Pricing

Information regarding our Pricing and Services

SRA TRANSPARENCY RULES
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has brought in new Transparency Rules. These rules require all firms to publish information about the services they offer, the prices they charge and the protections that they have in place. The new rules were brought in place to improve competition in the market.

Pharaoh Law has, in accordance with these new rules, provided requisite information relating to Employment Tribunals ( for example unfair dismissal, constructive dismissal and wrongful dismissal cases), to Debt collection matters of up to the value of £100,000 and to the Administer Estates (Probate uncontested). These can be found linked below.

Further information is provided throughout the site, in particular:

Information relating to the services we provide for individuals, can be found under the "OUR SERVICES : For you and your family" tab.

Information relating to the services that we provide for organisations and businesses, can be found under the "OUR SERVICES "For your business" tab.

Information relating to our prices and fees can be found in this section.

Information relating to the protections that we have in place can be found in the Legal and Regulatory section and our Privacy Policy sections.

Please contact us if you need any further information. We are an open, friendly and honest practice and will provide you with as much information as you need to make an informed decision.

Costs
Hourly fee rate
Our current hourly fee rate (April 2026) is:

Director: £350 plus VAT per hour (£420, inclusive of VAT)

Solicitor: £300 plus VAT per hour (£360, inclusive of VAT)

Chartered Legal Executive: £250 +VAT per hour (£300, inclusive of VAT)

Advanced Paralegal: £150 +VAT per hour (£180, inclusive of VAT)

VAT is payable at 20% on all legal fees and on taxable disbursements.

SPECIFIED FEES

Employment Matters
Who will carry out the work?
Pharaoh Law's Director Solicitor, Lisa Pharaoh, BA (Hons) in Decision Making and Law, has over 30 years experience in making and defending claims in the Employment Tribunal and EAT. She will advise and represent you throughout every stage of your case whether this be in relation to dispute resolution, litigation or employment matters.

Clients can be reassured that their cases will be conducted by her at all times providing a personal service which is second to none.

Lisa will be responsible for the conduct of your matter (and the supervisor of all fee earners) and details of her experience and those of all other fee earners will be set out clearly in the client care letter that will be sent to you at the outset of any matter should you choose to instruct us.

Her qualifications, and experience, and those of the members of the team can be found in the "About Us" section of this website. Further information about her expertise is also included in the "Mediation" section of this website.

Employment Tribunal work
The majority of our work within the Employment Tribunal is charged on the basis of our hourly fee rate. The charge therefore depends upon how much time we have spent on the case. In our client care letter we provide you with an estimate of cost. We will regularly keep you informed of matters concerning cost as the case proceeds. The more complex a case is the more time we envisage we will spend upon it.

For Claimants - employees
Hourly fee rate
We use a competitive hourly fee rate. Our current hourly fee rate (April 2026) for our solicitors is £300 plus VAT (£360 including VAT). The current hourly fee rate for the Director Solicitor is £350 plus VAT (£420 per hour) .

Fee estimates
The total cost of any claim will be dependent upon a range of factors which will include how long it will take us to complete the case and how complex the work is. We have provided information as to what makes a case simple or complex at the end of this section. As every case is different we are not able to set out an exact anticipated total cost for each case but we can provide you with an average cost.

Based upon our extensive knowledge and experience of conducting employment claims we can provide an average range of prices for a claimant who brings a claim for unfair dismissal, constructive dismissal or wrongful dismissal and where the case is resolved at a hearing before an Employment Tribunal.

Fixed price option
In some cases we can offer a fixed-price option but this is rare because it is extremely difficult to predict the course of events over the life of a case. We will advise you about these options after initial consideration of your case. We will confirm options within the client care letter that we send to you before we commence work on the matter.

Guideline legal costs for Claimants

Simple Case
£12,000 plus VAT (£14,400 including VAT) to £15,000 plus VAT (£18,000 including VAT). VAT is at 20%

Medium Complexity Case
£15,000 plus VAT (£18,000 including VAT) to £20,000 plus VAT (£24,000 including VAT) VAT is 20%

High Complexity Case
£20,000 plus VAT (£24,000 including VAT) to £50,000 plus VAT (£60,000 including VAT) VAT is 20%

Only around 5% of claims which are commenced in the Employment Tribunal reach a final hearing before an Employment Tribunal. This is usually because the parties resolve the case between themselves before they get to a hearing.

Other costs and disbursements for respondents

Barristers/counsel

Advice and attendance at conferences

If you have decided to also instruct a barrister to help you with the case then you may need to meet with them either face to face or via a telephone conference facility.

They may even help by drafting documents for you.

Barristers usually charge an hourly fee for this service and these fluctuate given the seniority and qualification of the barrister and the amount, and type, of work that they have to do.

Barristers' hourly fee rates are in the range of £600 to £2,000 plus VAT.

Representation on your behalf before the Employment Tribunal

If your case proceeds to a hearing before the Employment Tribunal (and the Employment Tribunal may require a hearing at important stages of the case before the final hearing) then you will need to pay advocacy fees for a barrister to represent you at the hearing if you have instructed one. Advocacy costs range widely and are on average from £1,500 to £2,350 plus VAT per full day.

However, the rates above do fluctuate given the seniority and qualifications of the barrister, the length of the case, the amount of work that they have to do before any hearing and at the end of each day at the tribunal in preparation for the next.

Factors that could minimise the level of cost

The work that is undertaken by us has an impact on the total cost of the case.

The more straightforward the case is the less it will cost to be to bring or defend. The factors which could make a case straightforward for both Claimants and Respondents are;

Where the claim is clear and concise
Where there are few documents in existence which are relevant to the case. This reduces reading time
Where documentation relating to the case is straightforward and needs no "special attention" such as redaction (content blacked out) for legal reasons
Where the volume of correspondence between the parties and their legal representatives, other legal professionals, witnesses, experts and the tribunal is straightforward and isn't voluminous
Where there are few additional applications to make or to draft or hearings to prepare for
Where there are few attendances before the tribunal
Where the respective positions and claims of the parties are clear and require no amendment
Where both parties have the benefit of legal representation with knowledge of the employment tribunal procedure.
Where there are few witnesses involved in the case.
Where no experts are required.

Potential additional costs

Factors that could increase the level of cost

The work that is undertaken by us has an impact on the total cost of the case.

The more complex the case is and the more work that we have to do increases the cost.

The factors which could make a case more complex for both Claimants and Respondents are;

Where it is an automatic unfair dismissal claim
Where allegations of discrimination which are linked to the dismissal
a large amount of information and documentation is in existence which is relevant to the case and needs to be considered.
Where documentation needs to be redacted (words blacked out) for legal reasons
Where a large volume of correspondence is required between the parties and their legal representatives, other legal professionals, witnesses, experts and the tribunal.
Where it is necessary for a party to give more information about the claim
Where the case of either the Claimant or the Respondent requires amendment to better reflect the party's case.
Where the Employment Tribunal requires the parties (usually just its legal representatives) to attend a hearing either at the Tribunal or on the telephone.
Where the parties have to resolve complex legal issues at the start such as
whether the claimant is disabled, the capacity in which the parties are acting or where the claim has been brought against the correct employer.
Where a party has no knowledge of the process, is having difficulty conducting their case and/or is without the benefit of legal representation.
Where there are a large number of witnesses involved in the case.
Where experts are required

As expected, the cost will increase as the number of days required to resolve the dispute increase.

How long will this take?

According to Ministry of Justice data, the average wait time for a single claim of unfair dismissal or discrimination at tribunal is about a year – while 11,500 new claims were brought to tribunal in Q3 of 2024, just 10,100 were resolved in the same quarter.9 May 2025

Guideline legal costs for Respondents - Employers

Hourly fee rate

We use a competitive hourly fee rate. Our current hourly fee rate (April 2026) for our solicitors is £300 plus VAT (£360 including VAT). The current hourly fee rate for the Director Solicitor is £350 plus VAT (£420 per hour).

Fee estimates

The total cost of any claim will be dependent upon a range of factors which will include how long it will take us to complete the case and how complex the work is. We have provided information as to what makes a case simple or complex at the end of this section. As every case is different we are not able to set out an exact anticipated total cost for each case but we can provide you with an average cost.

Based upon our extensive knowledge and experience of conducting employment claims we can provide an average range of prices for a claimant who brings a claim for unfair dismissal, constructive dismissal or wrongful dismissal and where the case is resolved at a hearing before an Employment Tribunal.

Fixed price option

In some cases we can offer a fixed-price option but this is rare because it is extremely difficult to predict the course of events over the life of a case. We will advise you about these options after initial consideration of your case. We will confirm options within the client care letter that we send to you before we commence work on the matter.

Other costs and disbursements for respondents

Barristers/counsel

Advice and attendance at conferences

If you have decided to also instruct a barrister to help you with the case then you may need to meet with them either face to face or via a telephone conference facility.

They may even help by drafting documents for you.

Barristers usually charge an hourly fee for this service and these fluctuate given the seniority and qualification of the barrister and the amount, and type, of work that they have to do.

Barristers' hourly fee rates are in the range of £600 to £2,000 plus VAT.

Representation on your behalf before the Employment Tribunal

Factors that could minimise the level of cost

The work that is undertaken by us has an impact on the total cost of the case.

The more straightforward the case is the less it will cost to be to bring or defend. The factors which could make a case straightforward for both Claimants and Respondents are;

Where the claim is clear and concise
Where there are few documents in existence which are relevant to the case. This reduces reading time
Where documentation relating to the case is straightforward and needs no "special attention" such as redaction (content blacked out) for legal reasons
Where the volume of correspondence between the parties and their legal representatives, other legal professionals, witnesses, experts and the tribunal is straightforward and isn't voluminous
Where there are few additional applications to make or to draft or hearings to prepare for
Where there are few attendances before the tribunal
Where the respective positions and claims of the parties are clear and require no amendment
Where both parties have the benefit of legal representation with knowledge of the employment tribunal procedure.
Where there are few witnesses involved in the case.
Where no experts are required.

Potential additional costs

Factors that could increase the level of cost

The work that is undertaken by us has an impact on the total cost of the case.

The more complex the case is and the more work that we have to do increases the cost.

The factors which could make a case more complex for both Claimants and Respondents are;

Where it is an automatic unfair dismissal claim
Where allegations of discrimination which are linked to the dismissal
a large amount of information and documentation is in existence which is relevant to the case and needs to be considered.
Where documentation needs to be redacted (words blacked out) for legal reasons
Where a large volume of correspondence is required between the parties and their legal representatives, other legal professionals, witnesses, experts and the tribunal.
Where it is necessary for a party to give more information about the claim
Where the case of either the Claimant or the Respondent requires amendment to better reflect the party's case.
Where the Employment Tribunal requires the parties (usually just its legal representatives) to attend a hearing either at the Tribunal or on the telephone.
Where the parties have to resolve complex legal issues at the start such as
whether the claimant is disabled, the capacity in which the parties are acting or where the claim has been brought against the correct employer.
Where a party has no knowledge of the process, is having difficulty conducting their case and/or is without the benefit of legal representation.
Where there are a large number of witnesses involved in the case.
Where experts are required

As expected, the cost will increase as the days required to resolve the dispute increase.

How long will this take?

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Litigation and Debt Collection

Who will carry out the work
Solicitor Director Lisa Pharaoh BA (Hons) qualified as a solicitor in 1993. Lisa has over 30 years of litigation experience. John Jackson was admitted as a solicitor on 2012. They have extensive expertise in conducting litigation on behalf of Claimants and Defendants in the County and Higher Courts. Lisa maintains supervisory responsibility over the team.

We can advise and represent you throughout every stage of your case whether this be in relation to negotiation, litigation or mediation.

The cost of litigation, debt matters up to £100,000, depends largely upon how the debt came into existence. So, we will need to know the circumstances out of which the debt arose to provide a better indication of the cost of collecting any debt.

The courts have set procedures which have to be followed. Sometimes the debtor pays up quickly and so the costs of litigation are much less than if court proceedings are required to establish liability for a debt.

Even though proceedings are successful that is sometimes just half the battle. It may be , despite an order or judgment being obtained from the court the debtor still does not pay. In those cases it may be that additional costs are incurred trying to enforce the order

Key stages prior to bringing a claim in the County Court (pre-action)
The first stage is the drafting of a Letter of Claim in compliance with the relevant Protocols and Practice Directions set out in the Civil Procedure Rules. If this fails we may advise Claimants to issue a claim in the County Court and the key stages are set out in the section headed Next Steps.

The Letter of Claim

The Letter of Claim formerly known as a Letter before Action is a final and formal demand for payment. This letter must be sent to the debtor before a claim can be issued in the court.

There is a requirement that the letter contains certain information and this is dependent upon the type of debtor being pursued, for example whether the debtor is a limited company or an individual (which includes sole traders/partnerships).

The preparing and sending a Letter Of Claim to your debtor can be either a fixed fee letter (our Standard Letter Of Claim) or a letter which is drafted to your specific requirements and the exact circumstances after consideration of your paperwork (our Bespoke Letter Of Claim). The latter will be advised in more complex cases

Our Fees are:
Fixed fee : Standard Letter Of Claim
£350 + VAT ~ £420.00

Hourly rate : Bespoke Letter Of Claim
from £500 + VAT

See our costs section for hourly rates of our fee earners.

What services are included in this figure?
An initial meeting with a member of our team to discuss your specific circumstances.
Initial information gathering – This will include collecting copies of the invoices, contracts, worksheets etc needed to prove that the sum claimed is owed and the circumstances out of which the debt arose. This will also allow us to calculate interest and any compensation you will claim.
Either preparing a standard Letter of Claim by adding your details into our standard template letter (fixed fee), or preparing a bespoke Letter Of Claim drafted to your specific requirements and the exact circumstances of consideration of your paperwork. The bespoke Letter Of Claim will be charged on an hourly fee basis.
Sending the Letter of Claim to the debtor.
Sending any Response to the Letter of Claim to you.

What services are not included in this figure?
All work undertaken after this stage "Next steps below" is charged at an hourly rate.

The hourly rate is dependent upon whether the work is undertaken by a solicitor or an Advanced Paralegal - see costs section.

The approach set out above (the consideration of papers and drafting of the Letter Of Claim) is a solicitor’s letter which is used to provide the debtor with an opportunity to settle the debt early with the lowest possible financial outlay. If they have forgotten about the debt or have been ignoring it then it will hopefully spur them into action and they can avoid court proceedings.

It is therefore only after the Letter of Claim is served that we usually understand whether a not a debt will disputed and if proceedings will be necessary. What action is, or isn't, taken by the debtor helps you to decide what option to take. We will be happy to give estimates and agree limits for each stage but we will need to discuss fees with you regularly so you have the choice whether you wish to continue.

It may be that the Letter Before Claim is ignored by a Debtor. You may then decide you have no alternative but to litigate and to commence proceedings in the County Court.

If your debtor disputes the amount they owe, or claims that they don’t owe it at all then again you may then decide you have no alternative but to litigate and to commence proceedings in the County Court.

There may be occasions where the debtor makes a claim against the prospective claimant . This is called a counter claim. If a counter-claim is made against you then we would charge an hourly rate for defending you against this claim. Once again you may then decide you have no alternative but to litigate and to commence proceedings in the County Court.

The above service (Standard Letter of Claim / Bespoke Letter of Claim) does not include any work after we send the debt's response to you. If there is no response within the requisite time then we will let you know.

Next Steps, Key Stages & Hourly rate

If a Letter Before Claim does not result in payment of the debt then you may decide to litigate. The next step is to litigate by issuing a formal claim in the County Court. If you decide to litigate then we will charge our normal hourly rates for the work involved as litigation cases can vary widely in length and complexity. See our costs section for the hourly rates of our Solicitors and Advanced Paralegals.

The following work will be required to commence and pursue your claim in the County Court:

Preparing your County Court claim form. This will include calculating the interest and compensation and discussing with you as necessary.

Advising you of the court fee and any other fees payable.

Submitting the claim form and particulars of claim to the courts and paying the issue fee on your behalf (you will have paid the court fee to us beforehand).

The debtor should submit an Acknowledgement of Claim to the court which will either accept the debt or dispute all or part of the debt. We will review the Acknowledgement once we have received it and then we will advise you upon its contents and the effects upon the procedure and your claim.

If the debt is accepted then the debtor has a limited time to pay the debt off.
If they do not pay the debt off after they accept it then we will enter judgement to obtain a CCJ against them on your behalf.

We will respond to any correspondence received and if they ask for a payment plan or more time to pay we will negotiate on your behalf acting in accordance with your wishes at all times.

If a CCJ is entered then we will instruct bailiffs to collect the debt on your behalf.

We will instruct High Court Enforcement officers on your behalf it the debt is over £600. This is because they have greater powers and are more effective than court-appointed bailiffs.
We will work with the Bailiffs and will correspond with them on your behalf keeping you informed at all times. This is particularly important if payment plans or terms of settlement are offered.

We will pay to you any payments received from the debtor or the bailiff.

Other Costs (also known as “Disbursements”)
During your Debt Recovery case we may need to make some payments to 3rd parties on your behalf. These are commonly called “disbursements” and we will add them onto your bill without any mark up. Disbursements will still be payable in our no recovery no fee package as they are not our fees and are necessary to progress your case.

For Debt Recovery cases, these costs could include:

Court claim issue fees – these scale with the size of the debt you are claiming. Claims up to £100,000 will normally be issued online and the fees range from £35 (where the amount claimed is less than £300) up to 5% of the value of the claim (where the amount claimed exceeds £10,000 but does not exceed £200,000) . Claims over £100,000 will cost 5% of the debt, capped at £10,000 (no VAT on fees)
Tracing fees – if we need to trace a missing debtor, tracing agents typically charge from £65 upwards (VAT may be charged dependant on the firm used)
Process serving fees – if we need to serve documents in person a process server will generally cost around £120 (VAT may be charged dependant upon the firm used)
Bailiff fees – it costs £71 to instruct High Court Enforcement Officers. They pay this to the court to obtain a Writ of Control which enables them to take on the debt. They then charge staged fees to the debtor depending on how long it takes to recover the money – longer means more expensive. If they recover money their fees are added onto the debt and paid off by the debtor. If they are unable to recover any money they will charge an “abortive fee” which is £75+VAT for most bailiff firms

Fixed price option

In some cases we can offer a fixed-price option as set out above for Standard Letter of Claim only.

Other factors which we must take into consideration when advising you on the total cost of any claim include how long it will take us to complete the case and how complex the work is.

We have provided information as to what makes a case simple or complex at the end of this section. As every case is different we are not able to set out an exact anticipated total cost for each case but we can provide you with an average cost.

Factors that are indicative of a more straightforward case
The work that is undertaken by us has an impact on the total cost of the case. The more straightforward the case is the less it will cost to be to bring or defend. The factors which could make a case straightforward for both parties are:

Where the claim is clear and concise
Where there are few documents in existence which are relevant to the case. This therefore reduces reading time
Where documentation relating to the case is straightforward and needs no "special attention" such as redaction (content blacked out) for legal reasons
Where the volume of correspondence is required between the parties and their legal representatives , other legal professionals, witnesses, experts and the tribunal is straightforward and isn't voluminous
Where there are few additional applications to make or to draft or hearings to prepare for
Where there are few attendances before the court
Where the respective positions and claims of the parties are clear and require no amendment
Where both parties have the benefit of legal representation with knowledge of court procedure.
Where there are few witnesses involved in the case.
Where no experts are required.

Factors that could increase the level of cost

The work that is undertaken by us has an impact on the total cost of the case. The more complex the case is and the more work that we have to do increases the cost.
The factors which could make a case more complex for both parties are;

Where it is a complex and complicated claim
Where a large amount of information and documentation is in existence which is relevant to the case and needs to be considered.
Where documentation needs to be redacted (words blacked out) for legal reasons
Where a large volume of correspondence is required between the parties and their legal representatives , other legal professionals, witnesses, experts and the court.
Where it is necessary for a party to give more information about the claim
Where the case of either party requires amendment to better reflect the party's case.
Where the court requires the parties (usually just its legal representatives) to attend a hearing either at the court or on the telephone.
Where a party has no knowledge of the process, is having difficulty conducting their case and/or is without the benefit of legal representation.
Where there are a large number of witnesses involved in the case.
Where experts are required
As expected, the cost will increase as the days required to resolve the dispute increases.

Timescales

We will advise you of the time required to draft a Letter Before Claim in our client care letter. This will be dependent on your, and our previous commitments and the volume of the material you have to support your claim. It will also depend upon whether you have chosen a Standard Letter of Claim or a Bespoke Letter of claim and the time you require to approve the draft.

Usually, if the Letter of Claim is sent to a company debtor then they will have 14 days or 30 days to respond after which we can issue your claim if you instruct us to do so. We will need to work with you to draft the claim form and the particulars of claim. Again, to far as time is concerned, this is dependent upon your commitments and availability to prepare and approve this document before it is served. We can take as much time as we require (subject to any limitation periods) to perfect the claim form and particulars.

So far as responding to the claim is concerned this the debtor then has 14 days to acknowledge the claim or 14 to 28 days to file a defence. If the debtor doesn't do either then we can request judgement against them.

To obtain a County Court Judgment (CCJ) takes on average 6 to 8 weeks.

If they acknowledge the claim, they get an additional 14 days to defend.

If there is a need to enter judgement (no reply to the claim) we can do so and we do this will take the court around 10 days after which we can instruct bailiffs.

If full payment is made immediately that will be the end of the process, but where a debtor requests a payment plan, claims hardship or goes to great lengths to avoid the bailiffs then the process will necessarily take longer.

Enforcement Action

Once a CCJ is obtained then enforcement action can then be take. We will be able to discuss with you the most suitable method to obtain payment.

Tracing fees – if we need to trace a missing debtor, tracing agents typically charge from £65.00 (office based enquires) upwards to £150.00 (foot based enquiries) please not VAT may be charged dependant on the firm used.

Process serving fees – if we need to serve documents in person a process server will generally cost around £75.00 to £200.00 (VAT may be charged dependant upon the firm used)

Order to obtain information from a Judgment Debtor - £59.00

Application for an Attachment of Earnings - £119.00

Bailiff fees – it costs £71 to instruct High Court Enforcement Officers. They pay this to the court to obtain a Writ of Control which enables them to take on the debt. They then charge staged fees to the debtor depending on how long it takes to recover the money – longer means more expensive. If they recover money their fees are added onto the debt and paid off by the debtor. If they are unable to recover any money they will charge an “abortive fee” which is £75+VAT for most bailiff firms

Application to request Bailiff service of order to obtain information from a Judgment Debtor - £119.00

Request for a Warrant of Control - £83.00
Re-issue of a Warrant of Control - £33.00
Application for a Final Charging Order - £119.00
Application for an Order for Sale - £332.00
Application for a Third Party Debt Order - £119.00

There are a number of courses of action which you can take. Each one has different time scales but we envisage on average each method of enforcement takes between 4 to 16 weeks.

Tracing, process serving, personal service of documents can take between 1 and 28 days.

Swearing / affirmation of documents : by appointment at our offices : £5.00 for an affidavit and £2.00 for each exhibit : usually within a week

If the matter is fully defended then depending on complexity the court process can take months or years to resolve.

A disputed debt is a long process.

PRIVATE CLIENT MATTERS

The fees below are current as of July 2025. They are estimates and a better indication of fee will be provided upon consideration of information from you.

Please note: These prices include a half-hour consultation with a solicitor, and the execution of your new will with us. VAT is charged at 20%

Wills
We hope to prepare a will for execution within 3 weeks of full instructions

Standard Will
from £350 +VAT (£420)

Mirror Wills
from £625 +VAT (£750)

Non-mirror Wills
from £700 +VAT (£840)

Inheritance Tax Advice
Provided on an Hourly Basis at relevant rate see costs. £300 plus VAT (£360 inc VAT) for a solicitor and £350 plus VAT (£420 inc VAT)

Registration of your will with certainty
£30 (including VAT)

Notice of Severance
from £90 +VAT (£108)

Declaration of Trust
from £500 +VAT (£600)

Deed of Variation
from £600 +VAT (£720)

Lasting Powers of Attorney
All LPAs need to be registered with the Office of the Public Guardian before they can be used. There is a £92.00 fee for each LPA registered. You may be eligible for assistance with the OPG fees depending upon your financial situation.

POWERS OF ATTORNEY FOR ONE PERSON

ONE LPA (Finance & Property or Health & Welfare)
£500 +VAT (plus £92 OPG Fee) ~ £814

Two LPAs (FINANCE & PROPERTY AND HEALTH & WELFARE)
£750 +VAT (plus 2x £92 OPG Fee) ~ £1,084

POWERS OF ATTORNEY FOR TWO PEOPLE

ONE LPA each (two applications)
£750 +VAT (plus 2x £82 OPG Fee) ~ £1,084

Two LPAs EACH (four APPLICATIONS)
£1,050 +VAT (plus 4x £82 OPG Fee) ~ £1,628

The OPG is still experiencing a backlog of registration due to COVID-19 and currently (May 2026) it is taking around 3 months.

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Administration of Estates

Who will carry out the work?

Director Solicitor Lisa Pharaoh, BA (Hons) Qualified in 1993 , Consultant Solicitor Deborah Schmieder, BA (Hons) Qualified in 2008 and Consultant Solicitor Sharon Eselstyn - who holds the STEP accreditation) Qualified in 2000, will carry out the work. Debbie and Sharon undertake the drafting of wills and have done so since qualification. They will advise and act for you throughout every stage of the process. Lisa Pharaoh retains responsibility for supervision.

Our rates

We use a competitive hourly fee rate. Our current hourly fee rate (March 2024) is:

-£350 plus VAT per hour for our Director Solicitor (£420 inc VAT)

- £300 plus VAT per hour for our solicitors (£360 incl VAT per hour)

- £250 plus VAT for our Chartered Legal Executives (£300)

- £150 plus VAT per hour for our Advanced Paralegals (£180 per hour)

It is anticipated that a simple administration such as that satisfying the criteria below will take between 7 to 20 hours at the Solicitor Rate of £300 plus VAT per hour, being £2,100 to £6,000 (excluding VAT). However the exact cost will depend on the composition of the estate and also the number of beneficiaries.

WE DO NOT CHARGE ANY ADDITIONAL FEE FOR THE VALUE OF THE ESTATE.

This is in contrast with other solicitors who usually apply a mark up of about 1.5% of the gross value of the assets.

Fixed price option

In some cases we can offer a fixed-price option. This will be considered at the outset, discussed with you and will be confirmed in the client care letter. We will be able to discuss all the options with you after we have reviewed your claim.

Other factors which we must take into consideration when advising you on the total cost of any claim include how long it will take us to complete the case and how complex the work is.

Simple Estate Administration

To obtain the Grant of Representation only: uncontested cases where all assets are in the UK

We can support you through this difficult process by obtaining the grant of representation on your behalf.

Our fees are based on the amount of time it takes us to apply for the grant of representation and to collect and distribute the estate assets if instructed to deal with the estate from start to finish.

Your representative will be specifically agreed with you at the outset of your matter once we know the details and circumstances involved and will generally cover all of the work required to complete the administration of the estate.

Further, our fees are also dependent on the specific circumstances of the estate including its size and complexity, and as a result our fees may increase or decrease accordingly.

Typically, the cost of obtaining a grant of representation and administering an uncontested estate consisting only of assets situated in the UK will be between £3,000 and £7,000 plus VAT.

We can handle the entire process for you, or take matters to obtaining the grant, and after that you can deal with the administration yourself, if you so wish.

The band of fees set out in this paragraph applies to estates where:

• The gross value of the estate is less than the current nil rate band of £325,000

• There is a valid will and the executors are willing to act (and reside in the UK).

• The deceased was domiciled in the UK

• There are no assets outside the UK

• There are no more than three bank or building society accounts

• There is no more than one property

• There are no other intangible assets, shares bonds or investments

• There are no more than five beneficiaries

• There are no disputes between beneficiaries on division of assets. (If disputes arise, this is likely to lead to an increase in costs)

• There is no inheritance tax payable and the executors do not need to submit a full account to HMRC

• There are no claims made against the estate

Disbursements

Disbursements are costs in addition to the fees above, which are related to your matter and are payable to third parties, such as court fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process and these are then added to our invoice.

Disbursements are not included in our estimate, however, these normally include:

• Probate application fee of £155 plus £1.50 for each official copy of the grant of representation. No VAT is payable on these fees.

• Bankruptcy-only Land Charges Department searches (£2 per name of beneficiary)

• £100 to £350 (including VAT) for statutory advertisements in the London Gazette and a local newspaper in order to protect the personal representatives against unexpected claims from unknown creditors (the costs of these advertisements may vary depending on the location, publication and the number of advertisements required).

potential additional costs

• If there is no will and/or the estate consists of any shareholdings (stocks and bonds) there are likely to be additional costs that could range significantly depending on the estate and how it is to be dealt with. We can give you a more accurate quote once we have more information.

• Dealing with the conveyancing for the sale or transfer of any property in the estate is not included. This service can be arranged for a separate cost which will be quoted upon request.

• Trust administration is not included in this quote, but we can advise on this as appropriate and provide you with a quote.

dealing with any tax affairs of the of the deceased or the estate

liaising with any third parties such as accountants

organising the clearance of any property

• If there are non-UK assets there may be additional costs of obtaining advice from foreign counsel and liaising with foreign financial and governmental institutions.

• Disputes arising during the administration of an estate may incur additional costs and we will provide a further estimate as soon as practicable

• Organising the deceased's funeral

How long will this take?

On average, estates that fall within this category are dealt with within six to twelve months. This time frame represents three to six months to obtain the grant of representation, two to three months to collect in assets and one to three months to distribute the assets and generally wind up the administration.

If the administration of the estate is straightforward then the timeframe will be at the lower end of these estimates, in all likelihood. However, if the estate is substantial in size and complexity then the time frame may be more than these estimates.

The above service will comprise:

• Providing you with a dedicated and experienced probate specialist to work on your matter.

• Identifying the legally appointed personal representatives and beneficiaries

• Accurately identifying the type of grant of representation you will require

• Obtaining the relevant documents required to make the application

• Completing the grant of representation application and the relevant HMRC forms

• Drafting a Statement of Truth for the executors to sign

• Making the application to the District Probate Court on your behalf

• Obtaining the grant of representation

• Collecting and distributing all assets in the estate

• Preparing detailed estate accounts setting out the sums received and paid out during the course of the administration.

We can also help if you only want us to obtain a grant of probate (as mentioned above) using form IHT205.

Preparing the Statement of Truth and completing Form IHT205 (based on information provided by you) is charged at a fixed fee dependent on the size and complexity of the estate of £750 - £1,000 plus VAT and disbursements. This fee or retainer does not include the administration of the estate as explained above.

Pharaoh Law is under no obligation to check the accuracy of the information you provide prior to preparing the Statement of Truth and IHT205.

There is a disbursement fee of £300 payable to the Probate Registry (on estates over £5,000). If the estate is £5,000 or less then there is no fee. You will be required to pay a fee on the date the application is made and you would be required to pay this fee plus the Registry’s additional fee of £1.50 for each sealed copy grant.

Pricing

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Hourly fee rate

Fee estimates

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Other costs and disbursements for respondents

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Administration of Estates

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Simple Estate Administration

Disbursements

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