INDICATIVE FEE GUIDANCE - DIRECT ACCESS CASES

ON THIS PAGE I HAVE GENERAL COURT ATTENDANCE COSTS 

I ALSO HAVE LINKS TO SET FEES FOR SPECIFIC WORK TYPES - CLICK BELOW

1-EVICTIONS 

2-DIVORCE  

3-FINANCIAL SETTLEMENT AFTER DIVORCE 

4-LETTERS BEFORE ACTION 

5-DRINK DRIVING CASES

NOVEMBER 2024 (UPDATE)

ALL FEES BELOW ARE INDICATIVE AND ARE PLUS VAT. 

If you instruct me to just attend a court hearing, my fees are generally £1,000 to read all papers and discuss them with you and I then charge a further £500, £800 or £1,750 + any travel costs to attend court. These fees depend whether a full day in court, or half a day in court or less than half a day in court. (These fees are subject to increase depending on size of any hearing bundle and the complexity of the case). 

If a hearing is listed for more than 1 day, my brief fee is generally £2,500, for the 1st day then £1,000 for each additional day + any travel costs (This fee is subject to increase depending on size of the bundle and complexity of the case).

If you want me to come on the record and deal with the court and the other side and prepare your case, I charge an hourly rate of £225ph for work done on the case. I charge work on 6 minute units, phone calls in/out are charged on 3 minute units and emails in/out are charged on 1 minute units.

If I attend court for you and I have to prepare e.g. a skeleton argument, or comment on your position statements, or draft the order after the hearing, I will have to charge additional fees for my time. 

If you want me to prepare a bundle for a hearing, I have bundling 

software and I will have to charge additional fees. 

If your case is local and that would be approx. 10 miles away from me e.g. Newcastle, Gateshead, Durham, South Shields or Sunderland and your case is listed for perhaps 1 or 2 hours I would charge a minimum of £500 for less than 1/2 day + mileage and parking.

None of my fees include me drafting skeleton arguments, advising you on matters in the bundle, or preparing bundles - this can be done at an additional fee. The fee does include a (maximum) 15 minute call with you and time with you before the hearing starts. 

If you are the applicant the judge will expect me to draft the order from the hearing. I charge an additional 1 hour of my time for that work. 

If your case is a little further away I charge a fee for a 1/2 day of at least £800 (even if only lister for 1 or 2 hours) If I am travelling further afield I will have to charge for a full day even if the case is not listed for a full day as I may have to get a train at 6am and not get back home till after 7pm. 

I will in all such cases if traveling by train bill 20 miles round trip to Durham Station, a days parking at the station, the cost of the train ticket and depending on what time the train gets in to the town where listed I may need to get a taxi to court.

If I am travelling a long distance I may have to come the night before so a hotel will have to be charged and if the case is listed for more than 1 day i would need hotel and meals for the additional days. 

I am willing to give all clients a 15 minute free telephone consultation you must call the office to set up an appointment on 0191.3692383. This call is simply to understand if it is a type of case I can take on and check my diary for free dates. To be clear it will only be for 15 minutes, if you want more time has to be billed. 

If you decide to instruct me I will send a fee proposal. If you want me to review any papers to advise you on the merit of your case I will charge a minimum of 1 hours time. I will not accept numerous calls or numerous emails for you to "seek clarification" before instructing me as if you do that then the time will be billed.

My fees will either be on a fixed fee or on a time basis where our charge will be calculated by reference to all time spent by me on the matter.  This will include meeting you and where appropriate others, considering, preparing and working on papers, correspondence, making and receiving telephone calls, research, internal consultations and travelling.  Such time is recorded and charged in six minute units at the hourly rates applicable to the relevant individual conducting the work.  Where less than six minutes is taken on a matter, a full unit of six minutes will be charged.  These rates are exclusive of VAT.  Charging rates will be reviewed from time to time and you will be notified of any changes as soon as reasonably possible.  

If you and the other party are litigants in person. I have software to make court bundles. I can do that at an additional fee. 

If I quote a price for a trial and it then goes off for judgment to be given,  or for sentence to be issued to another date, then a further fee will have to be agreed.  
 

My fees for attending court do not include: 

i) travel costs to / from court i.e. Mileage or train ticket, nor; 

ii) my travel time to and from court; 

iii) any parking costs, nor; 

iv) accommodation, which will be required if you have a 10am case (where we have to be at court for 9am) and the court is over 100 miles away from me (as i cannot be leaving at 4am or 5am to travel to court to get into town about 8am, to then meet you at court for 9am) and be at my best for a trial. It may be the case that no trains can even get me to the local train station nearest to the court by the latest time of 8.30am. If the case is listed for more than 1 day I would also need to book accommodation and meals for each of the additional days. 

If you instruct me to attend trial on a civil case, tribunal or mediation and you have prepared the case yourself then you shall accept that I will only be able to put forward the case you have claimed or are defending.
 

I include in my fee a 15 minute phone consultation to take initial instructions from you and I will also see you at court (approx. 45 minutes) before the hearing. 

If you want a separate conference with me before the trial, then a minimum charge will be £250.