,000.00 | £625.00 | £750.00 |
| £500,001.00 | £750,000.00 | £700.00 | £840.00 |
| £750,001.00 | £100,000.00 | £800.00 | £960.00 |
| £1,000,001.00 | £3,000,000.00 | £1,100.00 | £1,320.00 |
Standard Additional Fees on most transactions
These are additional costs relating to your transaction and are payable to third parties. Legal firms often refer to these as disbursements.
We handle the payment of these additional fees on your behalf to ensure a smooth transaction and so there are no delays. The below fees are charged on most freehold sale transactions (All fees are subject to VAT at the current rate):
| HM Land Registry Fee | £ 6.00 |
| Bank Transfer Fee | £30.00 |
| Electronic Client Identification Fee | £ 5.00 |
| Anti-Fraud Check | £25.00 |
Schedule of Additional costs relating to our Sale services
There can be however potentially additional charges should the transaction be subject to any unusual or complex matters that need to be dealt with as part of the conveyance.
The below are just some examples of our additional charges if one of the below is applicable. We will always keep you updated if any of these additional costs become applicable to your transaction (All fees are subject to VAT at the current rate):
| Arranging/Approving Indemnity Insurance Policy | £50.00 |
| Dealing with Unregistered Title | £200.00 |
| Removal of/or Compliance with Restrictions | £125.00 |
| Dealing with Leasehold (Extension/Approval) Properties | £495.00 |
| Properties with Shared Ownership | £250.00 |
| Preparing a Statutory Declaration | £200.00 |
| Preparing a Deed of Trust | £300.00 |
| Mortgage Discharge Fee | £95.00 |
| Dealing with Additional Title | £195.00 |
The above is not an exhaustive list however we can advise you of any additional charges that may become part of your transaction once we are instructed.
How long will my Sale take?
A number of factors can affect this from the time your sale is agreed. The average process takes between 6-10 weeks. It can be quicker or slower, depending upon the parties in the chain and also depending upon the complexity of your conveyancing transaction. However, times can also be affected by if the property is shared ownership or leasehold, the timescale could be approximately 12-16 weeks.
Stages of the Sale process
The precise stages involved in the sale of the residential property will vary depending upon the circumstances of your transaction. Below is a list of the most likely key stages:
- Taking your instructions including ID and AML checks as per our regulatory obligations
- Obtaining the title documents from HM Land Registry
- Obtain redemption figure from your mortgage lender to repay your mortgage
- Reviewing title documents and other standard sale documentation we receive from you
- Drafting and negotiating the contract and transfer
- Deducing title to the purchaser’s solicitors and replying to usual enquiries raised by purchaser
- Manage communications most importantly with you & your estate agent/purchaser’s solicitor
- Obtaining signature of contract and transfer deed from you
- Exchanging contracts to finalise completion
- Completing your sale
- Dealing with the transfer of funds between the relevant parties
Team
Our experienced residential conveyancing team will always strive in delivering high quality work in all matters and regularly keep you updated.
In addition to this we will ensure that your transaction is dealt with by an appropriately qualified member of the team. Some daily tasks and administrative duties will be undertaken by experienced conveyancing assistants. The more complicated matters will always be dealt with by qualified solicitors, regardless of who is acting in your transaction, they will be supervised by our senior solicitor management team.
We have the expertise in all areas so you can be rest assured your matter is always in good hands. We have a proven track record in successful outcomes for our clients and you can find further information about members of the team on the departmental sections of our website.
PURCHASE
Our fees cover all of the work required to complete the purchase of your new home and what factors may also affect the price that you pay. Our services will include 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 your purchasing is situated in Wales.
Conveyancer’s fees
Our fixed fees are dependent on the property value as below (All fees are subject to VAT at the current rate):
| Purchase Price | |||
| Our Fee: | With VAT | ||
| From:- | To:- | ||
| £1,000.00 | £40,000.00 | £325.00 | £390.00 |
| £40,001.00 | £125,000.00 | £375.00 | £450.00 |
| £125,001.00 | £200,000.00 | £400.00 | £480.00 |
| £200,001.00 | £250,000.00 | £450.00 | £540.00 |
| £250,001.00 | £300,000.00 | £500.00 | £600.00 |
| £300,001.00 | £400,000.00 | £550.00 | £660.00 |
| £400,001.00 | £500,000.00 | £625.00 | £750.00 |
| £500,001.00 | £750,000.00 | £750.00 | £900.00 |
| £750,001.00 | £100,000.00 | £895.00 | £1,074.00 |
| £1,000,001.00 | £3,000,000.00 | £1,100.00 | £1,320.00 |
Standard Additional Fees on most transactions
These are additional costs relating to your transaction and are payable to third parties. We handle the payment of these additional fees on your behalf to ensure a smooth transaction and so there are no delays.
The below fees are charged on most freehold sale transactions (All fees are subject to VAT at the current rate):
| Bank Transfer Fee | £30.00 |
| Obtaining Land Registry Searches | £10.00 |
| Electronic Client Identification Fee (per name) | £ 5.00 |
| Anti-Fraud Check | £25.00 |
Standard Purchase Property Searches
The following searches are advised on all purchases. This is a prerequisite if your purchase is subject to a mortgage. Cash buyers can opt out but must sign a disclaimer in doing so. The searches conducted are as follows:
- Local Authority Search (fee dependent on location)
- Water Authority Search
- Coal Search (applicable if property in the locality of a mining area)
- Environmental Search
Please note that the fees for local searches can vary depending upon where the property is situated – fees range from £60-£165.00 and include VAT. A member of the team will clarify these costs upon your instruction and prior to conducting any searches – occasionally mortgage lenders may require additional searches and we will advise you if this transpires.
Stamp Duty or Land Tax (on purchase)
In addition to the above purchase costs you may also need to pay stamp duty. You may be exempt from paying this fee depending on the value of the property or if you are a first time buyer.
You can calculate the amount you will need to pay by using HMRC’S website – please click here to go to the website. If the property is based in Wales you can calculate the fee via the Welsh Revenue Authority’s website by clicking here.
Your individual circumstances relating to the transaction may affect the amount of tax you have to pay. When we have all the necessary information from you we can advise and calculate the amount owed for stamp duty land tax.
Schedule of Additional costs relating to our Purchase services
Depending upon the nature of the transaction there can be additional charges to complete the purchase. We will always keep you updated if any these below charges become applicable to completing your transaction (All fees are subject to VAT at the current rate):
| If the property is Leasehold | £200.00 |
| Dealing with Help to Buy Equity Mortgage | £150.00 |
| Transactions involving Shared Ownership | £250.00 |
| New Build purchases | £200.00 |
| Dealing with your Mortgage Offer | £ 95.00 |
| Preparing a Deed of Trust | £300.00 |
| Preparation or approval of bespoke Undertaking | £ 35.00 |
| Arranging Indemnity Insurance Policy | £ 50.00 |
| Lease Extension Approval | £495.00 |
The above list is not exclusive however should there be any other charges a member of the team will update you as soon as we are aware this may be necessary.
Additional charges relating to Leasehold properties
As detailed above there can be additional charges in relation to the purchase of a residential leasehold property.
There can often be the requirement where you may need to pay fees to the landlord depending on the requirements of the lease. These fees and costs are usually detailed in the individual lease relating to the property. Examples of some of these anticipated fees in relation to landlord/managed properties are as follows:
| Notice of Transfer fee | This fee is payable on purchase
With the fee set out in the Lease |
Fee range £50-£150.00 |
| Notice of Charge fee | Applicable for a Mortgage
The fee is set out in the Lease |
Fee range £50-£150.00 |
| Deed of Covenant fee | This fee is payable on purchase
Management companies provide this fee |
Fee range £100-£200.00 |
| Share Certificate fee | This fee is payable on purchase
Management companies provide this fee |
Fee range £50-£100.00 |
| Certificate of Compliance fee | This fee is payable on purchase
Management companies provide this fee |
Fee range £50-£200.00 |
This above list is not exhaustive and other disbursements may apply depending on the terms of the lease. A member of the team will update you on specific fees upon receipt and review of the lease.
Fees can obviously vary depending upon the composition of a property and can be a lot more than the above estimates. As above, we can advise you of an accurate figure, once we are in receipt of all your specific documents in relation to the transaction. There can also be different fees payable on some building structures and these can vary depending upon the management companies involved and the terms of the lease.
You should also be aware that ground rent and service charges are likely to apply during the ownership of your property. We will confirm the ground rent and the anticipated service charge as soon as possible once we have this information.
How long will my purchase take?
Each transaction can have different timings and will depend on when your offer is accepted before you can make plans to move into your house. For example, if you are a first-time buyer, purchasing a new build property with a mortgage in principle, it could up to 4-8 weeks to exchange, it could take longer depending on when the property build is complete.
There can often be other factors, such as, speed of searches, parties in the chain, finalising mortgage offers and also sometimes the complexity of the transaction. Our conveyancing team will always work to complete your transaction as quickly as possible.
Stages of the Purchase process
These can vary depending on the stages involved in the purchase of a residential property. The below list is the most likely key stages:
- Taking instructions and providing initial advice
- Assessing finances are in place to fund purchase and contacting lenders solicitors if required
- Receive and advise on contract documents
- Carry out property related searches
- Obtain further planning documentation if required
- Enquiries of seller’s solicitors during documentation reviews
- Provide advice on the documents and information received
- Review the conditions of your mortgage offer
- Send Final contract to you for signature
- Agree a completion date (date from which you legally own the property)
- Exchange contracts and notify you
- Arrange all monies needed to be received from your lender (and you)
- Complete the purchase
- Deal with payment of Stamp Duty/Land Tax if applicable
- Deal with the application for registration at HMLR of your title to the property
EMPLOYMENT
Our team has built a dynamic standing by acting for a range of diverse clients from all backgrounds in supporting them and representing them in a variety of employment disputes.
We appreciate how committed people are with their employment and we want to be there when employees feel their rights may be affected. Our team has a trusted and proven track record in the way we support our clients by providing fast, pragmatic and effective employment law advice.
Should you have any personal employment matters we can offer our expertise in the following key areas and support you every step of the way:
- Unfair/Wrongful Dismissal
- Redundancy
- Settlement (Compromise) Agreements
- Discrimination
- Employment Tribunal Claims
- Paternity/Maternity Rights
- Employment Rights
Employment Fees & Funding your case
We can advise you on the different methods of funding available to run your case and this will depend on the circumstances of your case.
For example, most unfair dismissal cases, for an individual client will be funded by way of a Damage Based Agreements (“DBA”) or sometimes by legal expenses insurance should your home insurance policy cover such costs.
We will always guide you through this when you first decide to instruct us and what our percentage of success fee is on any damages that are awarded to you. If this is unavailable, we may be able to advise and represent you under a privately paying funding arrangement.
We also offer a fixed fee arrangement to advise our clients via a one-hour consultation to advise on the aspects of an Employment matter and how we or you can progress the matter – this is a cost of £150 plus VAT.
Additional Fees – Disbursements
These are costs related to your case that we pay on your behalf to third parties – in employment cases this is usually Counsel’s or Tribunal Advocates fees. We do not incur this cost without your permission as you are responsible for these costs.
We should point out that this happens rarely, but when it does, this will be discussed in advance with you. The fees can vary from £250.00 – £750.00 depending upon the complexity of your claim.
How long will my case take?
The time that it takes from taking your initial instructions to the final resolution of your matter depends on at what stage your case can be resolved. If settlement is reached during pre-claim conciliation, your case is likely to take 1-4 weeks. For example, an Unfair Dismissal case, that progresses past the pre-claim stages can take 4-12 weeks to settle via the ACAS Early Conciliation process. If your claim does not settle and it proceeds to a Final Hearing this can take 6-12 months, this will always depend on the speed of how the Employment Tribunal handles your case. This is just an estimate and we will of course be able to give you a more accurate timescale once we have more information as the matter progresses.
Key stages of your case
The fees set out above cover all of the work required for the key stages of your claim:
- Taking your instructions, reviewing your papers and advising on the merits and likely compensation (this is reviewed constantly as your case evolves)
- Entering into ACAS Early Conciliation to explore whether a settlement can be reached
- Preparing your claim or response from your employer
- Reviewing and advising on the claim or response from other party
- Considering settlement and negotiating this throughout the process
- Preparing or considering a schedule of loss
- Preparing for and attending a Preliminary hearing
- Exchanging documents with the other party and agreeing these for Hearing bundles
- Taking and drafting witness statements
- Preparation of bundle of documents
- Reviewing and advising on other party’s witness statements
- Agreeing list of issues, chronology, case list and including any supplemental documents
- Preparation and/or instructions for Tribunal hearing
Not all of these above stages will necessarily apply to your claim and your legal costs will be reduced if certain steps are no longer needed.
Another option is that you may wish to handle the case yourself and just seek our assistance to help you with certain parts of these above stages.
Team
Your case will be managed by our supervising solicitor that heads up our Employment department. In addition to this we will ensure that your transaction is dealt with by an appropriately qualified member of the team. Some daily tasks and administrative duties will be undertaken by experienced department assistants, such as Paralegals, and may assist on your matter but they will be always be supervised at all times by qualified members of the team.