PRICES
IMMIGRATION/NATIONALITY
At Stephens Happyman & Co. Solicitors, all our Immigration and Nationality Law work is led by our principal Stephens Fashagba who is a Solicitor, and has over 15 years of experience in Immigration/Nationality Law Practice. Our fees have taken into consideration his hourly rate charged at £300 per hour VAT does not apply as we are currently not registered for VAT. We have indicated the fees that we charge for our Immigration/Nationality law work in the table below. In the table, we have described the nature of work, stated our fees, and told you whether VAT will apply. Please note that where VAT applies in case of disbursements payable to third parties, it will be charged at 20% of any such amount charged. We have also indicated what we will do for you, and necessary timescales.
| Work Description | Our fees (excluding Home Office fees/ IHS charges). | VAT | Key Stages | Timescale |
| All Entry Clearance Applications | £1250.00 | None | Documentation review, ensure compliance with Immigration Rules, Prepare/submit your application, liaise with the Home Office (HO), and respond to queries. | Application is submitted within 1-4 weeks of full instruction. Home Office would normally decide within 3 to 6 months where there is no Human rights claim. |
| Private life Application (20 years overstayer). | £1500.00. | None | Documentation review, ensure compliance with Immigration Rules, Prepare/submit your application, liaise with the Home Office, and respond to queries. |
Application is submitted within 1-4 weeks of full instruction. As this is a Human Rights application, Home Office time is normally more than 6 months. |
| All Settlement Applications (Excluding 10 years Long Residence Application) | £1250.00 | None |
Documentation review, ensure compliance with Immigration Rules, Prepare/submit your application, liaise with the Home Office, and respond to queries. | Application is submitted within 1-4 weeks of full instruction. The Home Office would normally decide within 3 to 6 months. |
| Settlement (10 years route) | £1550.00 | None |
Documentation review, ensure compliance with Immigration Rules, Prepare/submit your application, liaise with the Home Office, and respond to queries. | Application is submitted within 1-4 weeks of full instruction. The Home Office would normally decide within 3 to 6 months. |
| Family Route Applications (Appendix FM)
|
£1550.00
| None |
Documentation review, ensure compliance with Immigration Rules, Prepare/submit your application, liaise with the Home Office, and respond to queries. |
Application is submitted within 1-4 weeks of full instruction. The Home Office would normally decide within 3 to 12 months. This is because it will normally raise Human rights claims. |
| All in-country switching applications. | £1250.00 | None |
Documentation review, ensure compliance with Immigration Rules, Prepare/submit your application, liaise with the Home Office, and respond to queries. | Application is submitted within 1-4 weeks of full instruction. The Home Office would normally decide within 3 to 6 months. |
| Administrative Review Documentations | £600.00 | None |
Documentation review, ensure compliance with Immigration Rules, Prepare/submit your application, liaise with the Home Office, and respond to queries. | Application is submitted within 1-4 weeks of full instruction. The Home Office would normally decide within 1 to 3 months. |
| Reconsideration Documentations | £600.00 | None |
Documentation review, ensure compliance with Immigration Rules, Prepare/submit your application, liaise with the Home Office, and respond to queries. |
Application is submitted within 1-4 weeks of full instruction. The Home Office would normally decide within 1 to 3 months where there are no Human Rights issues to be determined. |
| Documentation Review (Where you have put the documentation together by yourself). | £600.00 | None | Documentation review, Tell you about our observations and handing back your documents to you. | We will review the documents in your presence, and it is for two hours, and we will give your document back to you. |
Immigration Appeals | £2500.00 | None | Prepare your grounds of appeal, complete other documentation, and lodge your appeal. | Submit your appeal within 2 weeks of perfecting our instructions. Please note that we have no control over when your appeal will be heard/determined. But this could take up to 9 months in some cases unless there is urgency involved. |
| Immigration Bail Application at Tribunal. | £2500.00 | None | Prepare your bail application, complete your other documentation, and lodge your bail application. |
Submit your appeal within 2 weeks of perfecting our instructions or as earlier in urgent cases. Please note that we have no control over when your bail application will be heard/determined. But should normally be taking by the Tribunal within One week of lodging the application. |
| Initial Consultation | £150.00 | None | Discussion and Documentation review. | 30 minutes |
Costs & Disbursements.
Application fees will be charged by the Home Office on all applications made to them, and these fees are determined by the Home Office. So, except where an applicant is granted a fee waiver ahead of lodging their application, they will normally be required by the Home Office to pay the Application Fees. The Home Office Fees are not paid to us, they are paid on the government websites using the applicant’s card or other means of payment in the presence of the client, at the time of submitting the application. Additionally, in all applications except visitors’ visas, Settlement, and Naturalisation Applications, an Immigration Health Surcharge is also charged by the government (to allow applicants the use of the NHS if their application is successive and they are granted leave to remain in the UK) except where a fee waiver has been granted ahead of lodging your application. The fees are subject to change by the Home Office from time to time, and you will be advised of the Fees at the time you have the initial discussion with us. For current the Home Office Fees click here . For the amount currently payable as Immigration Health Surcharge, please see it here VAT is not charged on Home Office Fees and the Immigration Health Surcharge.
In immigration appeals, the Tribunal (HMCTS) will normally charge filing fees unless the guideline states otherwise or you secure a fee waiver. These fees are not determined by us, but they normally apply, and are paid to HMCTS, this is £80 if you want your appeal determined on paper, and £140 if you want a hearing. VAT is not charged by the Tribunal. Please note that where you are to attend the Tribunal (hearing), we send a Barrister to argue your appeal, and the Barrister’s fees will be paid by you. We are normally advised of the Barrister’s fees by the Barrister Clerk, and this ranges from £750 + VAT (at 20%) to £2000 or above + VAT (at 20%) .
Timescale
We will prepare and submit your application to the Home Office within 1- 4 weeks of instructing us, but we do not have control over how long it takes for the Home Office to determine your application. In most cases, the Home Office will normally advise that they are not contacted until six months after the application has been submitted. Notwithstanding the Home Office position, most of the applications are determined by the Home Office within 8 – 12 weeks of submission.
Key Stages (and what we do)
- Take instructions,
- Documentation review
- File Application with the Home Office
- Respond to Queries (if any)
- Receive Decisions.
Please see the table above for Immigration appeals Timescale and Key Stages.
EMPLOYMENT LAW
At Stephens Happyman & Co. Solicitors, Employment Law work is led by our principal Stephens Fashagba who is a Solicitors, has over 15 years of experience in Employment Law practice and has acted in many contentious employment law cases. Our fees have taken into consideration his hourly rate charged at £300 per hour VAT does not apply as we are currently not registered for VAT. We have indicated the fees that we charge for our Employment law work in the table below. Please note that where VAT applies in case of disbursements payable to third parties, it will be charged at 20% of any such amount charged. We have indicated the fees that we charge for our Employment Law work below, and we have also indicated what we will do for you, and necessary Timescales.
Costs of Unfair Dismissal Claims
Unfair Dismissal (Including Constructive Dismissal) or Wrongful Dismissal cases, the fees that we charge will depend on the complexity of your case. We classify the level of complexity into Low, Medium, and High. Based on these bands, the range of fees is as follows:
Low: £2000.00 – £5500 (VAT will not be charged)
Medium: £6000.00 – £18000 (VAT will not be charged).
High: £18500 – over £50000 (VAT will not be charged).
At the time of your initial attendance, we will discuss your case and will advise you as to what categories of complexity your case will fall. We will normally take into consideration whether your claim is a fresh claim or one that has been lodged and we have to make an application to amend your claim, the volume of documentation involved, the number of the likely witnesses, you will be involved in your work from the time of initial instruction to the determination of your case by the Employment Tribunal. Your level of involvement in the work to be done will depend on what category of complexity your work falls as outlined in the table above. You will normally have to do a significant amount of work if your work falls within the medium band, but we will guide you during this period. This is to help us keep you within your fee band rate.
Please note that you will also have to pay disbursements no matter the band your case falls. Please see the disbursement below.
No Win No Fee
There are circumstances where we may agree to a Damage Based Agreement (DBA). This is also called “no-win-no-fee”. This can be agreed upon depending on the circumstances of your case. We will consider the viability of your case before agreeing to a DBA. The only difference from a fee-paying unfair dismissal client is that you will not have to pay us, but we will be entitled to an agreed percentage of whatever compensation you receive. For example, if after you receive a compensation of £5000.00, and we have agreed to 25% we will be entitled to £1250 of your compensation. You will also have to pay disbursements. Please see the Disbursement below.
Disbursement
Disbursements are payments due to third parties regarding your case and this has not been taken into consideration in the unfair dismissal fees stated above. Whether you are a fee-paying client, or your case is taken on a Damaged Based Agreement basis, you will pay disbursements, and the disbursement is mainly fees for Barrister representation, and this varies, depending on the seniority of the Barrister. Please note that the Barristers usually charge what is called a brief fee which is charged for the first day of the hearing, and could range between £2000 + VAT at 20% to £15000+VAT at 20%, whilst the fees charged for the other days of the hearing, could be between £500 + VAT at 20% to above £5000 + VAT at 20% (depending on the Barrister’s Seniority), and this is called refresher. The seniority of the Barrister that will be retained for your case will depend on the complexity of your case. We will normally retain more senior and experienced Barristers for medium and highly complex cases.
Key Stages (and what we do)
- Whether you are fee-paying, or your matter is taken on a Damage Based agreement basis, the key stages are as follows:
- We will have an initial meeting to take your instructions and advice on the merit of your case.
- If you have not already undergone the ACAS Conciliation.
- process, and obtain your Conciliation certificate, we will make the Application, and if required engage in the conciliation Process or some cases require that a certificate be issued Immediately.
- Prepare and lodge your ET1 and Particulars of Claim.
- Receive advice on the Response received from the other side.
- Make any relevant Applications.
- Prepare documentation for Preliminary Hearings or review any such documentation from the other side.
- Ensure you comply with all case management directions.
- Agreeing or preparing a list of issues.
- Reviewing/Agreeing Bundle of Documents.
- Preparing or reviewing/Agreeing cast list and Chronology
- Instruct Barrister.
Timescale
From the period of instructing us to the Tribunal determining the matter will normally take between 12 and 18 months. Some more complex cases could last up to three years or more where a series of applications are made within the case, or the matter goes part heard and a return date is not immediately available. We do not have control over the listing of your case, as that is within the remit of the employment tribunal.
Timescale
Depending on the level of work required, we will normally complete our work on your Will, within 1 to 4 weeks.
WILLS
Our Wills and probate related works are led by the Principal, Stephens Fashagba who is a solicitor with over 15 years experience.
We offer fixed fee options for our Wills service so that you know from the outset exactly how much it will cost.
Your initial consultation costs £150 (You will not pay VAT because we are not registered for VAT) and is on a no-obligation basis. The purpose of the consultation is to ensure that you know exactly the type of Will that is right for you, and how much you will pay. You can then decide whether you want to go ahead.
If, after the consultation, you wish to instruct us to prepare your Will, we will deduct the consultation fee from the cost of the Will.
The cost of our Wills varies depending on the complexity:
• Standard Wills (individual) – from £350 – £650 (we currently do not charge VAT).
• Standard Wills (couple making mirror wills) – from £850 (we currently do not charge VAT).
• Trust & Asset Protection Wills (individual) – from £850 (we currently do not charge VAT).
• Trust/ Asset Protection Wills (couple) – from £1050 (we currently do not charge VAT).
The above fees do not include any supplementary matters that may arise in preparing your Will e.g. Letter of Wishes or severing of joint tenancy
Key Stages (and what we do)
- Review the Wills Instruction that you received from us that the time of initial attendance
- Seek any required Clarifications
- Prepare a Draft Will for your review
- Prepare the Final Will
Please note that the arrangements for, and the signing of your will has to be done by you, away from our office.
PROBATE
Below is a list of our legal fees. Please be advised that fees are not currently subject to VAT because we are not registered for VAT. This means that VAT is not added to the fees listed. For example, if a service is listed at £800, the total price will be £800.
We aim to provide complete transparency in our pricing to ensure our clients are fully informed about the total cost of our services.
• Straight forward Grant application only, with no inheritance tax issues, and the estate being below the current nil rate band of £ 325,000, and all information is provided:
£ 1000.00 (we currently do not charge VAT). You will also pay the Probate Court fee.
• Grant application only on the second spouse’s death, involving a claim to transfer the nil rate band, and all information is provided:
£ 1,900.00 – £ 2,300 (we currently do not charge VAT). You will also pay the Probate Court fee.
• Grant application only, involving a claim to transfer the nil rate band and residence nil rate band, and all information is provided:
£ 2,500.00 – £ 3,000 plus VAT. You will also pay the Probate Court fee.
The legal costs associated with Probate matters can vary significantly based on several factors. While we can provide more precise estimates once we fully understand the intricacies of an estate, we recognize that an initial ballpark figure might be helpful for you. Typically, our legal costs tend to range from 2% to 5% of the estate’s overall value. It’s worth noting that larger estates, despite their size, might incur lesser costs if they are straightforward. Conversely, some smaller estates may have complexities that result in higher legal fees.
Disbursements
Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties. Anticipated Disbursements. Please note that some of these disbursements are subject to variation by the receiving authorities from time-to-time, and may therefore not be correct at the time you are reading this document.
Item of Disbursements & Costs
Probate Fee: £300
Extra Copy of the Grant of Probate: £1.50(per copy)
Land Registry Search fee (per title): £3.00
Bankruptcy Search Fees (for Beneficiaries): £2-£5 per person.
Cost of additional services that will require the assistance of a third party are not included in our fees. These costs may include:
• Tax advice
• Valuations for property, savings, investments, or other assets
Timescales
On average, probate will take between 3 – 12 months, and in some cases longer.
Key Stages (and what we do)
Key milestones may vary according to individual circumstances. They may typically include:
• Obtaining Instructions
• Discussing any concerns with executors/making any relevant enquiries.
• Obtaining information relevant to filing inheritance tax returns where applicable.
• Complete and file relevant Inheritance Tax application
• File probate Application after receiving the relevant reference number from HMRC.
• Respond to queries (if any)
• Obtaining a Grant of Probate
Consultation Fees
We charge a consultation fee of £150 (No VAT charged) for a 30-minute initial consultation during the initial attendance in all employment cases.