Pricing

When it comes to costs, it is extremely important to know where you stand. There is nothing worse than receiving a high bill when you least expect it.

We have always understood the importance of honesty and transparency especially when it comes to legal fees and this is why all of our clients are fully aware of the costs involved from the outset of their case.

Unlike most city based law firms, we operate a “fixed fee” approach to 99% of our cases which means that our clients never have any hidden surprises at any point during their legal matters. We can also offer “payment by instalment” packages for those clients who wish to spread out the costs of their case.

Although every legal instruction is unique and must be dealt with on a case by case basis, we have provided a general guide to our pricing structure for your ease of reference. Please note that the prices indicated may increase depending on the number of applicants and the overall complexity of the case. All prices are exclusive of VAT (where VAT is applicable) and any disbursements such as court fees. Vat is charged at 20% in accordance with current government regulations.

Please note that some initial consultations are free whereas others are chargeable (up to £250 plus VAT where applicable ). Consultations may last up to 45 minutes.

If a consultation is chargeable, the costs for the same will be discussed with you prior to booking your appointment. Please note that the charges may depend on the experience of the relevant fee-earner dealing with the matter, the complexity of work and the volume of documentation which will need to be considered.

Immigration

It is always difficult to provide accurate timescales for the progression of individual cases as this depends on the Home Office and/or the Court’s processing timescales.

We should be able to provide you with a general guideline timescale during our initial consultation, once we have ascertained the unique circumstances of your case and understood your exact legal instruction. If your case is extremely complex, this will of course increase the timescales as well as the costs involved.

If you choose to instruct Ashton Ross Law, your case will be assigned to either a fully qualified solicitor or an experienced legal representative. Your overall matter will be supervised by a qualified Partner with no less than 8 years Post Qualified Experience. You can view details of your representative and our Partners in the “About Us” section.

The exact service you receive will depend on the nature of your instruction. It will also be outlined clearly in your client engagement letter.

Generally for initial visa applications, your legal team will prepare your case in accordance with the Home Office visa requirements specific to your circumstances. This may include: –

1) Preparation of relevant Home Office application forms with supporting documentation;

2) Collating supporting documentation (financial information, witness statements etc);

3) Booking relevant appointments;

4) Submission of completed applications;

5) Receiving biometric information ;

6) Addressing additional requests from the Home Office/other third party;

7) Receiving visa information/decision;

8) Collection of Biometric Resident Permit, and;

9) Police Registration (if necessary).

For appeal and judicial review matters, the typical services may include: –

1) Preparation and submission of appeal grounds;

2) Collating witness statements with additional evidence;

3) Instructing barrister(s) (where applicable);

4) Representation and/or attendance at Court, and;

5) Further advice depending on the outcome of the case.

Fees

Type of Application

The price ranges below are based on the complexity of the application such as the duration of stay, the number of parties, the involvement of children, the volume of evidence and the overall experience of the file handler.

All prices are exclusive of VAT (where applicable)

Application for Leave to Enter or Remain

Leave to enter as a partner	£2,000 – £3,000
Leave to remain with a partner	£2,000 – £3,000
Leave to enter as a parent of a child	£2,000 – £4,000
Leave to remain as a parent of a child	£2,000 – £3,000
Leave to remain on the basis of family and private life	£2,000 – £5,000

Application for Settlement

Settlement with a partner	£2,000 – £3,000
Settlement with a child	£2,000 – £4,000
Settlement as a victim of domestic violence	£2,000 – £3,500
Settlement on the basis of long residence	£2,000 – £5,000

Applications under the Points Based System

Global Talent	£5,000 – £8,000
Health and Care	£2,000 – £3,000
Innovator	£7,500 – £10,000
Skilled worker visa	£2,000 – £5,000
Start up	£5,000 – £7,500
Student	£1,500 – £2,000

Applications for a sponsor license

Sponsor license for small or charitable sponsors	£5,000 – £10,000
Sponsor license for a medium or large sponsors	£10,000 – £20,000
(Price range is based on organization structure, number of employees)

Application for a visit visa

Tourism	£1,500 – £2,000
Family	£2,500 – £3,000

Naturalization

Naturalization as a British Citizen	£1,500 – £3,000
Registration as a British Citizen	£1,500 – £2,000

Applications under the Appendix ECAA – European Communities Association Agreement with Turkey.

Application to extend Businessperson	£2,000 - £5,000
Application to extend Turkish Worker	£2,000 - £3,000
Application for Settlement	£5,000
Application for Dependents	£2,000 – £5,000
Administrative Review	£1,500 - £3,000
(Price range depends on number of dependents)

Non-Application matters

Bail	£1,000 – £2,000
Detention	£2,000 – £4,000
Appeal before the First Tier Tribunal	£2,500 – £4,000
Appeals at the Court of Appeal	£3,500 – £5,000
Supreme Court	£5,000 – £7,500

Disbursements

Please see a link to the Home Office website which displays the relevant Home Office fees for each individual immigration application.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visa-regulations-revised-table/home-office-immigration-and-nationality-fees-1-july-2021

Where a matter proceeds to Court, you may also be liable for the Court fees of £140 (for an appeal) and £154 (for a Judicial Review). Judicial Review trial fees will be payable (£385 – £770) if your case proceeds to a final hearing.

If a barrister is instructed for your Court hearing this will also be charged separately. The cost for a barrister will depend on the nature of your application and the experience of the individual barrister. You will be informed of this prior to any instruction.

Judicial Review

Depending on the circumstances of your case, together with our assessment of your financial position, we can progress your Judicial Review case in one of the following ways:

Hourly rate basis; (see below)
Conditional Fee Arrangement (typically known as a no -win – no fee arrangement); or
Discounted Conditional Fee Arrangement (where you pay a financial contribution to your case and the remainder is progressed on a no-win less fee basis).

You will be informed at the outset as to which financial arrangement we would intend to undertake the proceedings under. Should your case fall under option 2 or 3 then we will be asking you to review and sign a separate agreement which sets out the full terms of the retainer.

In Judicial Review proceedings and possibly during certain stages on appeal, the Courts / Tribunals have the power to award costs for and against you. These costs can include disbursements such as court fees and our legal fees.

When proceedings have concluded, the Courts can typically make one of the following orders in relation to costs:

Award you costs (generally happens when your case is successful);
No order as to costs (this is typically ordered when neither you nor the Home Office wins the case outright);
Award costs against you (this is typically ordered if you have lost the case); or
Award partial recovery of costs to either you or the Home Office (this depends on the outcome of the case).

Your case could also be settled during the proceedings by way of negotiation and should a mutual agreement with the Home Office be achieved that this can ultimately settle your case with costs payable to you. This is typically agreed in a Consent Order (equivalent to a Court Order) which ordinarily brings the proceedings to a conclusion.

As stated above, you should be aware that if your case is unsuccessful, you may be ordered to pay the costs which the Home Office has incurred in defending the proceedings. Please note that in this event and depending on which option (1-3 as above) you may be liable to make payment of our total fees, whether in full or discounted. These fees would be payable in addition to paying the total costs incurred by the Home Office in accordance with the Order of the Court. If however there is no order as to costs then you will only be liable to pay our fee (if this is applicable).

Please note that if there is a costs award made in your favour, this would essentially mean that the Government must pay your legal costs, i.e. generally the fees you have paid to us in progressing the judicial review or at the subsequent appeal stage (if applicable). This will also include all correspondence exchanged between us and the Home Office before filing your claim for Judicial Review. The default position is that our total bill chargeable to you will be submitted to the Home Office for payment. When our fees and costs are agreed – the Home Office would be required to pay the total agreed costs in accordance with our hourly rates which have been applied in your case (see further below).

If your case is successful and costs are awarded in your favour, you will receive the amount which has been agreed with the Government, subject to any shortfalls and after paying our legal costs.

If your case is unsuccessful and costs have been awarded against you then you will be required to pay the agreed costs of the Government.

Please note however that following the Court’s guidance of cost proportionality, it is highly unlikely that we will recover our full fees. You are of course entitled to see our full bill of costs.

1. Hourly rate

You would be liable to pay our fees if we have undertaken your case on an hourly rate (see below) irrespective of the outcome of your case. If you have paid most or all of our legal fees as per our final bill – we will seek to recover this from the Government (including any disbursements) should your case be successful and a cost award has been made in your favour.

You would also be liable to pay all disbursements associated to your case.

2. Conditional Fee Arrangement

You are liable for our total fees if your case is successful but we will recover our fees from the losing party.

If your case is unsuccessful, you will not be liable to pay our fees. You might be ordered by the Court to pay the Government’s costs.

You will be liable for all disbursements irrespective as to the outcome of your case.

3. Discounted Conditional Fee Arrangement

You would be liable for a percentage of our total fees if your case is successful. The remainder of our fees would be recovered from the losing party.

If your case is unsuccessful, you will be liable to pay our reduced fees. You might be ordered by the Court to pay the Government’s costs.

You will be liable for all disbursements irrespective as to the outcome of your case.

In addition to our legal fees, we may also be entitled to deduct between 30 -50% of any damages we recover on your behalf. This will depend on the complexity of your case and will be agreed from the outset of your matter.

Our current hourly rates

Partner	£492 – £512
Solicitor with at least eight years’ experience	£348 – £492
Solicitor with at least four to eight years’ experience	£270 – £356
Solicitor with less than four years’ experience	£186 – £272
Trainee, paralegal or equivalent	£166

Property

In most circumstances we can offer home purchasers and sellers fixed-fee rates, which removes uncertainty over costs. Our usual fees for residential conveyancing are as follows: –

Fees

Conveyancing of residential freehold sales	from £1,200 (exc. VAT)
Conveyancing of residential freehold purchases	from £1,500 (exc. VAT)
Conveyancing of residential leasehold sales	from £1,200 (exc. VAT)
Conveyancing of residential leasehold purchases	from £1,500 (exc. VAT)
Re-mortgage fees	from £1000 (exc. VAT)
Leasehold extensions	from £1000 (exc. VAT)

Please note our fees may vary depending on the complexity, circumstances and lending criteria in your matter.

In the event where we are required to undertake additional work due to unforeseeable circumstances such as unnecessary delays, further costs may arise but you will be notified in advance before the additional work is undertaken. We will only proceed with your authorisation.

Disbursements

Disbursements are additional fees and taxes that we pay to third parties on your behalf. Below are indications of what you should budget for including but not limited to search fees, stamp duty, land registry fees for freehold properties, and additional management company fees for leasehold properties.

These will be quoted specific to the property at the time of instruction. Prices vary depending on the value of the property and the local authority serving the area.

Average search fees in London are from £500.
Land registry fees are dependent on the property price –https://www.gov.uk/guidance/hm-land-registry-registration-services-fees
Stamp duty is calculated by HMRC – https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/calculate-stamp-duty-land-tax/#/intro

Your case will be conducted by Jasmine Chaudry, who is currently the Head of Property & Commercial Law.

Referral Fees

Please note that on occasion, Ashton Ross Law may pay a small referral fee for dealing with your case. This is likely to be a percentage calculated as part of our overall fees. This will not affect any payment you make to us as the referral fee will be deducted from our own costs and you will not be charged for this. We will inform you if a referral fee is applicable to your matter. If you would like any further information, please do not hesitate to speak to us directly.

General Litigation

Fixed fees available depending on nature of case (specifics to be discussed during initial consultation).
Alternatively we offer an hourly rate of up to £296 depending on the level of the fee earner.

Complaints

We want to give you the best possible service. However, if at any point you become unhappy or concerned about the service we provide then you should inform us immediately, so that we can do our best to resolve the problem. The complaints manager of the firm is Daniel Rajah.

In the first instance it may be helpful to contact the person who is working on your case to discuss your concerns and we will do our best to resolve any issues at this stage. If you would like to make a formal complaint, please contact Mr Rajah and he will arrange to meet with you in the first instance. If you prefer not to meet with him directly, he can be contacted on drajah@ashtonrosslaw.com. Mr Rajah will provide you with full details of the complaints procedure and policy if this is required.

Please note that making a complaint will not affect how we handle your case.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority can help you if you are concerned about our behaviour. This could be for things like dishonesty, taking or losing your money or treating you unfairly because of your age, a disability or other characteristic.

You can raise your concerns with the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

What do to if we cannot resolve your complaint

The Legal Ombudsman can help you if we are unable to resolve your complaint ourselves. They will look at your complaint independently and it will not affect how we handle your case.

Before accepting a complaint for investigation, the Legal Ombudsman will check that you have tried to resolve your complaint with us first. If you have, then you must take your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman:

Within six months of receiving a final response to your complaint

and

No more than six years from the date of act/omission; or
No more than three years from when you should reasonably have known there was cause for complaint.

If you would like more information about the Legal Ombudsman, please contact them.

Contact details

Visit: www.legalombudsman.org.uk

Call: 0300 555 0333 between 9am to 5pm.

Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk

Legal Ombudsman PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton, WV1 9WJ