Conveyancing

This is dependent on the value of and responsibility for the work and its complexity but in ordinary cases it will range from between £900 and £2800 which can be agreed in advance.

In addition to the costs there are various disbursements that need to be budgeted for.

On a typical sale these will be between £20-£30

On a typical freehold purchase (dependent on the location of the property) between £300-£350.

If the property is Leasehold the Seller will typically be required to provide replies to Landlord/Managing Agent enquiries which dependent on the property and Managing Agent involved can range from £250-£350.

More complex cases will be charged at the £250 hourly rate in addition to the estimated fee and will be discussed with you in advance.

A full breakdown of the anticipated disbursements can be provided to you prior to instruction.

The estimated timescale of an ordinary sale and purchase will vary dependent on various outside factors and the conveyancing chain and will be discussed with you on taking instructions. On average from offer tot completion the process can take between 2 to 3 months.

Wills

Simple Single Will

£225

Simple Double Mirror Will

£350

Wills with trusts or more complicated instructions or advice

£500

 

The estimated timescale for completion can be as quickly as necessary dependent on the urgency

Lasting Powers of Attorney

Single

Financial or welfare LPA - £450
Financial and welfare LPA - £750

Double

Financial or welfare LPA - £750
Financial and welfare LPA - £900

 

Plus registration fees charged by the Office of the Pubic Guardian.
Timescale: as quickly as necessary dependent on the urgency but registration takes potentially two months.

Probate Fees

We can help you through this difficult process by obtaining the Grant of Probate on your behalf. We will also undertake the collecting and distributing of assets.

For a straightforward probate – from £2000-£3500 depending on the complexity. A more exact estimate can be provided at the time of instructions. Additional work will be charged at hourly rate.

The normal timescale is between six months and one year.

Normal disbursements (for professional practitioners only) include:

• Probate court fee of £155. (No fee if net estate is under £5,000)
• Cost of copy grant £1.50 (If ordered when lodging grant application)
• Swearing of the oath £7 (per executor).
• Post in The London Gazette £70.00 exclusive of VAT

Disbursements

These are expenses incurred on your behalf related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as court fees and search fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.

We do not charge a mark up on the disbursements charged to us and only bill you of the disbursements as charged to us.

Litigation including contentious probate litigation and debt recovery

Charged at the hourly rates above. Conditional fee arrangements can be available.

Timescale dependent on the nature of the instructions and the conduct of the opposing party.

General Legal Advice

Charged at the hourly rates above

We are committed to providing a high-quality legal service to all our clients. When something goes wrong, we need you to tell us about it. This will help us to improve our standards.

We hope that you never have reason to complain. If you do, please follow these steps to ensure that your concerns are resolved quickly:

All the services I provide are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and I have to follow the SRA Code when providing those services.

Our Complaints Procedure

Clive Sutton Solicitors is committed to high quality legal advice and client care. If you are unhappy about any aspect of the service you have received or about the bill, please contact me on 01590 672595 or solicitor@clive-sutton.co.uk or by post to my office at Clive Sutton Solicitor, 3 The Old Print Works, 85b High Street, Lymington, Hampshire. SO41 9AN.

I have a procedure in place which details how I handle complaints which is available by contacting me or by hard copy in the office. If a complaint is made I have eight weeks to consider your complaint.

What Will Happen Next

1. I will send you a letter acknowledging your complaint and asking you to confirm or explain the details. I will also let you know who will be dealing with your complaint. You can expect to receive my letter within two days of me receiving your complaint.

2. I will record your complaint in my central register and open a file for your complaint. I will do this within a day of receiving your complaint.

3. I will acknowledge your reply to my acknowledgement and confirm what will happen next. You can expect to hear from me within a day of your reply.

4. I will then start to investigate your complaint. This may involve one or more of the following steps:

• If I acted for you, I will consider your complaint again. I will then send you my detailed reply or invite you to a meeting to discuss the matter. I will do this within 10 days;
• If someone else acted for you, I will ask him/her to give me his/her reply to your complaint within five days. I will do this within a day;
• I will then examine the reply and the information in your complaint file. I may also speak to the person who acted for you. I will do this within three days of receiving the reply and the file;
• I will ask another independent local solicitor to investigate your complaint and report to me. I will do this within three days.

5. I will then write inviting you to meet me and discuss and, I hope, resolve your complaint. I will do this within three days.

6. Within two days of the meeting I will write to you to confirm what took place and any solutions I have agreed with you. If you do not want a meeting or it is not possible, I will send you a detailed reply to your complaint. This will include my suggestions for resolving the matter. I will do this within five days of completing my investigation.

At this stage, if you are still not satisfied, you can write to me again. I will then arrange to review my decision. This may happen in one of the following ways:

• I will review the decision myself within five days;
• I will arrange for someone who is not connected with the complaint to review my decision. I will do this within 10 days;
• I will ask my local Law Society or another local firm of solicitors to review your complaint within 10 days. I will let you know how long this process will take;
• I will invite you to agree to independent mediation within five days. I will let you know how long this will take.

I will let you know the result of the review within five days of the end of the review. At this time I will write to you confirming my final position on your complaint and explaining my reasons. I will also give you the name and address of the Office for the Supervision of Solicitors. If you are still not satisfied, you can contact them about your complaint.

If I have to change any of the timescales above, I will let you know and explain why.

The Legal Ombudsman

If you are not satisfied by my response, you may refer the matter to the Legal Ombudsman. The Legal Ombudsman is an independent organisation with powers to resolve complaints about legal services where a client is not satisfied by the Solicitor's response to their complaint.

The Legal Ombudsman's contact details are as follows:

• Postal Address – PO Box 15870, Birmingham, B30 9EB
• Telephone Number – 03005 550 333
• Email Address – enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
• Website – www.legalombudsman.org.uk

You will need to bring a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman within 6 months of receiving a final written response from us about your complaint. The time limits for the Legal Ombudsman accepting a complaint are:-

• Six years from the date of act/omission, or
• Three years from when the complainant should have known about the complaint
• If your complaint is about you can apply to the Court for an assessment of the Firm's bill under Part III of the Solicitors Act 1974. If you exercise a right to have the firm's costs assessed by the Court, you cannot refer the issue to the Legal Ombudsman.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority

The SRA deals with issues of dishonesty or breaches of the Solicitor's Code of Conduct. It does not deal with issues of poor service which is the remit of the Legal Ombudsman. However, if the Legal Ombudsman thinks your case involves a breach of their Principles, they will refer your case to the SRA.

Please contact the SRA in situations where there are allegations of breaches of the SRA Principles. The SRA does not have the power to award compensation for poor service, or to reduce or refund your legal fees. However, you should report the matter directly to the SRA if you think a firm or anyone regulated by the SRA has breached an SRA Principle.

• Telephone number – 0370 606 2555
• Postal address – Solicitors Regulation Authority, The Cube, 199 Wharfside Street, Birmingham, B1 1RN
• Website – www.sra.org.uk