Our Fees

Our Fees & Funding 

‍We at Sheltons Solicitors offer a number of pricing and funding options to our clients. We are committed to transparent pricing so that our clients always know where they stand.

We have worked hard to provide a diverse range of funding and pricing options for our clients some of which are listed below.

• Fixed fee pricing
• Hourly Rate
• Damages based agreements
• Conditional Fee Agreement
• Before the event Insurance
• After the Event Insurance
• Loan Options

We will always inform you of the cost or likely cost of your matter. Where we can provide a fixed fee we will do so as we also value certainty. Where a fixed fee is more difficult such as litigation matters we will provide you with regular updates on costs and agree cost stages with you. 

Under the rules, all regulated law firms are required, from 6 December, to proactively publish information on prices charged on a number of common services. 

For Sheltons Solicitors this means information on the following legal services, available to members of the public: • conveyancing fees• probate (uncontested) fees• employment tribunals (claims for unfair or wrongful dismissal) fees• Debt Recovery up to £100,000  If you have any questions regarding our fees please contact your local branch office or complete our enquiry form. 

‍------SUB FEE CATEGORIES----- Conveyancing Costs

Getting legal quotes for your conveyancing can be a challenge.

There is a lot to understand and you may be thinking what’s included in the quote.

Our quick guide is designed to clearly show what your conveyancing costs will be and what additional disbursements and fees may apply.

Often conveyancing companies will show their fees differently, some as a single fee and others are itemised.

At Sheltons Solicitors we will show you an itemised breakdown in a quote so you know exactly what’s included. No hidden charges!

Quotes show the costs of legal fees (what a conveyancer or solicitor charges for doing the work), VAT charged, some show stamp duty liability and the cost of disbursements (third parties charge for certain services).

Your quote will be based on the information you provide, there are instances where additional disbursements/fees may apply during the transaction, but your conveyancer will let you know when this occurs . See our terms and conditions for additional disbursement/fees.

What should be included in a conveyancing quote?

Conveyancer or solicitors basic fee

This is the cost for a conveyancers or solicitors time & expertise to complete your transaction.

Our fixed fees – selling and buying

We charge on a fixed fee basis calculated on the value of property and the specifics of your matter. Please contact us for a bespoke quote on your matter. The typical fees are outlined below:

Selling Price                     Our Basic Fee (+ VAT) 

£0-100,000                         £700
£100,001 - £250,000           £780
£250,001 - £400,000           £880
£400,001 - £550,000           £950
£550,001 - £750,000           £1,050
£750,001 - £1,000,000        £1,150
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£1,000,001+ Typically from £1150 +VAT  please contact us for a bespoke quote 

Purchase Price     Our Basic Fee (+VAT) 

£0-100,000                         £800
£100,001 - £250,000           £850
£250,001 - £400,000           £950
£400,001 - £550,000           £1,050
£550,001 - £750,000           £1,150
£750,001 - £1,000,000        £1,250
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£1,000,001+ Typically from £1,250 +VAT please contact us for a bespoke quote 

Our fixed fees – remortgaging

We charge on a set fixed fee which is not linked to property value.

Remortgaging Price Our Basic Fee + VAT

£0-250,000.99                    £550
£250,001.00-500,000.99      £650

Search pack

If you are buying a property, searches include – local authority, drainage and water, environmental and chancel reports. The searches quoted can sometimes vary – so it’s worth checking what’s covered. these are important to protect you, read our article on conveyancing searches to find out more about what they cover.

Our searches bundle covers local authority, drainage and water, environmental and chancel reports.

Search pack £170 (depending on region the property is located) – not subject to VAT

Bank telegraphic transfer (TT) fees

Most transactions will involve the transfer of funds electronically for sales, purchases and remortgages. CHAPS is most commonly used to transfer large amounts on the same day. Each transaction attracts a fee, if you need multiple transfers then you may need to pay additional fees.

We include one transfer fee in our quote. Additional bank transfers are £36 + VAT

Identity checks

To meet Money Laundering Regulations conveyancers must get proof of your identity. Each person involved in the transaction needs to be checked. costs will vary as there are a number of ways these checks can be done.

We charge a fee for each individual involved in the transaction –  from £12.50 + VAT per person

Bankruptcy & pre completion searches

These searches are made after exchange of contracts to make sure nothing has changed with regard to the property or your ability to purchase the property.

We include this in Land Registry fees.

Land registry fee

Paid to the land registry to register the transaction upon completion. The fee scales for the Land Registry depend on the value of the property purchased, whether it is a first registration and whether the transaction is a transfer of whole or part along with other matters that may be specific to your case. The land registry’s fee scales can be viewed here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/hm-land-registry-registration-services-fees 

Land registry searches

Search for information regarding land ownership, mortgages, charges, easements, restrictive covenants, property boundaries, rights of way and current and past ownership.

We charge £25 – not subject to VAT.

Stamp duty land transaction (SDLT) admin fee

In most cases a Stamp Duty Land Tax submission will be required with HMRC, even if no SDLT is payable.  

You can get a Stamp Duty Calculation by visiting https://www.gov.uk/stamp-duty-land-tax/residential-property-rates and using the Government’s “SDLT Calculator”. We will provide an estimate of the SDLT in the quotation for you in turn.  
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Mortgage fee

If you take a mortgage to fund the purchase of the property or redeem a mortgage then there will be an additional fee for your conveyancer to liaise with your lender. You may see this as a standalone fee or as part of a higher basic fee.

We show this fee as a separate fee £50 + VAT per offer.

Leasehold fee

Buying a leasehold property is more complicated and requires more work from a conveyancer. You may see this as a standalone fee or as part of a higher basic fee on quotes.

We show this fee as a separate fee £100- 150 + VAT

Help to buy fee

If you are taking out this type of equity loan there will more work for your conveyancer. you may see this as a standalone fee or as part of a higher basic fee on quotes.

We show this fee as a separate fee £50 – £250 + VAT

Shared ownership

There is an additional fee where a property is shared ownership as there is more time involved in liaising with the party you are sharing ownership with, for example the Housing Association. You may see this as a standalone fee or as part of a higher basic fee on quotes.

We show this fee as a separate fee £150 + VAT

New build fee

We have to apply an additional fee for new build properties as there are extra checks and work to be done. New build purchases are often much tighter on timescales, these imposed by the developer so it’s important to instruct a conveyancer as soon as a deposit is paid.

You may see this as a standalone fee or as part of a higher basic fee on quotes.

We show this fee as a separate fee  from £150 + VAT

Buy to let or purchased for investment

We do not charge an additional fee for buy to let purchasers for an individual or a company (where the company is purchasing for cash). 

We charge £300 + vat (£360 including VAT) for a company purchasing with the assistance of a mortgage to cover the additional matters required for the lender. There will also be additional search fees for the company, required for the bank, usually being a winding up / company search prior to completion, expected to be £35 (no vat). A Companies House fee of £23 (no vat) will be required for registering any charge at companies house.

Gifted deposit

If you are receiving a gifted deposit, this will require additional checks from your conveyancer.

This charge will generally not be included in the initial quote but discussed with you prior to instruction when we discuss deposit funds.

We charge £25 + VAT per gift received.

Help to buy ISA fee

There is a statutory fee if you have a help to buy ISA, as this will required additional work from your conveyancer.

You may see this as a standalone fee or as part of a higher basic fee on quotes.

We show this fee as a separate fee £50 + VAT

Help to buy on new builds

There is some additional work required by your conveyancer if you are using Help To Buy scheme on a new build property.

This charge will generally not be included in the initial quote but discussed with you prior to instruction when we discuss deposit funds.

We charge £200 + VAT

Referral fees

If your case has been introduced to us via your Estate Agent or Mortgage Adviser with whom we have a business relationship, we are required by the Code of Conduct published by the SRA to notify you that we will pay them an amount between £100 – £450 plus VAT (depending on agreement) on completion of your case from our own funds. This cost is a standard authorised charge that a law firm may make to attract business. Any advice that we give will be independent and you are free to raise questions on all aspects of the transaction. If a matter arises where we are acting for the introducer as well and a conflict of interest arises we might be obliged to cease acting.

Will VAT be charged?
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All fees are plus VAT (VAT is currently 20%). Listed Disbursements (being payments to third parties such the Land Registry or for searches) are either VAT exempt or include the VAT in the quotation we will provide. Specific invoice for third parties can be provided where provided to us. 
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‍Our experienced team
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We have a range of experienced staff across the Sheltons Solicitors branch network specialising in residential conveyancing. A dedicated member of the team will be assigned to you upon instruction. All residential property matters are supervised by Chris Barber (chris.barber@ehlsolicitors.co.uk) as Practice Group Head for Property and Paul Stubbs as Managing Director and Solicitor who qualified in 2005.
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Should you need further information regarding our fees , complete our enquiry form and we’ll get in touch with you.
We have dedicated team members who cover Loughborough, Syston, Hucknall, Market Harborough, Bulwell, Buxton, Melbourne.

How long does conveyancing take?

‍On average, the legal work for the conveyancing process on the purchase of a property in England and Wales will take 8-12 weeks depending on the nature of the transaction (such as whether it freehold, leasehold or a transfer of part). 

However, it can be less than this or longer, depending on circumstances specific to your matter and the parties involved. Your conveyancer will keep you updated on progress and any specific issues that may increase the time taken to complete the purchase.

Probate (uncontested) Fees

Average costs for uncontested probate cases

Each uncontested probate case is different – fees can range from £600 plus VAT to £30,000 plus VAT depending on the work involved and whether there is any inheritance tax to pay.  We ask for £500 on account.

The exact cost will depend on the individual circumstances of the matter. For example, if there is one beneficiary and no property, costs will be at the lower end of the range. If there are multiple beneficiaries, a property and multiple bank accounts, costs will be at the higher end.

We will handle the full process for you. The above estimate is for estates where:
- There is a valid will
- There is no more than one property
- There are no more than 5 bank or building society accounts
- There are no other intangible assets
- There are 1-5 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

How we charge for uncontested probate cases

We charge for probate matters on either a fixed fee or hourly rate basis. Hourly rates vary from £201 plus VAT to £135 plus VAT depending on experience and seniority.

We may be able to offer a fixed fee once we have clear instructions from each client. Your case handler will provide information on costs at the appropriate time.

Likely disbursements and associated costs
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• Probate Court fee £155
• Swear fee £7 per Executor with an extra £2 for each additional document to be marked per Executor
• Bankruptcy searches of £2 per beneficiary resident in UK
• Higher bankruptcy fees if they live abroad
• AML check – £7.20 incl. VAT per client
• Trustee act notices – £200 to £250
• Landmark searches £135 plus VAT
• Will search fees

Will VAT be charged?

All fees are plus VAT (VAT is currently 20%)  

What services are included in the quote?

Instructions are specific to the requirements of the individual client, detailed quotes will be provided.

What services are not included within the price?

Instructions are specific to the requirements of the client. However, the following are likely to increase costs:

- If there is no will or the estate consists of any share holdings (stocks and bonds) there is likely to be additional costs that could range significantly depending on the estate and how it is to be dealt with.
- Note: Dealing with the sale or transfer of any property in the estate is not included.

Key stages and typical timescales for services

Typically, obtaining the grant of probate takes 12-16 weeks. Collecting assets then follows, which can take between 4-8 weeks. Once this has been done, we can distribute the assets, which normally takes 4-6 weeks. On average, estates are dealt with within 20-35 Weeks.

Our experienced team

We have a range of experienced staff across the Sheltons Solicitors branch network specialising in probate and private client matters. A dedicated member of the team will be assigned to you upon instruction. All private client matters are supervised by Emma Fuller (emma.fuller@ehlsolicitors.co.uk) as a director, solicitor and Practice Group Head for Private Client and Paul Stubbs as Managing Director and Solicitor who qualified in 2005.

Should you need further information regarding our fees , complete our enquiry form and we’ll get in touch with you.
We have dedicated team members who cover Loughborough, Syston, Hucknall, Market Harborough, Bulwell, Buxton, Melbourne.

Employment Work (unfair/wrongful dismissal)

Average costs

Simple case: £7,000- £12,000 (excluding VAT, charged at 20%)

Medium complexity case: £10,000 - £15,000 (excluding VAT, charged at 20%)

High complexity case: £15,000 - £25,000 (excluding VAT, charged at 20%)

Factors that could make a case more complex:

- If it is necessary to make or defend applications to amend claims or to provide further information about an existing claim
- Defending claims that are brought by litigants in person
- Making or defending a costs application
- Complex preliminary issues  such as whether the claimant is disabled (if this is not agreed by the parties)
- The number of witnesses and documents
- If it is an automatic unfair dismissal claim e.g. a dismissal after blowing the whistle on an employer
- Allegations of  discrimination which are linked to the dismissal
- There will be an additional charge for attending a Tribunal Hearing with counsel of £950 per day (excluding VAT, charged at 20%).

How we charge for employment tribunal cases?

Our hourly rate for employment tribunals are £180 per hour plus VAT.

Likely disbursements and associated costs?

‍Counsel’s fees– £1000 to £3000 per day (depending on experience of the advocate) for attending a Tribunal Hearing (including preparation).

What services are included in the quote?

Full representation from ACAS through to Final Hearing. Including carrying out of all directions. Price based on a 1 day hearing.

Key stages

The fees set out above cover  work in relation to the following key stages:

- Taking your instructions and reviewing  and advising on the merits and risks of the claim
- Entering into early conciliation  to explore whether a settlement can be reached
- Preparing ET1 or ET3
- Reviewing and advising on claim or response from other party
- Exploring settlement and negotiating settlement throughout
- Preparing for (and attending) a 90 minute Preliminary Hearing
- Exchanging documents with the other party and agreeing a bundle of documents
- Taking witness statements, drafting statements and agreeing their content with witnesses preparing bundle of documents
- Reviewing and advising on the other party's witness statements agreeing a list of issues, a chronology and/or cast list
- Instructions to Counsel

The stages set out above are an indication and if some of stages above are not required, the fee will be reduced. You may wish to handle the claim yourself and only have our advice in relation to some of the stages. This can also be arranged on your individual needs.

Will VAT be charged?

All fees are plus VAT (VAT is currently 20%)  

How long will my matter take?

The time that it takes from taking your initial instructions to the final resolution of your matter depends largely on the stage at which your case is resolved. If a settlement is reached during pre-claim conciliation, your case is likely to take 2-6 weeks. If your claim proceeds to a Final Hearing, your case is likely to take 26-52 weeks. This is an estimate and w a more accurate timescale can be provided once we have more information and as the matter progresses.

‍Our experienced team

Employment matters are dealt with by Andrew Robinson, Director and Solicitor (andrew.robinson@ehlsolicitors.co.uk) as a director and solicitor who qualified in 2013. Employment work is supervised by Paul Stubbs as Managing Director and Solicitor who qualified in 2005.

Debt Recovery up to £100,000

How we charge for Debt Recovery cases?

We charge for litigation matters on an hourly rate basis. Hourly rates vary from £275 plus VAT to £135 plus VAT depending on experience and seniority.

Likely disbursements and associated costs?

‍Counsel’s fees– £1500 to £5000 per day (depending on experience of the advocate) for attending a Hearing (including preparation).

Court Fees, these vary depending on the value of the claim. The court fee for claims over £10,000 is 5% of the value of the claim.

What services are included ?

Full representation. Including:

- Taking your instructions and reviewing documentation
- Undertaking appropriate searches
- Sending a letter before action
- Receiving payment and sending onto you, or if the debt is not paid, drafting and issuing claim
- Where no Acknowledgment of Service or Defence is received, applying to the court to enter Judgement in default
- When Judgement in default in received, write to the other side to request payment
- If payment is not received within 28 days, providing you with advice on next steps and likely costs
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Key stages

‍All fees are plus VAT(VAT is currently 20%)  

How long will my matter take?

Matters usually take 10-52 weeks from receipt of instructions from you to receipt of payment from the other side, depending on whether or not it is necessary to issue a claim. This is on the basis that the other side pays promptly on receipt of Judgement in default. If enforcement action is needed, the matter will take longer to resolve.

Our experienced team

We have a range of experienced staff across the Sheltons Solicitors branch network specialising in litigation matters. A dedicated member of the team will be assigned to you upon instruction. All litigation matters are supervised by Alan Shackleton (alan.shakleton@ehlsolicitors.co.uk) as a solicitor and Practice Group Head for Litigation and Paul Stubbs as Managing Director and Solicitor who qualified in 2005.

Should you need further information regarding our fees , complete our enquiry form and we’ll get in touch with you.
We have dedicated team members who cover Loughborough, Syston, Hucknall, Market Harborough, Bulwell, Buxton, Melbourne.

Employment Work (unfair/wrongful dismissal)

Average costs

Simple case: £7,000- £12,000 (excluding VAT, charged at 20%)

Medium complexity case: £10,000 - £15,000 (excluding VAT, charged at 20%)

High complexity case: £15,000 - £25,000 (excluding VAT, charged at 20%)

Factors that could make a case more complex:

- If it is necessary to make or defend applications to amend claims or to provide further information about an existing claim
- Defending claims that are brought by litigants in person
- Making or defending a costs application
- Complex preliminary issues  such as whether the claimant is disabled (if this is not agreed by the parties)
- The number of witnesses and documents
- If it is an automatic unfair dismissal claim e.g. a dismissal after blowing the whistle on an employer
- Allegations of  discrimination which are linked to the dismissal
- There will be an additional charge for attending a Tribunal Hearing with counsel of £950 per day (excluding VAT, charged at 20%).

How we charge for employment tribunal cases?

Our hourly rate for employment tribunals are £180 per hour plus VAT.

Likely disbursements and associated costs?

‍Counsel’s fees– £1000 to £3000 per day (depending on experience of the advocate) for attending a Tribunal Hearing (including preparation).

What services are included in the quote?

Full representation from ACAS through to Final Hearing. Including carrying out of all directions. Price based on a 1 day hearing.

Key stages

The fees set out above cover  work in relation to the following key stages:

- Taking your instructions and reviewing  and advising on the merits and risks of the claim
- Entering into early conciliation  to explore whether a settlement can be reached
- Preparing ET1 or ET3
- Reviewing and advising on claim or response from other party
- Exploring settlement and negotiating settlement throughout
- Preparing for (and attending) a 90 minute Preliminary Hearing
- Exchanging documents with the other party and agreeing a bundle of documents
- Taking witness statements, drafting statements and agreeing their content with witnesses preparing bundle of documents
- Reviewing and advising on the other party's witness statements agreeing a list of issues, a chronology and/or cast list
- Instructions to Counsel

The stages set out above are an indication and if some of stages above are not required, the fee will be reduced. You may wish to handle the claim yourself and only have our advice in relation to some of the stages. This can also be arranged on your individual needs.

Will VAT be charged?

All fees are plus VAT(VAT is currently 20%)  

How long will my matter take?

The time that it takes from taking your initial instructions to the final resolution of your matter depends largely on the stage at which your case is resolved. If a settlement is reached during pre-claim conciliation, your case is likely to take 2-6 weeks. If your claim proceeds to a Final Hearing, your case is likely to take 26-52 weeks. This is an estimate and w a more accurate timescale can be provided once we have more information and as the matter progresses.

‍Our experienced team

Employment matters are dealt with by Andrew Robinson, Director and Solicitor (andrew.robinson@ehlsolicitors.co.uk) as a director and solicitor who qualified in 2013. Employment work is supervised by Paul Stubbs as Managing Director and Solicitor who qualified in 2005.









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