General Terms of Pricing

1.1.   The standard charge out hourly rate of individuals depends upon their seniority and experience and/or level of post qualification experience. We will tell you of the fee structure that we are applying to your matter in our Engagement Letter. We record all time spent on a matter (where we have not agreed an alternative fee structure with you) and we will charge you for the time spent, recorded in increments of 10 minutes (10 minutes being the lowest amount recorded in any single instance).

1.2.   Where no fee structure has been agreed, you may set a limit on the charges and expenses to be incurred which we may not exceed without reference to you.  However, please be aware that if you do so, when the limit is reached we will have to “lay down tools” at a point which may be arbitrary or inconvenient. This may well lead to subsequent costs and to delays which may be damaging (or, in extreme circumstances, fatal) to your transaction or case; these are risks for which you agree to accept liability.

1.3.   Time spent on the matter includes:

(a)   attending meetings, negotiations, and court hearings plus travel time;

(b)   reading, writing and working on documents;

(c)    making and responding to telephone calls, emails, faxes and letters;

(d)   preparation of fees estimates, schedules and bills.

1.4.   If we have agreed a fixed fee, then this will be for specific items of work as set out in our Engagement Letter. If we have to do work that falls outside of the scope of our instructions or if the work needed on your matter changes we will charge for our time at our hourly rates set out in our Engagement Letter.

1.5.   NML’s rates are reviewed on an annual basis to ensure they are in keeping with the seniority of the lawyers involved and remain appropriate and competitive with market rates. You will be informed of any increase in rates, which will apply to work done from the date of that review.

1.6.   You may have to pay additional charges to our professional fees (“disbursements”). These include:

(a)   court fees;

(b)   fees payable to barristers instructed on your behalf;

(c)    expert fees;

(d)   surveyor fees;

(e)   other professionals;

(f)    fees payable to the Land Registry, Companies House, the Intellectual Property Office, OHIM or any other registries;

(g)   couriers booked on your behalf or mail sent by special delivery.

1.7.   We will normally ask for a payment on account of these charges from you in advance and will pay these on your behalf provided that we have funds available on our client account to do so.

1.8.   Telegraphic Transfers: we will charge £30 plus VAT to send funds to you (or a third party upon your instruction) the sum of which reflects the amount of time spent in dealing with this administrative process. If, for whatever reason, the work does not complete or a matter is aborted by you, we shall charge on the basis of time costs incurred to the relevant date.

 1.9.   A charge-out rate may be charged to work necessarily carried out outside of our normal office hours, the increase of which reflects the unsociable hours involved.

Employment Tribunals

Cost

Hourly rates based on the amount of time spent;

·         Lead fee-earner rate: £295 plus VAT per hour (25+ years of legal experience);

·         Support fee-earner rate: £100 - £175 plus VAT per hour (paralegal or junior solicitor, usually 2 years of legal experience)

 As each case is different, it is not possible to provide absolute certainty as to fees but we can provide Indicative average costs for different levels of complexity of cases. Indicative Fees to cover the Key Preparation Stages * (see below as to what this includes):

A: For a Simple case:                                           £5,000 (excluding VAT and disbursements)

Estimated Final hearing: half a day or less

B: For a case of Medium complexity:               £12,000 (excluding VAT and disbursements)

Estimated Final hearing: 1 – 2 days

C: For a case of High complexity:                      £17,500 (excluding VAT and disbursements)

Estimated Final hearing: 3 or more days

Work Included

• Reviewing papers and advising on merits of case

• Filling out necessary paperwork and legal documentation

• Preparing claim and responses and reporting back to you

• Negotiating settlement and working with other party

• Preparing schedule of loss

• Taking witness statements and then drafting the formal statements

• Reviewing and advising other side’s witness statements

• Preparing and finalising of bundles

• Preparing for final hearing and instructing counsel (if applicable)

What is not included shall the work any counsel member undertakes. We also do not offer ‘no-win-no-fee’ arrangements

Depending on the complexity of your case, as noted above, your claim could be as simple as four to eight weeks, whereas a more complex case would be expected to conclude around the twenty-six week area. The length of the claim is also based on the availability of the Employment Tribunal to hear your claim.

Various fees may arise during the transaction of the property which are not included. These fees are likely to be, but are not limited to, additional fees for attending a tribunal hearing, either at a fixed full day fee or pro rata for part days (excluding VAT), counsels fees for attending on your behalf, post and courier costs, photocopying costs and travel costs.

Probate

Cost

£350/hour

Work Included

• Preparation of IHT 400 and all supplementary schedules

• Providing inheritance tax and capital gains tax advice

• Drafting deeds of variation

• Preparing executor and/or administrators

• Uncovering and assessing assets in addition to identifying the extent of the estate

• Valuation of assets

• Tax advice relating to assets

• Settling inheritance and distribution of assets

What will not be included in this pricing would be any specialised capital gains tax advice, and pricing costs are exclusive of VAT.

The work carried out would expect to be completed anywhere between six months to two years, but should not see any significant changes to costs or the overall process unless the rules which surround inheritance tax were to change.

Various fees may arise during the transaction of the property which are not included. These fees are likely to be, but are not limited to, land registry fees, search fees, post and courier fees, court fees, swearing fees, tax on the inheritance and VAT.

Debt Recovery

Thank you for considering New Media Law to assist you with your debt collection matters.  We appreciate that debt collection can be a difficult process whether you are an individual or a company and can be complex and difficult to navigate.

Please see the relevant fee guides below to give you an estimate of our fees in these types of matters:-

New Media Law Fees and Disbursements including VAT –

• Acting for Creditor up to £100,000

• Bankruptcy Proceedings Against Individuals

• Winding Up Proceedings Against Companies

• Undefended Cases-Up To First Hearing of Petition

• Court Proceedings to Obtaining Undefended Judgment

Bankruptcy/ Cost

Winding Up

Hourly Rates for dealing with your claim range from £150-£400 plus VAT. The fee range reflects the varied nature of the work, the urgency and the seniority of the person carrying out the work. Fees exclude VAT.

Letter of Claim - £150 - £800

Instigating bankruptcy/winding up proceedings - £500 - £1,500

Disbursements

Process Server’s fees (Statutory Demand and Petition) - £180

Court Issue fee - £280

Official Receivers Deposit (individual) - £990

Official Receivers Deposit (company) - £1,660

Court Bankruptcy Search fee - £45

Court Search of Insolvency Register - £11.99

London Gazette Advertisement fee (company) - £101.52

Land Charges Bankruptcy Search - £2

Representative fee for attending hearing - £100-£500

*   Excludes debts for rent arrears

*   Work Included: (i) Taking instructions and reviewing papers - Preparing Letter of Claim (ii) drafting a Statutory Demand and serving (iii) With no response - presenting and serving a Bankruptcy Petition or Winding Up Petition (iv) Preparing relevant court documents and filing a hearing bundle (v) Instructing representative to attend first hearing.

*   Work NOT Included: (i) Debtor opposing the Statutory Demand or Petition (ii) Negotiations for settlement (iii) Debtor is out of the jurisdiction (iv) Adjourned/further hearings of the Petition (v) Issues regarding Service upon Debtor.

Debt collection Cost

(acting for Creditor

up to £100,000)

Hourly Rates for dealing with your debt claim range from £150-£400 plus VAT. The fee range reflects the varied nature of the work, the urgency and the seniority of the person carrying out the work. Fees exclude VAT.

Letter of Claim - £150 - £800

Issuing Proceedings and obtaining Judgment - £500 - £1,200

Work Included: (i) Taking instructions and reviewing papers - Preparing and serving a Letter of Claim (ii) With no settlement - drafting, issuing and serving a Claim (iii) obtaining Judgment by Default.

*   Excludes debts for rent arrears

*   Work NOT Included: (i) Work arising from Debtor defending the claim (ii) Applications to set aside Judgment or Appeal (iii) Enforcement action (iv) negotiations for settlement (v) Debtor is out of the jurisdiction.