Pricing Policy

Sawarn & Co Ltd Solicitors moto is “Fair pricing for all” and we operate clear and open pricing. We understand that the client should pay the right fee for the service that they require and that everyone has different needs. So instead of offering one fixed pricing option to everybody we offer a price suited to your individual needs and requirements. When you talk to us regarding your matter we at Sawarn & Co. take the time to understand your particular circumstances and the assistance that your need as well as how to provide you with the right advice. Our fees are usually based on the time we spend on dealing with your matter. The principle of charging in non-contentious business is to arrive at a sum which is fair and reasonable having regard to all circumstances including the complexity of the matter, the difficulty or novelty of the questions raised, the skill, labour, specialised knowledge and responsibility involved, the speed at which action must be taken,the time spent, the number and importance of documents, the place where and the circumstances in which the business or any part of it is transacted, the amount or value of any property or money or the subject-matter involved, and the importance and the priority of the matter to you. Accordingly, the rates we have quoted may be higher if, for example, the matter becomes more complex than expected. We shall notify you where appropriate. However in contentious matters we reserve the right if no fixed sum can be agreed to charge our hourly rate for time spent on your matter.

The amount of time taken is generally valued at an hourly rate for the individual concerned. Time is recorded in six minute units (1/10th of an hour). Our current hourly rates are: £250 per hour.

In addition to time charges, We shall be entitled to charge on a basis that takes into account a number of factors including: the complexity of the issues; the speed at which action must be taken; the expertise or specialist knowledge that the case requires. We may increase our hourly rates in the course of any matter on which we are working on for you if, for example, the matter becomes more complex than expectedand we shall notify you if this should be the case.

We generally review our hourly rates once each year from time to time and will notify you in writing of any increased rate. Time spent on your affairs,unless we agree to the contrary, will include meetings with you, and perhaps others; time spent travelling and waiting; considering, preparing and working on papers; correspondence; and making and receiving telephone calls.

Our fees are payable irrespective of whether a matter proceeds to completion. Once we have sent you a bill of costs we shall be entitled to pay our fees out of any sums that we receive or hold on your behalf, such as the proceeds of a sale of property, for example. We reserve the right to review our hourly rates at the start of each calendar year and shall notify you in writing of any alterations. We reserve the right to ask for money on account in respect of work to be conducted on your behalf. This may help to avoid delay in the progress of your case. When we put these payments towards your bill/s, we will send you a receipted bill. However, please note that your total charges and expenses maybe greater than any advance payments. We also reserve the right to send you an interim bill for our charges and expenses at the end of every month whilst the work is in progress. We shall offset all payments received against your final bill. It is important that you understand that the amount of our costs, which you will have to pay, may be greater than the amount you can recover from another party to the case. If we are acting for a limited company we reserve the right to look to the directors personally for settlement of this firm’s invoices in the event that the limited company goes into liquidation or receivership. We will attempt to agree an amended charge with you. If we cannot reach agreement, we will do no further work and charge you on an hourly basis for work to date, as set out earlier. We do not cut corners and we offer open and honest pricing suited to your individual needs.

Our prices for the different matters you may have are listed below:

Residential Conveyancing(Freehold sale or purchase, leasehold sale or purchase, mortgages and re- mortgages)

Probate (uncontested cases with all assets in the UK)

Employment Tribunals Immigration Debt Recovery (up to £100,000) Licensing applications for business premises (new applications or varying existing licences)

Residential Conveyancing:
Our conveyancing fees are fixed, meaning that the fee we quote you upfront is the fee you will pay (unless there are unforeseen circumstances, in which case we’ll inform you of any additional cost at the earliest opportunity). Our conveyancing quotes include a breakdown of the cost of your conveyancing, including our fees and all disbursements including Stamp Duty and HM Land Registry fees. Below are some examples of our firm’s pricing options in respect of various transactions. However, please do contact a member of the Residential Conveyancing Team to discuss your matter in more detail in order that we may consider any specific requirements regarding the scope of work you require and, any potential complexities (if any) regarding the property and land involved.

Example Transactions
Sale of freehold property for £150,000, registered at the Land Registry and with no mortgage to repay: Typically the fixed price would be £595.00

Purchase of a freehold property for £150,000 registered at Land Registry with no mortgage required: Typically the fixed price would be £595.00

Purchase of a leasehold property for £150,000, registered at the Land Registry with no mortgage required: Typically the fixed price would be £595.00

Remortgage of a freehold property valued at £150,000: Typically the fixed price would be £450.00

Remortgage of leasehold property valued at £150,000: Typically the fixed price would be £450.00

There will be 3rd party costs you must budget for such as stamp duty. However, the stamp duty amount payable will vary. Please contact a member of the team to clarify the stamp duty applicable to you which, for example, could be calculated upon on a standard rate, higher rate and first-time buyer relief may apply. The HM Revenue and Customs stamp duty calculator or the Welsh Revenue Authority's website may be helpful. Fees payable to the Land Registry will apply to a purchase transaction, but please contact a member of the team to confirm the amount because this depends upon the amount you are paying for the property or land and as to whether or not the title is registered. The HM Land Registry fee calculatormay be helpful.

You should allow £275 approximately for searches that will be required and which we will undertake. These searches will include a final Land Registry search plus an official local search, drainage search, environmental and plan searches.

We will also be charging a fee for organising a telegraphic transfer on bank transfers of £37

Conveyancing process depends on a number of factors. The average process takes between 6-16 weeks.

Every client is individual and has specific needs. Please give us a call or drop us an e-mail. We will be happy to answer any questions or provide clarification. We will almost certainly need additional information to give you the most certain estimate, and we can discuss any issues of urgency or particular circumstances that you think we ought to know. Once the details are settled and you are happy to proceed, we will send out our estimate, client care and engagement documentation.

Grant of Probate:
We at Sawarn & Co. charge on a time spent basis with our hourly rates. 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 on average £1,800. If there are multiple beneficiaries, a property and multiple bank accounts, costs will be on average £5,000.

We will handle the full process for you.

This quote is for estates where:
There is a valid Will,  
There is no more than one property,  
There are no more than X bank or building society accounts, There are no other intangible assets,  
There are X-X 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 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. Dealing with the sale or transfer of any property in the estate is not included.

Disbursements Payable in Addition to the above:
·Probate Registry (Court) fee of £155.00 plus £1.00 for two certified copies
· £5.00 Swearing of the Oath (per Executor) plus £2.00 for each exhibit
· £91.08 to enter a Trustee Act Notice in the London Gazette - Protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors
· Approximately £300.00 to place a Trustee Act Notice in a Local Newspaper - This also helps to protect against unexpected claims.

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as Court fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process. As Part of our Fixed Fee, We Will:
· Provide you with a dedicated and experienced Probate practitioner 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 tax 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
How Long Does Grant of Probate Take?Obtaining the Grant of Probate usually takes 16-20 weeks, depending on how busy the Probate Registry is at the time your application is submitted. Every client is individual and has specific needs. Please give us a call or drop us an e-mail. We will be happy to answer any questions or provide clarification. We will almost certainly need additional information to give you the most certain estimate, and we can discuss any issues of urgency or particular circumstances that you think we ought to know. Once the details are settled and you are happy to proceed, we will send out our estimate, client care and engagement documentation.

Employment Tribunals for an initial assessment of your employment issue by phone with a specialist Employment Solicitor our fixed fees start from £120 for a 30 minute appointment. This 30 minute telephone appointment allows you to get expert employment legal advice quickly at minimal cost. You briefly explain your situation and we will provide you with initial legal advice about your situation and how best to proceed. The telephone assessment does not include a review of your documents. If you want Sawarn & Co. to review your documents we can provide a written investigation report for £500 for Standard Claims or £1000 for Complex Claims. We aim to complete an investigation report within 21 days of receiving your documents. If you then instruct us to represent you for settlement negotiations through ACAS Early Conciliation or directly with your employer our Employment Solicitor fees start from £500. Settlement negotiations through ACAS Early Conciliation will usually be completed within 1 month. Our pricing for a wrongful or unfair dismissal claim is as follows: Simple Case: £1,500-£4,000
Medium Complexity Case: £3,000-£7,000
High Complexity Case: £6,000-£10,000+
Factors that could make a case more complex could include:
· If it’s 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 isn’t agreed by the parties)
· The number of witnesses and documents
· If it’s an automatic unfair dismissal claim e.g: if you’re dismissed after blowing the whistle on your employer
· Allegations of discrimination which are linked to the dismissal Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as expert reports.

We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process. Counsel's fees are estimated at between £800 to £2,000 per day (depending on the experience of the advocate) for attending a Tribunal Hearing (including preparation). The fees set out above cover all of the work in relation to the following key stages of a claim:
· Taking your initial instructions, reviewing the papers and advising you on merits and likely compensation (this is likely to be revisited throughout the matter and subject to change)
· Entering into pre-claim conciliation where this is mandatory to explore whether a settlement can be reached
· Preparing claim or response
· Reviewing and advising on claim or response from other party
· Exploring settlement and negotiating settlement throughout the process
· preparing or considering a schedule of loss
· Preparing for (and attending) a 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
· Preparation and attendance at Final Hearing, including instructions to Counsel

The stages set out above are an indication and if some aren’t 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. The time 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 4-12 weeks. If your claim proceeds to a Final Hearing, your case is likely to take 24-48 weeks. This is just an estimate and we will of course be able to give you a more accurate timescale once we have more information and as the matter progresses.

Immigration For illustration purposes only, we set out below an example of our pricing approach to an application for leave to remain under the Points Based System. Within the example, we have made some assumptions about what you may need and have also included some of the most common factors which may increase or decrease our pricing estimate. Example – Application for leave to remain under the Points Based System On average, costs for this type of work are between £1,500 and £2,500 (excluding VAT). The costs will depend on the circumstances in your particular case. Such as:
The amount of supporting evidence that we need to consider
• Whether dependants are also applying
• If you are able to provide sufficient evidence at the outset and the applicable Immigration Rules are met, the cost is likely to be at the lower end of the range above.

What services are included The work may involve:
• discussing your circumstances in detail and confirming whether this is the most appropriate application to make and what other options may be available;
• giving 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 provided;
• preparing the application and submitting it on your behalf;
• giving advice about the outcome of the application and any further steps you need to take.

Disbursements are 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. The estimated costs above do not include:
• Any Home Office fees for making the application.
• Where the Home Office refuse an application, advice and assistance in relation to any appeal

How long will an application take? We cannot guarantee how long the Home Office will take to process an application. Read the current processing times. We will normally be able to submit this type of application within 1 week of you instructing us, but we will let you know at the earliest opportunity if it is likely to take longer than this. Please note the anticipated fees are an estimate based on the facts above. 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.

Debt Recovery
This sets out the costs for our commercial debt recovery work for claims up to the value of £100,000 against debtors located within England and Wales. Costs for debt claims above this value are available on request. The costs below apply where the claim is for unpaid invoices which are not disputed. If the other party disputes your claim at any point prior to issue of proceedings, we will discuss any further work required and provide revised costs – these costs could be on a fixed fee or hourly rate depending on the circumstances of your case.
Stage 1: Pre-action
1. Simple letter before action (LBA)
• Company £150 
• Individual £100
1. Fully compliant Pre Action Protocol compliant letter
• Company £300
• Individual £250
Timescale: Our simple LBAs normally require the debtor to pay within 7 or 14 days (with the choice being that of our client). We can produce these within 48 hours if all the information has been given to us. For fully compliant Pre Action Protocol compliant letters, the debtor has a minimum of 30 days to respond and this can be extended to up to 90 days in complex cases. We can produce these within 48 – 72 hours depending on the level of complexity involved in the claim and the volume of accompanying documents.

Stage 2: Issuing legal proceedings
We issue all debt recovery claims up to £100,000 via Money Claim Online (MCOL), the online court service for claimants and defendants. This offers our clients cheaper court fees than issuing in the normal county court. Please follow the link to find the current Court fee table https://www.gov.uk/make-court-claim-for-money/court-fees

Our fixed, solicitors’ costs, both of which are recoverable if the debtor then goes on to pay the claim without dispute. These costs include us completing and submitting the claim form and the particulars of claim. 

Up to £300  -  £150 (Sawarn & Co) £75 (recoverable)
£300 - £500 -  £250 (Sawarn & Co) £85 (recoverable)
£501 - £1,000 -  £300 (Sawarn & Co) £130 (recoverable)
£1,001 - £1,500 -  £350 (Sawarn & Co) £150 (recoverable)
£1,501 - £3,000  - £550 (Sawarn & Co) £185 (recoverable)
£3,001 - £5,000 -  £850 (Sawarn & Co) £265 (recoverable)
£5,001 - £10,000 - £1,500 (Sawarn & Co) £510 (recoverable)£10,001 - £25,000 - £1,500 + 5% of the value of the claim
£25,001 – £50,000 - £2,5000 + 5% of the value of the claim  £50,001 - £75,000 - £2,500 5% of the value of the claim
£75,001 – 100,000 - £2,500 5% of the value of the claim

There will be additional costs if the matter is disputed and we have to attend Court Hearings and prepare a file for the Hearing. In addition to our costs there may be costs for Counsel.

Additional costs: For claims exceeding £10,000 and/or where a bespoke particulars of claim is required (for example, if the claim is particularly complex), we shall charge an additional fee.

Timescale A defendant will have 14 days from receipt of the claim form and/or particulars of claim in which to respond by filing an acknowledgement of service or a defence. If the defendant does not respond in time you can request judgment for the claim debt in default. If an acknowledgement of service is filed within 14 days of service of the claim form, the defendant then has a further 14 days to file a defence to the claim. If the defendant then fails to file a defence, judgment can be entered in default.

Stage 3: Requesting judgment
As mentioned above, if the debtor does not respond to your claim in time, you can request that the court orders them to pay and enters judgment against them. We will charge the following costs for this request. These costs are recoverable from the debtor should they then pay up. Solicitors’ costs to request judgment:
Claim amount.    Our fee        Recoverable costs
£25 - £5,000         £95              £22 – £55
£5,000+                £150            £30 – £70

Timescale When a request for judgment is submitted via MCOL, it is normally processed within 48 hours.

Stage 4: Enforcement of judgment against debtors
If you successfully obtain judgment against the debtor, you can instruct High Court Enforcement Officers (the HCEO) to try and enforce the judgment and recover payment. Our fee to instruct HCEO Court fee for judgement to be transferred to High Court £200  

Additional costs: If the debtor is unable to pay the judgment and the HCEO cannot enforce, you will be required to pay the HCEO an abortive fee of approximately £90 + VAT. If it is necessary to correspond or otherwise liaise with the HCEO regarding the instruction, additional charges may apply which will be based on the hourly rate of the solicitor conducting your matter.

Timescale: Once the HCEO has been instructed, they will apply to transfer the judgment to the High Court. This can take 4-8 weeks subject to the court’s availability. The HCEO will then send a notice of enforcement to the debtor giving them seven days to pay. If the debtor fails to pay within this timeframe, an enforcement officer will be sent to attend their premises to try and make a recovery.

Additional services
(A) Statutory demand against companies or individuals
A statutory demand is not in itself a court process but is a formal demand for payment which must be taken seriously and can be used as a precursor to insolvency-based proceedings, such as a winding up petition against a company or bankruptcy proceedings against an individual / sole trader. A statutory demand should only be used in circumstances where the underlying debt is not genuinely disputed, for example, if the debt is admitted or if there is a judgment for it.
Solicitors’ costs:
Our costs for preparation of a fully bespoke statutory demand Process server’s fee (cost depends on location of debtor) start from  £500

Timescales:
Statutory demands are normally served within 48 hours against companies and partnerships. They can take longer to serve against individuals as it can be harder to locate individuals. However, we act with trusted process servers who are very good at locating their subjects.

(B) Winding-up petition against companies
Provided the debt is not subject to a genuine dispute or can be extinguished by a valid cross-claim by the debtor, it may be appropriate to present a winding-up petition against the company owing the debt. Winding-up petitions can also be used where the debt is based on a court judgment which has not been set aside, appealed or based on an expired statutory demand. Our costs for drafting petition and arranging for issuing and service Disbursements (mandatory costs)
starting from £990
Court fee £302 
Official Receiver’s deposit* (TBC)
Process Server’s fee £150
*If the debtor pays the debt and the petition is withdrawn or dismissed, the Insolvency Service will provide a refund after a period of time.

Timescales: It typically takes us 1-2 days from the date of instruction to draft and issue a petition and send it out to a process server for service.

(C) Bankruptcy petition against individuals
If you have received a court judgment that has not been set aside or appealed; or if a statutory demand has been validly served and not set aside, a bankruptcy petition can be presented against an individual or sole trader debtor. Our costs for drafting and issuing bankruptcy petition Disbursements (mandatory costs) £900 Court fee £280 Official Receiver’s deposit £990 Process Server’s fee £150 Timescales It typically takes us 1-2 days from the date of instruction to draft and issue a petition and send it out to a process server for service.

Licensing
The price information below is for new premises licences and full variations thereof.
1. New Premises Licence Application (under Licensing Act 2003) Standard application· Low to medium risk of impact upon the licensing objectives. (The licensing objectives include the prevention of crime and disorder and public nuisance; public safety and the protection of children from harm).

· £950 to £5,000, excluding VAT.
The price will depend upon a number of factors, including the level and experience of those working upon your case; the complexity of the application in terms of the licensable activities and hours being applied for and, the likely impact of those activities and hours upon the location the premises are situated. Such applications might include for example an unopposed application for a Late Night Refreshment House; Restaurant or Off-Licence, or a bar which does not trade late hours and plays background music. Medium complex application· Medium to high risk of impact upon the licensing objectives. (The licensing objectives include the prevention of crime and disorder and public nuisance; public safety and the protection of children from harm).

· £4,000 to £10,000, excluding VAT.
This is based upon the above factors but then envisages additional work with the Authorities to pre-consult upon the proposals and agree the conditions prior to submission. This will include a meeting with you at our offices and pre-consultation with the Authorities online or via telephone. Such applications might include for example a licence for an outdoor event or a complex new licence or variation application involving pre-consultation with the authorities where agreement is reached. Highly complex applications
· High to severe risk of impact to licensing objectives. (The licensing objectives include the prevention of crime and disorder and public nuisance; public safety and the protection of children from harm).

· £6,000 to £20,000, excluding VAT.
This is based upon the above factors but envisages that the application is complex due to the scale, size, location of the site and/or premises or to the nature of proposals and the likely impact upon the surrounding area or, due to the site being in a cumulative impact location which carries a presumption to refuse the application if objections are received. The application therefore necessitates additional preparation and meetings in advance of submission. The price envisages a meeting with the applicant at our offices; pre-consultation with the Licensing Authority, Responsible Authorities and/or residents and local Councillors online or via telephone. Such applications might include an application for a large outdoor event, such as a festival; a highly contested application and/or an application in cumulative impact where the presumption is to refuse the application where objections are received.

2. Variation of Premises Licence (under Licensing Act 2003)The range below is for a full variation application not a minor variation application. Standard application· Low to medium risk of impact upon the licensing objectives. (The licensing objectives include the prevention of crime and disorder and public nuisance; public safety and the protection of children from harm).

· £800 to £3,000, excluding VAT. The price will depend upon a number of factors, including the level and experience of those working upon your case. This covers variations to hours and conditions and all plan changes which do not require pre or post consultation with the Authorities and/or local residents and Councillors. Such applications might include for example an unopposed application for a Late Night Refreshment House; Restaurant or Off-Licence, or a bar which does not trade late hours and plays background music. Medium complex application· Medium to high risk of impact upon the licensing objectives. (The licensing objectives include the prevention of crime and disorder and public nuisance; public safety and the protection of children from harm).

· £2,500 to £6,000, excluding VAT. This is based upon the above factors but then envisages additional work with the Authorities to pre-consult upon the proposals and agree the conditions prior to submission. This will include a meeting with you at our offices and pre-consultation with the Authorities online or via telephone. Such applications might include for example a licence for an outdoor event or a complex new licence or variation application involving pre-consultation with the authorities where agreement is reached. Highly complex application· High to severe risk of impact to licensing objectives. (The licensing objectives include the prevention of crime and disorder and public nuisance; public safety and the protection of children from harm).

· £6,000 to £20,000, excluding VAT. This is based upon the above factors but envisages that the application is complex due to the scale, size, location of the site and/or premises or to the nature of proposals and the likely impact upon the surrounding area or, due to the site being in a cumulative impact location which carries a presumption to refuse the application if objections are received. The application therefore necessitates additional preparation and meetings in advance of submission. The price envisages a meeting with the applicant at our offices; pre-consultation with the Licensing Authority, Responsible Authorities and/or residents and local Councillors online or via telephone. Such applications might include an application for a large outdoor event, such as a festival; a highly contested application and/or an application in cumulative impact where the presumption is to refuse the application where objections are received.
The Price includes
1. Taking your instructions
Either online; via telephone or face to face initial meeting at our offices with a Solicitor and/or Partner dependent upon the level of complexity and upon your specific request in terms of who you wish to deal with the application. If a face to face meeting out of the office is requested then a price will be given for this and it will be dependent upon the location and how far we need to travel to meet you.

1. Advising you how to promote the licensing objectives
We will assess the licensable activities and hours you are requesting, together with other factors such as your level of expertise; what documentation you can prepare and provide to support your application; the location of your premises and whether they are close to noise sensitive premises, or in a location where objections are likely to be received and, we shall then prepare and agree with you appropriate conditions to incorporate within your application.

1. Advising on the types and content of plans required to accompany your application.
2. If a new premises licence application, preparing a form of consent to be signed by a personal licence holder nominated by yourself who you intend to appoint as the Designated Premises Supervisor.
3. Providing guidance on the fee levels payable to the Licensing Authorities.
4. Completing and submitting your application in accordance with your instructions and submitting this to the local Licensing Authority alongside suitable plans. You must provide suitable plans.
5. Preparing copies of your application for disclosure to the Responsible Authorities and serving copies upon them.
6. Advising you of the timescales and providing you with the public notice to be displayed at the site and within the local newspaper. If requested, we can arrange upon your behalf for a third party advertising agent to typeset the notice and negotiate the fee and arrange for publication in a local newspaper. Their fees will be charged as a disbursement (see disbursements).

We can also arrange for a local agent to display the public notice at the site and to check it for you for 28 days to ensure that it is not removed and/or tampered with. Again, their fees will be charged as a disbursement (see disbursements).

1. At the end of the objection period, we will contact the local Licensing Authority to confirm that your application has been granted and will report to yourself via telephone or email. If objections are received we will need to provide you with a further estimate of costs based upon the objections received and evidence needed to counter those objections, and upon the need to attend a hearing

2. Checking the licence once granted and correcting any errors with the Local Authority.

Except to the extent as stated for medium and highly complex type applications, the price does not include:
1. Obtaining suitable plans.
2. Pre-consultation with the local Licensing Authority; Responsible Authorities and others (i.e. local residents and/or Councillors) to meet (nor any charge made by the local Licensing Authority and/or Responsible Authorities for such a meeting), nor telephone or written consultation.
3. Advise upon or investigating the licensing and/or planning history of the site or of the surrounding area, including investigating licences granted and/or refused for other similar operations in the locality.
4. Attending a site meeting.
Dealing with or advising you in relation to queries or representations received from either the local Licensing Authorities, a Responsible Authority and/or other interested party.
6. Advising on varying the Licence subsequent to submission or grant.
7. Attendance or representation at a Licensing Sub-Committee hearing.
8. Advising and/or preparing evidence in support of the hearing, including instructing Council or expert witnesses and/or obtaining expert reports and serving the same.

If representations are received and/or attendance is required at a hearing before the Licensing Sub-Committee then we will provide a separate fee estimate once we have assessed the level of objections received and the evidence which will be required to be submitted to the Licensing Authority and be presented at the hearing
1. Investigating the use of outside areas and advising upon and submitting any separate application required for such areas
2. Advice on property agreements and/or contracts, including raising preliminary licensing enquiries.
3. Drafting operating policy documents which support the operating schedule.
4. Canvassing support and/or instructing experts.
5. Taking witness statements.
6. Investigations and production of evidence to address the presumption to refuse the application due to the site being in a cumulative impact area and/or advice upon transportation options.
7. Advising on related property issues such as licensing conditionality in an agreement for lease or lease.
8. Travel time away from the offices to any meetings and/or hearing, plus any costs of travel.

Disbursements: Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as the application fee. We pay the disbursements on your behalf from money received on account of costs to ensure a smooth process.

• Application fee payable to the Licensing Authority.
The fee is based upon the rateable value of your property. Click here to calculate the fee payable. If your premises have no rateable value then we will speak to the Council upon your behalf to agree the fee payable. The fee payable includes VAT.

• Advertising charges.
The cost of advertising is determined by the size of your advert in centimetres which is then multiplied by the number of columns. You should budget between £100 to £500 (excluding VAT) as the cost varies throughout the country and is fixed by the local newspaper. To save you money both in terms of our time and size of newspaper print costs we can arrange upon your behalf for a third party advertising agent to typeset the notice, negotiate the fee and arrange publication. They will charge 10% of the cost of the advert (excluding VAT). We would not charge you an additional fee to arrange for the advertising agent to place your notice for publication.

• Enquiry agent fees to display public notices
If you do not wish to display your own public notice at the site and check it for 28 days then we can arrange for the notice to be displayed upon your behalf by a local enquiry agent. We would not charge you any additional fees for this. You would simply need to pay the enquiry agent’s fee which ranges between £100 to £150 (excluding VAT) depending on the location of your premises.

• Postage charges
Recorded or special delivery fee for service of the application (including VAT). The VAT charge will depend on the cost of the special delivery fee (based on weight and size) which is fixed by Royal Mail. We do not charge for any documents sent by first or second class post however where documents are sent by recorded or special delivery due to the need to track receipt and ensure strict application timeframes are met then these will be recharged as a disbursement. The rates depend upon the weight and time of delivery. Royal Mail fix these prices check the business rates price guide charges.

• Printing plans
If you send your plans to us electronically then we will need to charge you for any plans which are printed as a disbursement. Any plans printed by us, which we receive in an AutoCAD format (computer-aided design and drafting software application) will be printed at a cost of:-
o A0 size - £6.00 
o A1 size - £4.50  
o A3 size - £3.50

• Courier
The price is entirely dependent upon the location, date and time of the delivery. A courier disbursement will be recharged at cost and will incur VAT.

• Travel, Accommodation and Parking
o Train travel. Should train travel be required this will be booked in advance, where possible, to secure the best prices. The price is entirely dependent upon the rail network, location for travel and date and time. Train travel be recharged at cost.
o Accommodation. Should accommodation be required, this will be booked in advance, where possible, to secure the best price. The price is entirely dependent on the location and date. Accommodation will be recharged at cost.
o Car Parking fees. Any car parking fees incurred, will be dependent upon the location of the car park and will be recharged at cost.

• Experts
If your application is complex and you need expert evidence to support your application then the cost of such experts and/or provision of witness statements and/or reports will not be covered by our fees. A fee will have to be negotiated with the expert and will depend upon the nature of the instruction; the time to be spent by the expert in undertaking the work including undertaking observations and research, preparing written reports, witness statements and attending a hearing to give evidence. A typical cost can be between £500 to £5,000 excluding VAT, but could be higher depending upon the complexity of the application.

How long will my application take: The day after your application has been submitted then the clock starts to tick on the 28 day objection period. If there are no objections after 28 days then your application is deemed granted and we should be notified of this within a couple of days by the local Licensing Authority. We will report the outcome to you by telephone and/or email. If objections are received then the Council will list your application for hearing. The hearing should take place within 20 working days after the end of the objection period but some local Licensing Authorities take longer to list applications.

The local Licensing Authorities will give you notice 10 working days before the hearing of the time, date and place. Within 5 working days of the hearing, you have to confirm that you want the hearing to proceed and that you will attend. We will advise and assist you through this process. Prior to submitting your application we need time to prepare your application and, if necessary, consult with relevant parties and draft documentation. The time we need will depend very much upon the complexity of your application. If your application is complex you should build extra time into your schedule to allow for preparation and all meetings prior to submission. We can guide you upon how much time to allow once we understand the complexities of your application. If your application is simple then upon receipt of full instructions, supporting documentation and plans from yourself, including agreement from you upon the terms of the application and conditions to be included then, usually within 5 working days, we will have submitted your application. If you need your application submitting sooner than 5 working days then you should discuss this with us. If you need your application expedited then it may affect the costs and we will discuss this with you.