Our Prices
Our hourly rates depend on the experience and the level of expertise of the concerned individual (costs listed are subject to 20% value added tax).
Example: Your bill is for £100, adding VAT at 20% to make £120 in total.
If you need further clarity on our costs, please feel free to call us. You could also request a call back at your convenience by completing our online enquiry form.
Fixed fees are available for a select number of services
We provide up-to-date information regarding our fees. All costs do not include VAT. VAT is set at the standard rate of 20%.
Hourly rate
£300-500
per hour
Hourly rate
£300 - £350
per hour
Hourly rate
£300
per hour
Hourly rate
£250
per hour
Hourly rate
£120- 180
per hour
Understanding the financial aspects of the estate administration process is crucial. We want to ensure that you feel comfortable and informed every step of the way. Here is an overview of the fees and other potential costs involved. We are always here to answer any questions you may have, so please don’t hesitate to reach out.
It’s important to note that the duration of the process can vary, but we are dedicated to providing you with efficient and reliable service throughout the entirety of this journey.
The typical process of administering an estate can take 20-30 hours of work at £300/hour (junior associate) or £350/hour (senior associate). The head of the department will oversee other day-to-day work. The total cost of handling the entire process will range from £7,500 to £12,000 depending on the situation. These costs do not include VAT. VAT is set at the standard rate of 20%.
Disbursements
- Probate Application Fee – £300 (plus £1.50 per additional copy of the Grant)
- Swearing of the oath – £7 for each executor
- Bankruptcy-only Land Charges Department searches – £2 per beneficiary
- Posting in The London Gazette and in a local newspaper – about £300. (This serves as a protection from claims from any unknown creditors)
- Sale or transfer of any property in the estate
Apart from the above costs, you may have to pay other disbursements i.e., fees payable to third parties. We can help you pay out all disbursements related to your matter. For example, additional costs are incurred if there is no will in place or the estate has shareholdings – stocks and bonds.
What’s Covered
- A valid will is in place
- There is only one property (excluding costs of sale)
- There are no more than two bank or building society accounts
- There are no additional intangible assets
- There are up to 2 beneficiaries
- The beneficiaries have no disputes regarding the distribution of assets
- Inheritance tax is not applicable and the executors are not required to report the full account to HMRC
- No claims are made against the estate.
- All the assets are inside the UK.
Timeframe: How long will it take?
In general, it takes 6 to 12 months to administer an estate. This time period can be broken down as follows:
- Obtaining the grant of probate – 2 to 4 months
- Gathering the assets – 2 to 4 months
- Distributing the assets – 2 to 4 months
Our Team
This unit is overseen by Patrick Smith, boasting an extensive 21-year career in Wills and Probate and Contentious Probate matters. Mr. Smith was admitted as a solicitor in the UK back in 2002.
The following professionals will handle the work:
- Director
- Director assisted by solicitors
- Director/Solicitor assisted by a paralegals
All tasks will be supervised and monitored by Patrick Smith.
Individuals assigned to the work are as follows:
- Patrick Smith: Director, Solicitor and Supervisor (Admitted as a Solicitor: 02/09/2002)
- Mariyam Ferreira: Director and Solicitor (Admitted as a Solicitor: 21/09/2020)
- Ian Barton: Wills and Probate Senior Consultant Solicitor (Admitted as a Solicitor: 01/06/1993)
- Emma Brown: Wills and Probate Consultant Solicitor (Admitted as a Solicitor: 15/04/2021)
- Siobhan Cribbin: Wills and Probate Consultant Solicitor (Admitted as Solicitor: 01/08/2014)
- Florrie Billington: Secretary to Siobhan Cribbin
The provided table outlines the fee ranges based on the type of instruction. Please note that the fee may vary depending on the experience and location of your solicitor or consultant. Feel free to reach out to us for further details or for any other immigration-related inquiries, and we will be happy to provide you with a personalised quote.
| Type of Service | Fees Starting From | VAT (20%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consultation (30 – 60 minutes) | £200 – £300 | £40 – £60 | |
| Naturalisation or Registration | £1,500 – £2,000 | £300 – £400 | |
| PBS Dependant | £1,800 | £300 | |
| EEA Applications | £750 – 2,500 | £150 – £500 | |
| Married and Unmarried Partner applications | £2,500 – £4,000 | £500 – £800 | |
| Child Dependant Applications | £2,000 | £400 | |
| ILR Applications | £2,500 – £3,500 | £500 – £700 | |
| Tier 1 Entrepreneur and Investor Applications | £4,500 – £20,000 | £900 – £4,000 | |
| Self-Sponsorship Visa | £4,500 – £25,000 | £900 – £5,000 | |
| Tier 2 Applications / Skilled Worker | £2,500 – £3,000 | £500 – £600 | |
| Tier 4 Applications / Student Visa | £1,800 | £360 | |
| Tier 5 Applications | £1,800 | £360 | |
| Sponsor Licence Application | £5,000 – £10,000 | £1,000 – £1,200 | |
| Deportation Revocation (excluding court attendance) | £2,000 – £5,000 | £400 – £1,000 | |
| Ancestry Applications | £2,000 – £5,000 | £400 – £1,000 | |
| Grounds of Appeal | £1,800 – £2,500 | £360 – £500 | |
| Representation before the First Tier Tribunal | £3,000 | £600 | |
| Representation before the Upper Tier Tribunal | £2,500 | £500 | |
| Long Residence Applications | £1000 – £10,000 | £200 – £2,000 | |
| Other Categories | £2,000 – £3,500 | £500 – £700 |
Kindly be aware that Value Added Tax (VAT) is a government-mandated tax that we are obligated to apply. Typically, it will be included at a rate of 20% on our fees and disbursements, unless we specify that certain disbursements fall outside the scope of VAT.
Disbursements
Disbursements are expenses associated with your case, payable to third Parties such the Home Office (fees) and any related expenses for third parties. To facilitate a seamless process, we manage the disbursement payments on your behalf. Please note that the table above reflects our legal fees exclusively.
Disbursements may involve a range of expenses, and the list provided is not exhaustive, acknowledging that not all the mentioned disbursements may be relevant to your specific case:
- Visa application fees
- NHS fees (IHS surcharge)
- Document translation
- Postage expenses
- English language examination (and relevant preparation)
- UK Naric services
- Expert reports
These examples are provided to give you a general idea of the potential costs associated with immigration matters. As these fees are not determined by Aristone Solicitors, we can only provide an accurate cost estimate once you formally engage us for your immigration case.
What’s Covered
Our fees above cover all services related to the preparation and submission of your application. This includes, but is not limited to, the following services:
- In-depth discussion of your circumstances to determine the most suitable application and explore alternative options.
- Providing advice on Immigration Rules requirements and assessing your eligibility.
- If certain criteria are not met, exploring potential solutions, typically taking 2 – 3 hours on average.
- Reviewing the supporting evidence you’ve provided, expected to range from 2 – 21 hours.
- Assisting in obtaining additional evidence, such as medical records and bank statements, if necessary.
- Preparation and submission of your application, with a time estimate of 6 – 120 hours based on complexity.
- Guidance on attending a Home Office interview, if required, which may take 1 – 3 hours.
- Providing advice on the application outcome and any subsequent steps.
Timeframe: How long will it take?
Unfortunately, we cannot assure a specific processing time by the Home Office. Please refer to the current processing times published by the Home Office.
Typically, we aim to submit your application within 2-8 weeks from the time you instruct us. Given the inherent variability in applications, we can offer a more precise estimate once we have additional information about your particular case.
Factors that could increase costs:
- Previous convictions, immigration offenses or immigration history
- Extended periods of absence
- Gaps in work or study activity
- Difficulty in providing required documents
- Unemployment in your home country
- Your employment history and level
- Reasons for the Home Office perceiving an overstay risk
- Limited evidence of a genuine relationship
- Forming an entrepreneur team
- Viability of an overseas company
Our Team
In our Immigration division, our team comprises of a Consultant Solicitor, possessing 6+ years PQE and our Director/Solicitor possessing 3+ years PQE. The team are supported by a paralegal (LLB Graduate), who joined Aristone in 2023. This unit is overseen by Kuljit Lally, boasting an extensive 18-year career. Ms Lally was admitted as a solicitor in the UK back in 2004.
The following professionals will handle the work
- Director
- Director assisted by a Solicitor
- Director/Solicitor assisted by paralegals
All tasks will be supervised and monitored by Kuljit Lally, Solicitor, Director and Supervisor.
Individuals assigned to the work are as follows
- Mariyam Ferreira: Director and Solicitor (Admitted as a Solicitor: 21/09/2020)
- Samar Shams: Senior Immigration Consultant Solicitor (Admitted as Solicitor: 01/11/2006)
- Madiya Karassayeva: Immigration Consultant Solicitor (Admitted as Solicitor: 13/03/2024)
- Anna Asumadu: Trainee Solicitor
- Taslima Begum: Paralegal
The fixed fee recovery costs only apply to claims that are not disputed by the opposite party and to cases that do not require enforcement action.
If, however, the other party disputes the claim at any time, the fee is adjusted since additional work would become necessary. Please be assured that we will discuss the costs with you in advance. If only a small amount of additional work is required, we will slightly adjust the fixed fee. However, if extensive work is required, we will charge you by the hour. An overall estimate will be given beforehand.
Apart from the fee charged by Aristone Solicitors, another cost you need to consider is the fee payable to third parties.
Pre-Court Action
| Debt Value | Our Fee | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to £5,000 | £600 | ||
| £5,001 – £10,000 | £1,200 | ||
| £10,001 – £50,000 | £ 1% value of the claim | ||
| £50,001 – £100,000 | £ 1.1% value of the claim |
County Court Action – Issuing a Claim
| Debt Value | Court Fee | Our Fee | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to £300 | £35.00 | £50.00 | |
| £300.01 – £500 | £50.00 | £60.00 | |
| £500.01 – £1,000 | £70.00 | £80.00 | |
| £1,000.01 – £1,500 | £80.00 | £100.00 | |
| £1,500.01 – £3,000 | £115.00 | £100.00 | |
| £3,000.01 – £5,000 | £205.00 | £115.00 | |
| £5,001 – £10,000 | £455.00 | £125.00 | |
| £10,001 – £50,000 | £ 5% of value of claim | £150.00 | |
| £50,001 – £199,999 | £ 5 % of value of claim | £150.00 | |
| £200,000 + | £10,000.00/td> | £200.00 |
Court Action – Entering Judgment
| Debt Value | Court Fee | Our Fee | |
|---|---|---|---|
| £25.00 – £5,000 | None | £50.00 | |
| Over £5,000 | None | £300.00 |
Court Action – Enforcement
| Enforcement Method | Debt Amount | Court Fee | Our Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warrant of Control (County Court Bailiff) | Under £600.00 | £100.00 | £150 |
| High Court Enforcement | Over £600.00 | £66.00 | £117.75 |
| Third Party Debt Order | Any Amount | £110.00 | £150.00 |
| Attachment of Earnings | Any Amount | £110.00 | £90.00 |
| Charging Order | Any Amount | £110.00 | |
| Order to attend Court for Questioning | Any Amount | £55.00 |
Court Action – Misc. Fees
| Debt Value | Court Fee | Our Fee | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Claims Mediation | None | £350.00 |
Fees Payable to third parties (disbursements)
| Disbursement | Fee | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Trace | £50.00 | ||
| Process Serving (Non Urgent) | £50.00 | ||
| + Sworn Affidavit | £15.00 | ||
| HM Land Registry Registration Fee | £20.00 | ||
| HM Land Registry Office Copies Fee | £6.00 |
Disbursements
Please note that the mentioned fees above do not cover the following disbursements:
- Counsel’s Fees: The fee for counsel (barrister) depends on the necessary preparation for any enforcement hearing and is typically £1500 + VAT (£1800 total).
Additional disbursements may be applicable based on the specifics of the case. Rest assured, we will keep you informed if any additional costs arise.
What’s Covered
While the intricacies of debt recovery cases may vary, the fundamental stages of the process include:
- Consultation to understand your requirements
- Document verification
- Conducting essential searches
- Drafting and dispatching a letter before action
- Ensuring the funds reach you if the debt is recovered, or preparing and filing a claim if not
- Applying for Judgment in default if there’s no response to the Acknowledgement of Service or Defence
- Pursuing payment from the opposing party upon securing Judgement in default
- Reviewing further options and associated costs with you if the debt remains unrecovered
Timeframe: How long will it take?
Typically, the debt recovery process, from our initial discussion to the receipt of payment from the other party, spans approximately 6 months. This estimate assumes prompt payment by the opposing party upon receipt of Judgement in default. If enforcement action becomes necessary, the recovery process may extend beyond this timeframe.
Factors that could increase costs:
In order to meet your requirements, if extra time, work, or skill is needed on our part, we may increase our fees. Certain situations that affect the fees are:
- Disputed or defended proceedings: These will be charged at an hourly rate (£150 to £350 + VAT).
- The value of compensation and interest takes the debt into a higher banding
- Enforcement action, such as by a bailiff, becomes necessary
- An enforcement hearing is about to happen, requiring us to instruct the barrister
Our Team
Our litigation division is overseen by Patrick Smith, boasting an extensive 40-year career in litigation. Patrick is supported by a qualified Solicitor/Director of 3+ years PQE and two paralegals (LLB Graduates) who joined Aristone in 2023. Mr. Smith was admitted as a solicitor in the UK back in 2002.
- Director
- Director assisted by a Solicitor
- Director/Solicitor assisted by paralegals
All tasks will be supervised and monitored by Patrick Smith, Solicitor and Head of Litigation.
Individuals assigned to the work are as follows
- Patrick Smith: Director, Litigation Solicitor and Supervisor (Admitted as a Solicitor: 02/09/2002)
- Mariyam Ferreira: Director and Solicitor (Admitted as a Solicitor: 21/09/2020)
- Emma Brown: Wills and Probate Consultant Solicitor (Admitted as a Solicitor: 15/04/2021)
- Jenny Goncalves, Paralegal
