The Eric Whitehead Partnership

Costs Information

• RESIDENTIAL CONVEYANCING

  We set out below our standard charges for transactions where the price is £250,000.

  It is assumed that the transaction proceeds relatively smoothly, that the Title is registered and there are no significant defects in Title and no planning permission or building regulation documents that need to be obtained.

  1. Sale of Freehold at £250,000 – Our fees would be £795 plus VAT at 20% £159 = £954.
  Additional fees to include paying off mortgage, identity checks and copies of Title documents average £195 plus VAT at 20% £44 = £234. Total £1,188.

  2. Sale of Leasehold at £250,000 – Our fees would be £995 plus VAT at 20% = £1,194
  Additional fees to include paying off mortgage, identity checks and copies of Title documents £120 plus VAT at 20% £24 =£144
  Total £1,338.

  3. Purchase of Freehold at £250,000 our fees would be £795 plus VAT at 20% £159 = £954. Additional fees to include Search fees, identity checks, transferring the money upon completion £443.33 plus VAT at 20% £86.67 = £532.
  In addition the Land Registry fee for this amount would currently be £150 (if the property is unregistered then this would be higher).
  Currently there would be no SDLT payable on this purchase price amount. Total £1,636.

  4. Purchase of Leasehold at £250,000
  Our fees would be £995 plus VAT at 20% = £1,194
  Additional fees to include Search fees, identity checks, transferring the money upon completion £443.33 plus VAT at 20% £86.67 = £532.
  In addition the Land Registry fee for this amount would currently be £150 (if the property is unregistered then this would be higher).
  Currently there would be no SDLT payable on this purchase price amount.
  Total £1,876

  Please note for Leasehold properties – there are certain fees which may be chargeable under the terms of the Lease relating to the Property. These fees are dictated by the Landlord or their Agent and vary from property to property. As such, we will only be able to give you an accurate figure once we have sight of the leasehold management information. The below list is not exhaustive and other disbursements may apply depending on the terms of the Lease.
  • Notice of Transfer & Charge fee – This fee, if chargeable, is set out in the lease. Often the fee is between £100 plus VAT at 20% = £120 to £200 plus VAT at 20% = £240
  • License to Assign – £350 plus VAT at 20% £70 = £420
  • Deed of Covenant fee – This fee is provided by the management company for the property and can be difficult to estimate. Often it is between £200 plus VAT at 20% = £240 up to £350 plus VAT at 205 70 = £420.
  • Certificate of Compliance fee – To be confirmed upon receipt of the lease, as can range between £150 plus VAT at 20% £30 = £180 to £250 plus VAT at 20% £50 = £300.

  5. Re-mortgage at £250,000
  Our fees would be £495 plus VAT at 20% £99 = £594.
  Additional fees to include Search fees (if required by the Lender), identity checks, obtaining copy title documents, redeeming any existing mortgage, transferring the money upon completion £503.33 plus VAT at 20% 100.67 = £604.00
  In addition there would be a Land Registry fee which currently would be £45.
  Total £1,243

  Please note that the total costs do vary according to the price of the property and a full case specific estimate can be obtained by contacting us.

  Our Team

  Our conveyancing team is made up of Elizabeth Collins (Solicitor and Director), Ellen Brian (Solicitor), Lisa Allbutt (Conveyancing Executive), Sarah Cann (Paralegal) and Philip Salt (Paralegal). The team is supervised by our senior conveyancing Director, Timothy Halliday. The team has over 50 years of collective experience in delivering high quality work in all matters relating to residential conveyancing.

  Conveyancing Quality Scheme
  We are proud have achieved accreditation with The Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS). In order to achieve accreditation, practices must demonstrate compliance with the CQS protocol and prove that they have the skill and expertise to offer quality advice. This grade of excellence has helped to continually raise the standards across the sector since its inception in 2011.
  Membership is awarded for 12 months and must be renewed each year. It allows our team to benefit from CQS training programmes, with the requirement to complete mandatory training within six months from the date on which the practice receives confirmation of re-accreditation. This enables us to maintain and implement the required procedure and keeps us up to date with the latest residential conveyancing methods and information.

  If you require help from our team of experts, get in touch with our Conveyancing department on 01538 755761, or email clientcare@ericwhitehead.co.uk

• UNCONTESTED PROBATE WORK

  By this we mean the collection and distribution of money, property and other assets belonging to a person following their death, where these are within the UK and the matters are not contested.

  We charge £3,250 plus VAT at 20% = £3,900 on average for this work.

  The charge is based on our average hourly charging-rate of £250 plus VAT at 20% = £300.

  There will also be Disbursements payable in addition to the above. Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as Probate Registry fees, Trustee Act Notices and Bankruptcy searches. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.

  This estimate is just an average price based on recent instructions.

  There are a number of issues or additional pieces of work which can arise during or out of estate administration which will incur additional costs and mean the timescale for completion will be affected. If any of these points arise during the course of the matter, we will contact you and agree a costs estimate and give a likely timescale to deal with the issues:

  • Investigation into the estate by the Department of Work and Pensions. This is automatic where a deceased person has been in receipt of Pension Credit or any means tested benefit prior to their death;
  • Missing beneficiaries;
  • Missing assets;
  • Problems with overseas assets;
  • Complex assets such as publishing or intellectual property rights;
  • Disagreements between executors and/or beneficiaries;
  • Claims brought against the estate;
  • Claims pursued on behalf of the estate to recover assets;
  • Complex tax issues;
  • Variations or alterations to the terms of the Will, intestacy or any trusts arising under the Will;
  • Establishment and administration of an ongoing Will trust;

  How long will this take?
  Typically, obtaining the grant of probate takes 8-12 weeks. Collecting assets then follows, which can take between 12-16 weeks but can be longer depending on the individual circumstances. Once this has been done, we can distribute the assets.
  Our Team
  Our team involved in dealing with uncontested Probate work are made up of Elizabeth Collins (Solicitor and Director), Timothy Halliday (Solicitor and Director), Ellen Brian (Solicitor) and Sarah Cann (Paralegal). The team is supervised by our Head of Private Client (Solicitor and Director), Elizabeth Collins. The team has over 50 years of collective experience in delivering high quality work in all matters relating to uncontested probate matters.

  The Law Society Wills and Inheritance Quality Scheme (WIQS)
  We are proud that we have been accredited with The Law Society Wills and Inheritance Quality Scheme. This is a best practice quality mark for Wills, inheritance and estate administration advice.

  At The Eric Whitehead Partnership, specialist legal advisors in our Probate department help to guide our clients through some of the most challenging periods of their lives.
  The best practice quality accreditation is a reminder of our continued hard work and dedication to our clients.

  If you would like any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us by email at clientcare@ericwhitehead.co.uk or by telephone 01538 755761.

  Please note that we are not able to advise you on the tax aspects of the transaction. You must take appropriate advice from an accountant or other appropriate advisor regarding how this matter affects your tax position.