It is important for Massers to be clear and transparent when it comes to our fees and costs. Below are our basic hourly rates and fixed fee charges. If we have to deviate from these fees the fee earner with conduct of your file will explain and discuss what the new charges are and why there has been a need to increase them.
It is important you remain in control of your account with us and we are happy to speak to you about payment terms.
Some of our fees are charged at a fixed rate whilst other work attracts an hourly rate. The fee earner dealing with your matter will explain the nature of our fees to you, when you will receive an invoice from us and the likely costs you will incur. Conveyancing prices can be obtained by requesting a quote either via the menu above or through the link here.
Below are starting prices for commonly requested fixed fee work, this list is not exhaustive and we would urge you to contact us directly for us to provide a detailed quote.
| Simple individual Will | £300.00 + vat at 20% |
| Pair of simple mirror Wills | £450.00 + vat at 20% |
| Single Lasting Powers of Attorney, including registration. | £400.00 + vat at 20% and £82 registration fee |
| Pair of Lasting Powers of Attorney, including registration. | £600.00 + vat at 20% and £164 registration fee |
Hourly Rates
| Director | £275.00 |
| Senior Solicitor | £250.00 |
| Fee earners with +10 years’ experience | £225.00 |
| Other fee earners | £200.00 |
| Support staff | £150.00 |
Estate Administration
We will give you an estimate at the initial meeting of the likely overall costs and discuss whether we can offer a fixed fee if the matter is very straightforward. We can also assist with various limited aspects of the administration work if you prefer such as just obtaining the Grant of Probate and not being involved with the administration of the estate or we can assist you in completing the inheritance tax forms.
This part of the initial meeting is free (usually up to 20 minutes) and you are under no obligation to instruct us.
Our fees for the administration of the estate are below with VAT calculated at the current rate of 20%. We provide an estimation of costs which is calculated by reference to two factors:-
a) Value of estate
Where Massers are one of the Executors of the will of the deceased we charge 1.5% of the gross value of the personal estate plus vat at 20% (other assets not land and buildings) and 0.75% of the real estate* plus vat at 20% (land and buildings).
Where Massers are not one of the Executors we charge 1% of the gross value of the personal estate plus vat at 20% and 0.5% of the real estate* plus vat at 20%.
* the deceased’s share of property held as tenants in common is included but any property held as joint tenants is excluded from the calculation
b) Time spent
Our charges are calculated by reference to time spent working on the case and our hourly rates range from £250 to £275 per hour plus vat at 20% depending on the grade of fee earner dealing with the matter.
It is difficult to estimate the fees for the administration of an estate as they vary tremendously and the exact cost will depend on the individual circumstances of the matter. As a general guide the overall figures for fees (excluding vat and the expenses listed below) do not usually exceed 3% of the gross value of the estate.
In addition to the above the following expenses will be incurred in the course of administration
- Probate Registry fee £273 plus £1.50 for each sealed copy – no vat
- Bankruptcy searches £2.00 per person per search – no vat
- Land Registry fees £6.00 ( if required) – no vat
- Trustee Act Notices £200.00 including vat at 20%
Debt Recovery Fees
Our debt collection service for business debts is suitable for routine debt recovery up to and including enforcement of a County Court Judgment. We set out below our typical fees for dealing with a routine matter, from sending initial pre-action correspondence through to taking enforcement action.
Stage 1: Letter Before Action
Before commencing proceedings we send pre-action correspondence to the debtor with a view to obtaining payment at an early stage. Our typical fees for this stage would b between £75.00 and £250.00 plus VAT at 20% and include:
- Taking your instructions and reviewing documentation;
- Undertaking appropriate searches;
- Sending a letter before action;
- Where the debt is paid, receiving a payment and sending it on to you.
Our fees depend on several factors, for example the amount of the debt; whether a case is particularly complex or the debt disputed; or cases where there is a considerable amount of documentation.
Stage 2: Issuing a claim
Our typical fees for dealing with a straight-forward debt recovery matter, for example where an invoice remains unpaid and the debt is not disputed, are detailed below. If the other party disputes your claim, we will discuss any further work required and where necessary provide you with revised information about costs. Generally, where a claim becomes defended or where Judgment is not satisfied and it is necessary to take enforcement action, work would be charged in accordance with our hourly rates which start from £250.00 plus VAT at 20% (Director).
In addition to the above costs, Court fees are also payable. We will discuss at the outset whether the claim will be issued at Court or rather via Money Claims Online. Claims issued online attract a slightly lower Court fee. However, the online service is only suitable for very straightforward claims. Should the claim be defended, it will be transferred out to a local County Court.
| Debt Value | Our costs of issuing claim | Our costs of Judgment | Court fee to issue proceedings | Court fee if issued via Money Claims Online. |
| Up to £300 | £105 | £42 | £35 | £25 |
| £300-£500 | £105 | £42 | £50 | £35 |
| £500-£1000 | £126 | £52 | £70 | £60 |
| £1000-£1500 | £126 | £52 | £80 | £70 |
| £1500-£3000 | £168 | £63 | £115 | £105 |
| £3000-£5000 | £168 | £63 | £205 | £185 |
| £5000-£10000 | £189 | £84 | £445 | £410 |
| £10000-£15000 | £189 | £84 | 5% of the value of the claim | 4.5% of the value of the claim |
| £15000-£50000 | £336 | £126 | 5% of the value of the claim | 4.5% of the value of the claim |
| £50000-£100000 | £756 | £189 | 5% of the value of the claim | 4.5% of the value of the claim |
For debts in excess of £100000 please contact us for a quote.
Please note that our costs are exclusive of VAT which is charged at a rate of 20%. In addition to our fees, we may also require you to pay disbursements. Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as the fees of a tracing agent. We handle the payments of disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.
In cases involving commercial debts, unless instructed otherwise, we routinely include a claim for interest and a fixed sum for costs pursuant to the Late Payment of Commercial Debts Regulations 2002. You should be aware that interested and compensation may take the debt into a higher branding, with a higher cost, and we would discuss this with you prior to issuing proceedings.
Our fees for Stage 2 include the following:
- Preparing the Claim Form and issuing the claim;
- Taking instructions from you and, where the debtor does not acknowledge the claim or pay the debt, applying for Judgment in Default;
- When Judgment in Default is received, writing to the other side to request payment.
- If payment is not received within 14 days, providing you with advice on next steps and likely costs.
Matters usually take 2-8 weeks from receipt of instructions from you to receipt of payment from the other party, depending on whether or not it is necessary to issue a claim. This is on the basis that, if a claim is issued, the other side pays promptly on receipt of Judgement in Default. If enforcement action is needed, the matter will take longer to resolve.
Stage 3: Enforcement
Enforcement by Bailiff/High Court Enforcement Officer.
Our debt collection service is suitable for routine debt recovery up to and including enforcement of a County Court Judgment by the Court Bailiff. We do however recommend that your case is transferred to the High Court for enforcement purposes where the Judgment debt is in excess of £600. For debts over £5000, any enforcement has to proceed through the High Court. Where we need to consider any other enforcement method other than by Bailiff or High Court Enforcement Officer, we will provide you with a revised costs estimate based on our applicable hourly rates.
| Debt Value | Our costs of instructing Bailiff/HCEO | Court fee for instructing Bailiff/HCEO |
| £25-£600 | £63 | County Court Bailiff – £77-£143 Judgments from £600 transfer to High Court £66. |
| £600-£1000 | £84 | |
| £1000-£5000 | £105 | |
| £5000-£15000 | £16 | |
| £15000-£50000 | £189 | |
| £50000-£100000 | £273 |
Charging Orders.
This will potentially enable a creditor to obtain security over the Judgment debtors assets, such as land. If a Charging Order is granted, a charge in the Judgment creditor’s favour is agreed at the Land Registry enabling them to obtain payment up on the sale of the property (assuming there is sufficient equity).
An application is dealt with in two stages. The first being an Interim Order which will take approximately 14 days. This can be registered against the property pending the making of the Order final. The final Order will be received within a further 6 weeks subject to any objections being filed by the debtor.
Our typical fee is £250 plus VAT at 20% and there is a Court fee of £131.00, a registration fee of £40 and a search fee of £11.
Attachment of Earnings.
If the Judgment debtor is employed, an Attachment of Earnings Order can be made against their wages, with their employer being ordered by the Court to make regular payments from their salary into Court.
This method of enforcement usually takes in the region of 12-16 weeks depending upon the level of cooperation by the debtor and/or the employer.
Our typical fee is £250 plus VAT at 20% and there is a Court fee of £131.00.
Third Party Debt Order.
By third party debt orders, sums owed to a Judgment debtor that are in the hands of a third party, such as a bank, are frozen and seized for the benefit of the Judgment creditor.
This method of enforcement usually takes in the region of 12 weeks.
Our typical fee is £420 plus VAT at 20% if the application is not opposed and there is a Court fee of £131.00
Our debt recovery department is headed by James Carley, Director.
Discounted rates may be available upon request for repeat or bulk instructions subject to approval. Please contact us on 0115 851 1666 or via our contact form.