Pricing & Philosophy

Residential Conveyancing Pricing

What we do

Our Real Estate lawyers focus primarily on commercial transactions but do, from time to time, agree to take on residential conveyancing transactions for clients. The work that we do tends to be focused on the higher end of the market and our services are tailor-made for our individual clients.

Who does it

All residential conveyancing is conducted and supervised by senior lawyers from our real estate team.

What we charge

We charge an hourly rate of between £350 and £750 plus VAT where applicable. We are prepared to discuss charging on a fixed fee or capped basis should a client wish. The fixed fee will be based upon an estimate of the hours required to conduct the transaction and the estimate will be given, on request, once we had had the opportunity to assess the case.

As we deal in tailor-made solutions to clients’ issues, the price that we charge will vary based upon the complexity, urgency and value of the transaction and other factors. A guide to the approximate costs involved in bringing cases is as follows:

Complexity/Value
Low	£3,000 – £5,000
Medium	£5,000- £7,500
High	£7,500 or more

What is included

The key stages of a conveyancing transaction are as follows:

As seller:

Taking instructions and giving initial advice.
Reviewing the legal title of the property.
Negotiating/drafting/advising on contractual documents and in particular any special conditions.
Making/responding to any enquiries about the property.
Addressing issues of joint ownership (if applicable).
Arranging for exchange of contracts and notifying you when exchange has taken place.
Arranging completion and notifying you when completion has taken place.
Receiving/sending/distributing completion monies.
Dealing with the assignment of the lease (unregistered leasehold properties only).

As purchaser:

Conducting conveyancing searches in relation to the property.
Conducting due diligence on the title and property and raising enquiries with the seller.
Checking that finances are in place to fund the purchase and corresponding with the lender and or their solicitors (if applicable).
Reporting on the legal title and issuing a certificate or report on title.
Serving a Notice of Transfer on the landlord or its managing agents (leasehold only).
Advising on ‘short’ leases (if applicable).
Explaining the conditions of mortgage offer (if applicable).
Completing the SDLT Return on your behalf and submitting it to HMRC if instructed to do so and remitting your funds to HMRC in payment of SDLT due (subject to taxation thresholds, only certain transactions attract SDLT).
Applying to register your purchase and any mortgage at the Land Registry and responding to any requisitions (where applicable).
Advising on the need for legal indemnity insurance (where applicable).
Overcoming any Land Registry Restrictions to registration of your purchase (where applicable).

The are other charges for which you will be liable when buying or selling property. These may include:

Stamp Duty Land Tax
Search fees (buyer only)
HM Land Registry fee depending on value (per registration)
Electronic money transfer fee
Energy performance certificates
Instructing a surveyor, environmental auditor and valuer as appropriate
Any indemnity policies required
Any fees and penalties for redemption to be charged by a bank
Selling agents’ fees or buying agents’ fees
Mortgage brokers’ fees

This list is not exhaustive and other disbursements may apply depending on the property and transaction.

How long it will take

Transferring property can be achieved swiftly if the transaction is not complex and if both parties are unencumbered by chains. In such cases, it can be completed in two or three months and in exceptional cases, even less.

If there are complexities or if the transfer is part of a chain, the transaction can take longer, and it is impossible to estimate how long it will take. We will keep you advised of progress and the reasons for delay throughout.

One of our partners is a Chartered Building Surveyor and is able to carry out pre-acquisition structural surveys and report on the condition of properties.

Debt Recovery Pricing – debts under £100,000

What we do

McCarthy Denning prides itself on its litigation team. This team generally handles large commercial disputes. On occasion we are willing, for certain clients, to take on debt recovery work where the debt owed in less than £100,000. The service that we provide is tailored to the individual client and to that client’s debt.

Who does it

All debt recovery work is conducted and supervised by senior lawyers from our litigation team. We will discuss which lawyer is most suited for the case at the outset and we will, at that time also discuss the way in which we will go about recovering the debt that is due. to you. While we will seek to implement and carry out an agreed strategy, the way that the case will develop will, to a considerable extent depend on the steps taken by the debtor. The debtor’s position can significantly influence the time and cost of recovery.

What we charge

We charge an hourly rate of between £350 and £800 plus VAT where applicable. We are prepared to discuss charging on a fixed fee basis should a client wish. The fixed fee will be based upon an estimate of the hours required to conduct the case and the estimate will be given, on request, once we had had the opportunity to assess the case.

As we deal in tailor-made solutions to clients’ issues, the price that we charge will vary based upon the complexity of the case, the time that we have to spend on your debt recovery matter and other factors. A guide to the approximate costs involved in bringing cases is as follows:

Complexity
Low	£5,000 – £15,000
Medium	£15,000 – £25,000
High	£25,000 or more

It is important to note that the size of a debt does not, necessarily, act as a guide to its complexity and the amount of work that may be required by us in dealing with your debt recovery matter.

What these charges include

The guide above covers the following steps that are necessary for the recovery of debt:

Taking instructions and reviewing documentation.
Investigation of the debtor’s legal liability to pay the debt.
Investigation of the debtor’s ability to pay the debt.
Drafting and sending a pre action protocol letter
Drafting and issuing a claim.
If the debtor does not acknowledge of service or serve a defence, applying to the court to enter judgment in default.
Serving default judgment on the defendant and demanding settlement.
If the debtor does not pay, then providing advice on how to enforce the judgment and the and likely costs involved .

Please note that these fees do not include work that is necessary if:

The debtor files a defence
Enforcement of judgment
Counterclaims filed by the debtor
Ancillary or other proceedings

In addition to our fees, you may incur other charges including:

Court fees which range from £35 for a debt of £300 to £5000 for a debt of £100,000
Finding agents to trace debtors
Process servers
Overseas legal advisers (where necessary)

While it will generally not be necessary to employ a barrister if no defence is made to the claim, in more complex cases it may be necessary to instruct a barrister to produce the claim and to appear in court. We cannot estimate with any precision how much a barrister will cost but we will work with you to choose a barrister based upon the complexity of the case and the level of seniority required as well as on the cost that such an appointment will entail. Junior barristers cost in the region of £200 to £250 per hour for advisory work and £1,500 to £2,000 per day in court. Senior barristers cost in the region of £500 to £600 per hour for advisory work and £3,000 to £5,000 per day in court.

Before incurring barristers or other fees, we will discuss the likely cost with you. The barristers and experts will invoice our firm and we will add these costs to our invoices to you. We may ask you to pay a sum on account of these costs in advance.

How long will it take?

The time taken can vary considerably and may depend on when a resolution can be obtained. If it is possible to obtain payment after sending the pre-action protocol letter, it may be that the case can be resolved within two or three weeks. If the claim is disputed, it will take longer and possibly up to two years. We give you a more accurate timescale once we have more information and as the matter progresses. Timetables are generally set by the court or tribunal and are to a large extent, outside our control.

Employment Tribunal Pricing

What we do

We advise and act for employers facing claims brought by current and former employees before the Employment Tribunal as well as for current and former employees who bring such claims. The work that we do is tailored to each case as we focus on larger and more complex cases.

The work that we do will be carried out by a senior member of our Employment team.

What we charge

We charge an hourly rate of between £450 and £750 plus VAT where applicable. We are prepared to discuss charging on a fixed fee basis should a client wish. The fixed fee will be based upon an estimate of the hours required to conduct the case and the estimate will be given, on request, once we had had the opportunity to assess the case.

As we deal in tailor-made solutions to clients’ issues, the price that we charge will vary based upon the complexity of the case and other factors. A guide to the approximate costs involved in bring cases is as follows:

Complexity	Employee	Employer
Low	£10,000 – £25,000	£45,000 – £60,000
Medium	£25,000- £50,000	£60,000 – £100,000
High	£50,000 – £100,000 or more	£100,000 – £200,000 or more

These figures include work for the following steps in an Employment Tribunal case::
Taking initial instructions, reviewing the papers and advising on merits and likely compensation
Updating our advice on merits and compensation as the case develops
Pre-claim conciliation where necessary or appropriate to explore whether a settlement can be reached
Preparing claim or response
Reviewing and advising on claim or response from the other party
Exploring settlement and negotiating settlement throughout the process, this can include mediation if appropriate
Preparing or considering a schedule of loss or producing a counter-schedule
Preparing for (and attending) a Preliminary Hearing
Exchanging documents with the other party and agreeing on a bundle of documents
Taking witness evidence, drafting statements and agreeing their content with witnesses
Preparing bundle of documents
Reviewing and advising on the other party’s witness evidence
Agreeing on a list of issues, a chronology and/or cast list
Preparing for and attending Final Hearing, including instructing a barrister

How long will it take?

The time taken can vary considerably and may depend on when a resolution can be obtained. If it is possible to settle the case during pre-claim conciliation, it may be that the case can be resolved within one or two months. If the claim goes to a Final Hearing, it is likely to take six to nine months. This is just an estimate. We give you a more accurate timescale once we have more information and as the matter progresses. Timetables are generally set by the court or tribunal and are to a large extent, outside our control.

Barristers

We will usually instruct a barrister to appear in court on your behalf. We cannot estimate with any precision how much a barrister will cost but we will work with you to choose a barrister based upon the complexity of the case and the level of seniority required as well as on the cost that such an appointment will entail. Junior barristers cost in the region of £200 to £250 per hour for advisory work and £1,500 to £2,000 per day in tribunal. Senior barristers cost in the region of £500 to £600 per hour for advisory work and £3,000 to £5,000 per day in tribunal.

Experts

If an expert witness is required, the cost will range from approximately £3,000 to £20,000 per expert, although in more complex cases, the cost can be considerably greater.

Before incurring barristers or experts’ fees, we will discuss the likely cost with you. The barristers and experts will invoice our firm and e will add these costs to our invoices to you. We may ask you to pay a sum on account of these costs in advance.

Probate

We charge for work in relation to obtaining a Grant of Probate and assisting in the administration of an estate on the basis of time spent.

Our hourly charging rates vary according to the level of experience of our lawyers.

Our hourly charging rates range between £350 and £550an hour excluding VAT.

We will generally render our first account when an application for Grant of Probate is made. However, if the application takes more than six months, we will account for our fees at six months and then regularly thereafter. Where we we are assisting in the administration of the estate, we will render an account at regular intervals, generally monthly, to be agreed with you. Work after receipt of the Grant of Probate generally includes settling debts, paying legacies, collecting and distributing assets, finalising inheritance tax and income tax matters and obtaining clearance from HMRC, along with preparation of Estate Accounts.

You will appreciate that it is very difficult to estimate a likely fee before we know anything about the nature and complexity of a particular estate. However, as a rough guideline, fees up to the point of obtaining a Grant of Probate are likely to be between £2,500 and £6,000 plus VAT for an exempt estate and £5,000 to £20,000 plus VAT where inheritance tax is relevant. For complex estates, the fees are likely to be greater. These fees do not include any potential litigation or the sale or transfer of the title of any assets or administration of the title.

Responsible and Transparent Tax Philosophy

We provide expert tax advice rooted in integrity, clarity and professionalism. In all jurisdictions in which we operate, we adhere to the following principles:

Full compliance with tax legislation and regulatory obligations, applying robust legal judgement at every stage.
Commercial substance in every structure and transaction: our advice reflects genuine business purpose, not artificial tax outcomes.
No participation in aggressive tax-avoidance schemes, or in arrangements designed primarily to achieve tax advantage without substantive economic justification.
Senior accountability and oversight: responsibility for tax governance is integrated into our firm’s leadership and risk-management framework.
Transparency and clarity: we explain our approach to tax openly, ensuring our clients understand the rationale behind our advice and the tax outcomes.
Continuous review: we monitor developments in tax law, regulation and best practice, updating our approach to remain at the forefront of responsible tax behaviour.

We believe tax integrity is fundamental to good business and to our clients’ long-term success. Our commitment is to act as trusted advisers, delivering technically excellent, ethically grounded tax services.

Pricing & Philosophy