Professional Fees

Residential Property Fees

Sale of a residential property

Our legal fees cover all of the work normally required to complete the sale of land or property in England. Please see below our standard rates:

Freehold/Leasehold Sale	Basic Fees	VAT
Up to £199,999	£1200.00	£240.00
From £200,000 Up to £499,999	£1500.00	£300.00
From £500,000 Up to £999,999	£1800.00	£360.00
From £1,000,000 and above	0.25% of Property Value	At 20%

The figures quoted above apply where your work is handled by one of our experienced solicitors. These figures are based on the assumption that the matter is not complicated and will not have unexpected delays. In the event that the matter does become complex then there may be additional fees payable. Please see below instances of when this may occur:

Where title is unregistered
Where there is a breach of a restriction e.g preventing alterations or change of use of the property
Where there is a defect in title
Where the property lacks the rights required for ordinary use and enjoyment, e,g access or the usual services
Expedited transactions i.e. less than 3 weeks from receipt of papers to exchange
Where a lock out or exclusivity agreement is required or there is a contract race

In the case of leasehold property this might include:

Where your sale includes the sale of a share of the freehold
Where a lease extension is involved
Where freeholder consent for any reason may be required
Missing or absentee landlords
Where the lease is defective e.g lack of repairing covenants covering each part of the building

Disbursements

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, e.g the Land Registry. We handle the payment of these disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process. These will vary depending on where the property is located but as a guide these will be within the following range:

With leasehold properties there will usually be a Management Pack which we will need to pay for. Costs vary considerably but would ordinarily be between £250 and £600. Depending on what your lease says, there can also be fees for a Licence to Assign or Compliance Certificate. These fees vary from property to property and can vary significantly. We can give you an accurate figure once we have sight of the Landlord’s management pack.

How long will my transaction take?

Please note that the national average transaction time from instruction to completion is generally regarded as 8-12 weeks. However, we will try and complete your transaction within 4-8 weeks. It can be quicker than that as long as all other parties in the chain work in a co-operative manner. Common delaying factors will be delays in issue of your buyer’s mortgage offer, local authority search delays in certain areas and with leasehold properties delays in obtaining management and service charge information. We always try and ensure that there are no unnecessary delays and that any issue is resolved swiftly to ensure the matter proceeds at a good pace.

The different stages of the process

The exact stages and steps involved in the sale of a residential property vary according to the circumstances. However, please see below the main stages in a normal transaction:

Taking your instructions and giving you initial advice
Preparing contract documents and obtaining standard information from you which the Buyer will require
Answering enquiries raised by the buyer’s solicitor
Liaising with your lender regarding repayment of the mortgage
Obtaining signature of key documents e.g contract
Agreeing a completion date (i.e the date on which you will vacate the Property)
Exchanging contracts and notifying you that this has happened
Completing the sale

Purchase of a residential property

Our legal fees below cover all of the work normally required to complete the purchase of land or property in England. This includes dealing with important legal steps such as registering the property at HM Land Registry and paying any SDLT (Stamp Duty Land Tax) due.

The following figures apply where your work is handled by one of our experienced solicitors.

Freehold/Leasehold Purchase	Basic Fees	VAT	Mortgage Fees	VAT
Up to £199,999	£1200.00	£240.00	£250.00	£50.00
From £200,000 Up to £499,999	£1500.00	£300.00	£300.00	£60.00
From £500,000 Up to £999,999	£1800.00	£360.00	£350.00	£70.00
From £1,000,000 and above	0.25% of Property Value	At 20%	£500.00	£100.00

Where title is unregistered
Where your mortgage lender instructs its own solicitor
Where the property is newly built or in the course of construction
Where there is a breach of a restriction e.g preventing alterations or change of use of the property
Where there is a defect in title
Where the property lacks the rights required for ordinary use and enjoyment, e,g access or the usual services
If you are buying with the assistance of the Government’s Help to Buy scheme
Expedited transactions .ie less than 3 weeks from receipt of papers to exchange
Where a lock out or exclusivity agreement is required or there is a contract race

In the case of leasehold property this might include:

Where your lease purchase includes the purchase of a share of the freehold
Where a lease extension is involved
Where freeholder consent for any reason may be required
Shared ownership transactions
Missing or absentee landlords
Where the lease is defective e.g lack of repairing covenants covering each part of the building

Disbursements

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties for example to search providers and HM Land Registry. We handle the payment of these disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process. These will vary depending on where the property is located but as a guide these will be within the following range:

Local Authority Search, Drainage Search, Chancel Search, and Environmental Search £250-£400 (inc VAT)

Land Registry Search Fees £3-20 (inc VAT)

Land Registry Fee £20-£910 (no VAT)

Electronic Bank Transfer Fee £30 (inc VAT) per transaction

With leasehold properties there can also be fees in respect of obtaining a Licence to Assign or a Deed of Covenant or Compliance Certificate. The cost for this will vary depending on the stipulations in the lease. We can give you a more precise figure once we have the landlord’s management pack.

Stamp Duty is payable in bands according to the purchase price. Here is a link to the HMRC Stamp duty calculator https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/calculate-stamp-duty-land-tax/#/intro

How long will my transaction take?

Stages of the process

The precise stages involved in the purchase of a residential property vary according to the circumstances. However, below these are the key stages in a normal transaction:

Taking your instructions and give you initial advice
Checking finances are in place including the source of funds
Receiving and considering contract documents
Carrying out searches
Making any necessary enquiries of seller’s solicitor
Advising on all documents and information received
Going through conditions of mortgage offer with you
Obtaining signature of key documents e.g contract and mortgage
Agreeing a completion date (i.e the date from which you will own the property)
Advising on joint ownership issues
Exchanging contracts and notifying you that this has happened
Arranging for payment of all monies needed to complete the purchase by you and your lender
Completing the purchase
Dealing with payment of Stamp Duty Land Tax
Dealing with application for registration at the Land Registry to register new owner

Probate Fees

Full Administration of Estate

Applying for the grant, collecting and distributing the assets

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. This includes

Provide you with a dedicated and experienced probate solicitor to work on your matter
Identify the legally appointed executors or administrators and beneficiaries
Accurately identify the type of Probate application you will require
Obtain the relevant documents required to make the application
Complete the Probate Application and the relevant HMRC forms
Draft a legal oath for you to swear
Make the application to the Probate Court on your behalf
Obtain the Probate and securely send two copies to you
Assisting the executor/administer in collecting and distributing all assets in the estate

This quote is for estates where:

There is a valid will or if the deceased died intestate
There is no more than one property
There are no more than 3 bank or building society accounts
There are no other intangible assets other than 3 bank accounts and cash

There are no assets abroad

There are no more than 2 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 are no trusts in the will
There are no missing beneficiaries
There are no claims made against the estate
There are no deeds of variation required

Disbursements

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

Anticipated Disbursements not included in the fee

Probate application fee of £155.00
£7.00 Swearing of the oath (per executor)
Bankruptcy-only Land Charges Department searches (£2.00 per beneficiary)
£250.00 Post in The London Gazette in a Local Newspaper – Protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors. (this is an estimate as it may vary by location)

Potential additional 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. We can give you a more accurate quote once we have more information
If any additional copies of the grant are required, they will cost £X (1 per asset usually)
Dealing with the sale or transfer of any property in the estate is not included

Timescales

On average, estates that fall within this range are dealt with within 3-12 months. Typically, obtaining the grant of probate takes 3-6 months. Collecting assets then follows, which can take between 4-12 months.

Our Fees

Our fees are calculated partly on a charge for the time taken to administer the estate and partly on a percentage of the value of the estate. The hourly rate is £282.00 per hour.

Generally it is very difficult to estimate the amount of time required to complete the administration as it is not always clear at the outset whether complicated issues will arise. Our best estimate at this stage is that the hourly rates element of our fees will be within the range £3,000 to £5,000 excluding VAT and disbursements.

We charge an additional value element to reflect the complexity of the matter, the expertise and responsibility involved in dealing with the administration and the value of the estate.

Where we are acting for you as the Executor, we charge 0.5% of the gross value of the deceased’s residence and 1% of the gross value of the remainder of the estate.

Immigration Fees

Our price information is provided to assist clients with the preparation and submission of immigration applications, excluding asylum applications.

Our Quoted Fees (see below) include:

Considering documents
Attending on the client
Taking instructions and providing advice
Preparing and submitting the application
Advising you on timelines and the possible outcome of your application

Our Quoted Fees DO NOT include:

Value Added Tax (VAT): applies in matters where clients already have Leave to Remain in the UK. This will be added to the fee at 20%. If clients are making a first application for Leave, VAT does not apply
Disbursements: costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as visa fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process
1. Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS): £400.00 annual per person fee. This is required for every application apart from Indefinite Leave to Remain or Naturalisation
2. Home Office fees: Read the current Home Office fees
3. Translation fees: variable dependant on language and number of words
4. Interpreter’s fees: these fees are difficult to estimate and will become clear once we have obtained a quote from a third-party interpreter. The amount of time required with an interpreter will vary and we may only need an interpreter for 1-3 hours and on other applications for 5-10 hours depending on the complexity of the matter. Clients can also bring a friend or associate to assist with interpreting
5. Independent experts reports e.g. medical experts: (£500-£4000) we will inform you if we consider that an expert report is necessary
The fees quoted here do not include any further legal work required if the Home Office refuse your application and advice and assistance in relation to any appeal

What services are included – The work will involve:

Discussing your circumstances in detail and confirming whether this is the most appropriate application for you to make and what other options may be available to you
Preparing a list of documents required for the application
giving you advice about the requirements of the Immigration Rules and whether you meet the criteria
If you do not fulfil certain criteria, whether this can be overcome and how
Considering the supporting evidence that you have provided
Where necessary, helping you obtain further evidence (such as medical records and bank statements), including taking statements of any witnesses
Preparing your application and submitting it on your behalf, which we anticipate will take X hours
Attendance at a Home Office interview: if the Home Office ask you to attend an interview, we will give you clear advice to prepare you for your attendance at the interview
Giving you advice about the outcome of the application and any further steps you need to take

Time frame for Immigration Applications:

The length of time that it will take to complete the work will depend on the circumstances and complexity of your case. Such as:

The amount of supporting evidence that we need to consider
Whether anything is missing and how long it will take to obtain any missing documents
Which language(s) you speak
Whether you are applying with other dependants
We cannot guarantee how long the Home Office will take to process your application.
Read the current processing times
All applications are likely to vary and of course, we can give you a more accurate estimate once we have more information about your specific case

Pricing for work done in relation to the following immigration categories:

Matter	Fee
Applying to extend stay in the UK as a partner or dependent child	£1500.00
Applying for a registration certificate or residence card for a family member of an EEA or Swiss national	£1200.00
Apply for a permit to join your EU or EEA family member in the UK	£1200.00
Apply to enter the UK as a partner/fiancé	£1500.00
Apply for an Entrepreneur Visa	£2500.00
Applying to become British	£1000.00
Standard visitor visa	£600.00
Apply for a General student visa to study in the UK	£600.00
Family reunion settlement applications	£1500.00
Apply for a general work visa if you’ve been offered a skilled job in the UK and from outside the EEA and Switzerland	£1500.00
Apply to settle in the UK if you’ve been in the UK legally for 10 continuous years	£1500.00

* Kindly note that the price will increase for any additional family members at a fee of £500 per person.
* The fees above do not include VAT or any disbursements. Please see above for more details about these.
* The fees may change if there are more complex circumstances such as if there are medical issues, criminal convictions, complicated personal situations, the language of the client, the number of supporting documents or witnesses/possible attendance at a Home Office interview, and whether it is a fast tracked/ premium application. This work will be estimated based on our hourly rates and will be dependent on what additional work is required.

The hourly charging rates (exclusive of VAT) of the individuals who are currently associated with and work under Nasim & Co. Solicitors are as follows:

Individual	Rate £/hr	Description
Mr. Nasim Ahmed	£282	Principal Solicitor
Mr. Ahmed Kamal	£282	Associate Solicitor
Miss. Saba Nasim	£232	Associate Solicitor
Mr. Husnain Nasim	£185	Associate Solicitor
Miss. Shereen Nasim	£185	Associate Solicitor
Miss. Rabia Ahmed	£185	Associate Solicitor