WHAT ARE THE SERVICES INCLUDED?
Our legal fees are subject to VAT, and so will some of the disbursements incurred, unless we specifically inform you VAT does not apply to your matter and/or the incurred disbursement. Please note the current VAT rate is 20%.
On sales / purchases (residential or commercial), once the file has been opened the seller’s solicitors will arrange for the seller to complete the protocol forms and forward these to the buyer’s solicitors along with the Land Registry title documents (and a leasehold sales pack if the property is leasehold which will have been obtained at the seller’s cost). Once the buyer’s solicitor is holding all documents, searches will be obtained, and file reviewed by the buyer’s solicitors before they raise enquiries with the seller’s solicitors. At this stage, the buyer’s solicitors will also be reviewing the buyer’s source of funds documents, and any mortgage offers for the purchase where applicable. Once the buyer’s solicitors have satisfied all their enquiries, they will report to the buyer and obtain their signed documents and deposit. At the same time, the seller’s solicitors will obtain the seller’s signed documents. Once all parties’ solicitors are holding signed documents (and deposit for buyer), exchange and completion dates will be agreed. Once completion takes place, the seller’s solicitors will redeem any mortgages on the property and the buyer’s solicitors will file and pay and Stamp Duty applicable in addition to making the necessary application to update the title at HM Land Registry.
On lease extensions and/or variations (residential or commercial), if all terms have been agreed with the landlord then the solicitors will make contact with each other for the landlord’s solicitors to draft and issue the documents to the tenant’s solicitors. Once the document has been agreed, both parties’ solicitors will arrange for the documents to be executed and the landlord’s solicitors will provide the tenant’s solicitors with a completion statement setting out the sums they will require to complete. Once the extension and/or variation has been completed, the tenant’s solicitors will make an application to register the same at HM Land Registry. If the terms have not been agreed by the time we are instructed and part of our instructions include negotiating the terms on behalf of the client, this will need to be completed before drafts are issued once the term is agreed. If either of the parties has a lender at the time of the extension/variation, the lender will also need to be provided the agreed documents before they are signed and their consent obtained.
Remortgages are straightforward in that the borrower generally already owns the property. Searches are not normally required unless this is required by the lender. Some remortgages will also involve a party being added or removed from the title for which a separate solicitor will be required to represent them and transfer documents having to be prepared. Once the remortgage (and transfer if applicable) have been completed, an application will be made to HM Land Registry to update the title.
Conveyancing Costs
Gulsen & Co Solicitors is accredited with the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme and endeavour to provide a professional and efficient legal service to individuals who instruct us to handle residential property transactions (such as sales, purchases or linked sales and purchases). We do not offer different levels of service depending upon the legal fee charged. For example, we do not offer an online only service, or a service with a capped number of telephone discussions within a set price. Gulsen & Co Solicitors charge what we believe to be a fair and proper fee to reflect the bespoke and tailored service that we provide.
Gulsen & Co Solicitors tends to work on a repeat basis for clients who know us or who have been recommended to us. However, we are independent and neither pay nor accept referral fees.
Our Residential Property Team is headed by Mr Ayhan Gulsen, a Partner. Details of his experience, and those within the Team, can be easily accessed by clicking on the names below. A member of the Team would handle your matter, normally from beginning to the end under the supervision of a Partner.
- Burhan Canbolat
- Ayhan Gulsen
- Sarju Chandarana
Legal Fees
| We set a minimum Legal Fee of residential transactions: | Price |
|---|---|
|
Acting for you in a sale, purchase or refinance transaction up to £500,000.00; Acting for you in a sale, purchase or refinance transaction between £500,000 and £1,000,000.00; Drafting Deed of Gift Purchase or refinance price for transactions over £1 Million Where the Lender is separately Represented; Dealing with 3rd Party Solicitors; Head Lease Review (for each Head Lease); Restriction on Titles; Gifts of Deposit (for each Gift); Help to Buy Equity Loan; Help to Buy ISA; Tenanted Properties (Review AST); Dealing with Service Charge Retention; |
£1,250.00 + VAT £1,750.00 + VAT £500.00 + VAT %1 of Sale + VAT £750.00 + VAT £200.00 + VAT £150.00 + VAT £100.00 + VAT £100.00 + VAT £500.00 + VAT £50.00 + VAT £200.00 + VAT £150.00 + VAT |
| If you are buying with the aid of a mortgage | |
|
Additional Legal Fee if we are instructed to act for the lender. However, if the bank is separately represented, our Legal Fee may be more depending on the lender’s solicitors’ requirements that we are to satisfy |
£250.00 + VAT |
| If you are buying with the aid of a Help to Buy mortgage | |
| Additional Legal Fee | £500.00 + VAT |
| Bank Transfer Fee | £50.00 + VAT |
| We do not price match any estimates you may be given by other service providers. | |
| We set a minimum Legal Fee of Commercial transactions: | |
| Acting for you in a sale, purchase or refinance transaction for Lease | £2000.00 + VAT |
| Acting for you in a sale, purchase or refinance transaction for freehold up to £500,000.00 | £1,500.00 + VAT |
| Acting for you in a sale, purchase or refinance transaction for freehold between £500,000.00 to £1,000,000.00 | £2,000.00 + VAT |
| Purchase or refinance price for transactions over £1 Million | %1 of Sale + VAT |
WHAT ARE THE EXPECTED TIMESCALES?
CONVEYANCING
The average process takes between 6 to 8 weeks. It can be quicker or slower, depending on the parties in the chain. For example, if you are a first time buyer, purchasing a new build property with a mortgage in principle, it could take 6 weeks. However, if you are buying a leasehold property that requires an extension of the lease, this can take significantly longer, between 3 to 4 months. In such, a situation additional charges would apply.
We will begin by taking your instructions and ascertaining the type of visa application to be made. Depending on when your current leave expires, we will also ascertain when your application can be made and request you to prepare the documents to be submitted with your application. Once the documents are ready, we will arrange an appointment to review the documents provided and review the draft application to ensure there are no fields to be amended. We will scan the documents to be used in support of your application and submit these to the Home Office with your application. If you are required to give biometrics as part of your application, we will book the appointment on your behalf subject to your availability. Once your biometrics have been given (where applicable), the application will be with the Home Office to decide. If they require further information to make their decision, we will revert to you for this or revert to the Home Office if already in our possession. Once the Home Office makes their decision, they will generally issue the applicant with a biometric residence permit – though the Home Office has stated these will no longer be issued after December 2024.
If your instructions are to appeal a Home Office decision, we will collect your documents including application and refusal notice, make the application to HM Courts & Tribunal Service, prepare the appeal skeleton argument and any required witness statements as well as instructing a barrister on your behalf for attending the hearing.
Immigration Fees
We offer professional service with very reasonable fees. Our agreed fee covers all the work until we receive a written decision for the stage of the application or appeal for which you have instructed us. Please be advised that having agreed fixed fee, if you withdraw your instructions, we will not issue any refund. Our fees for various applications, appeals and Judicial Reviews are given in the tables below (these fees do not include VAT – where applicable):
| Visa applications outside the UK (Entry Clearance) | Price |
|---|---|
|
Spouse / Fiancé(e) Visitor Visa |
£1,500.00 plus VAT if applicable £1,000.00 plus VAT if applicable |
| Visa application inside the UK | |
|
All Spouse / Fiancé(e) related applications All Turkish Citizens (Ankara Agreement) related applications All point based applications |
£2,000.00 plus VAT if applicable £2,500.00 plus VAT if applicable £2,500.00 plus VAT if applicable |
| Long Residence Applications | |
|
10 years Long Residence – Extension of Stay / Leave to Remain 10 years Long residence – Indefinite Leave to Remain |
£2,500.00 plus VAT if applicable £2,500.00 plus VAT if applicable |
| All EU related Applications | £1,500.00 plus VAT if applicable |
| Asylum & Humanitarian Protection | |
| Asylum Claim and Humanitarian Protection | £2,000.00 plus VAT if applicable |
*All Immigration Appeals are charged on hourly basis
*All Judicial Review in the Upper Tribunal are charged on hourly basis
WHAT ARE EXPECTED DISBURSEMENTS?
On immigration applications, the Home Office will set the application fee depending on the visa being sought. For the current application fees depending on visa types as from 31 January 2024, please visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visa-regulations-revised-table/home-office-immigration-and-nationality-fees-31-january-2024 .
Some visa applicants will also have to pay an Immigration Health Surcharge payment to the NHS depending on their visa type and length of stay. For guidance on this and what the current NHS Health Surcharge is, please visit https://www.gov.uk/healthcare-immigration-application .
If you are appealing a Home Office decision through the HM Courts & Tribunals Service, please visit https://www.gov.uk/guidance/get-help-to-pay-or-reduce-your-visa-or-immigration-appeal-fee#about-the-fees in relation to the expected application fees. In terms of other appeal fees such as a barrister to represent you in the hearing, please note each barrister sets their own fees once they review the appeal paperwork.
At the time of taking your instructions, we will advise you on the expected disbursements applicable to your case and the estimated total costs. We will not incur any disbursements on your behalf without your prior agreement and will keep you updated throughout your case if disbursements are higher than initially estimated.
WHAT ARE THE EXPECTED TIMESCALES?
IMMIGRATION
The Home Office service standard is currently six months to reach a decision. This is however not guaranteed and the Home Office can sometimes take longer to reach a decision. The Home Office also offers premium services on some applications for an additional fee which aim for the application to be dealt with faster. If the instructions include appealing to HM Courts & Tribunal Service, the timeline for this will depend on the directions set by the court and the time it takes them to list the matter for a hearing and reaching a decision.
Wills
We can assist you with preparing a simple will where no trusts are being created and the estate is generally being transferred to select individuals and can also include some specific gifts in the will. These can be simple wills for individuals or mirror wills for couples. Please note for safeguarding purposes, individuals over 70 or with medical conditions will require a letter from a medical professional confirming they have mental capacity before we can take instructions – this letter cannot be more than 7 days old at the time of drafting the will.
When booking an appointment to instruct us with drafting the will, we will ask you to make a list of your assets, executors you wish to appoint (full names and addresses), any specific gifts you wish to make and to who they are being made (full names and addresses) if applicable, and the beneficiaries of your estate (full names and addresses). At the meeting, we will discuss your wishes and prepare a draft will for your approval. Once approved, we will provide you the final will for you to sign and advise you on how to validly execute the will with your witnesses. We will also advise you on the various methods of safekeeping your will once it has been executed by you and your witnesses.
We do not expect there to be any disbursements to be incurred by our firm for making a will. However, medical professionals may charge a fee for providing a certificate of mental capacity and certain will safekeeping providers will also charge their own fees for doing so. Please note if any of these disbursements arise, these would be payable by you directly with the provider. In relation to timescales, your will can be drafted in one appointment if we have received the required information from you beforehand or over two appointments if we need to first take your instructions on the contents of the will and secondly to review and finalise the will once prepared.
Our fees for drafting wills are currently £400.00 plus VAT (£480.00 total) per will.
Fixed fee for small estates
We can help and assist you through this difficult process from beginning to end for obtaining the Grant of Probate from the probate registry on your behalf and also undertaking the collection and distribution of assets.
How much does this service cost?
Our fixed fee is £1,500.00 plus VAT (£1,800.00 inclusive of VAT) and disbursements plus VAT (calculated at 20%) (i.e. expenses related to your matter that are payable to third parties such as court fees), provided your matter is uncontested and there are no contentious issues.
Our fixed fee is applicable for small estates where:
- There is a valid Will
- There is no more than one property
- There are no more than 3 bank or building society accounts
- There are no other intangible assets
- There are no assets outside England and Wales
- There are 1 to 4 beneficiaries
- There are no disputes between beneficiaries on division of assets
- There is no inheritance tax payable and the executors do not need to submit a full estate accounts to HM Revenue and Customs
- There are no claims made against the estate
Breakdown of costs:
Legal fees – £1,500.00 plus VAT
VAT at 20% on legal fees – £300.00
Disbursements – £600.00 plus VAT (where applicable) approximately are;
- £155.00 (no VAT) for the application fee and 50p (no VAT) for each additional copy of the Grant of Probate as required
- £105.00 (inclusive of VAT) for publication of a deceased estates notice in The Gazette – protecting the executor or trustee from being liable to for any unidentified creditors
- £200.00 to £400.00 plus VAT for publication of a deceased estates notice in a Local Newspaper – protecting the executor or trustee from being liable to for any unidentified creditors if there is a property
- £2.00 (no VAT) for bankruptcy search fee (per beneficiary)
Where relevant we arrange the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process. The Cost of swearing the oath is normally £12.00 (per executor), which needs to be paid directly to an independent solicitor when swearing the oath before him/her.
Additional costs:
Dealing with the sale or transfer of any property in the estate is not included in our fixed fee.
If there is no Will or the estate consists of multiple properties or bank and building society accounts or any share holdings (stocks and bonds) there is likely to be additional costs that could range significantly depending on the nature of the liabilities and assets in the estate and how these liabilities and assets need to be dealt with. The total costs will depend on the individual circumstances of the matter. We can give you a more accurate indication of the total costs once we have more information.
What work will be undertaken as part of our fixed fee?
Our fees cover all the work in relation to the following key stages of your matter and we will:
- Obtain your instructions and ascertain relevant issues and steps
- Identify the appointed executors or administrators and beneficiaries
- Obtain the relevant documents required for the application with your assistance
- Ascertain all liabilities and assets of the estate with your assistance
- Complete the application form and the relevant HM Revenue and Customs forms for your approval
- Draft an oath for you to swear before an independent solicitor
- Submit the application to the probate registry on your behalf
- Provide you with a copy of the Grant of Probate upon receipt from the probate registry
- Collect all assets, settle liabilities and distribute the net assets of the estate with your assistance
What is the likely timescale?
The likely timescale will vary depending on the cooperation and actions of third parties connected to your matter. On average a small estate falling within this range are dealt with within about 6 to 10 months. After all the liabilities and assets are ascertained with your assistance, obtaining the Grant of Probate normally takes about 6 to 8 weeks. Collecting assets and settling liabilities then follows, which can take between about 10 to 20 weeks. Once this has been done, distribution of the net assets of the estate normally takes about 4 to 6 weeks. However, there may be delays due to the circumstances beyond our knowledge and control.
Fees for medium and large estates
We can help and assist you through this difficult process from beginning to end for obtaining the Grant of Probate from the probate registry on your behalf and also undertaking the collection and distribution of assets.
How much does this service cost?
Our charging rate is £250.00 plus VAT (300.00 inclusive of VAT) per hour and disbursements plus VAT (calculated at 20% where applicable) (i.e. expenses related to your matter that are payable to third parties such as court fees).
For dealing with medium and large estates we broadly estimate the total costs on the basis of that there is a valid Will, there are no contentious issues including disputes and claims and there are no assets outside England and Wales.
If there is no Will or there are multiple number of liabilities or the estate consists of multiple number of properties, bank or building society accounts and properties the total costs may be higher. The total costs could range significantly depending on the nature of the liabilities and assets in the estate and how these liabilities and assets need to be dealt with, and the individual circumstances of the matter. We can give you a more accurate indication of the total likely costs once we have more information.
Estimated costs:
Estimated legal fees for medium estates – £3,000.00 to £8,000.00 plus VAT
Estimated legal fees for large estates – £8,000.00 to £15,000.00 plus VAT
Disbursements – £1,000.00 plus VAT (where applicable) approximately are;
- £155.00 (no VAT) for the application fee and 50p (no VAT) for each additional copy of the Grant of Probate as required
- £105.00 (inclusive of VAT) for publication of a deceased estates notice in The Gazette – protecting the executor or trustee from being liable to for any unidentified creditors
- £200.00 to £400.00 plus VAT for publication of a deceased estates notice in a Local Newspaper – protecting the executor or trustee from being liable to for any unidentified creditors if there is a property
- Administrative and indemnity fees payable ranging from £10.00 to £80.00 plus VAT per item, if applicable
- £2.00 (no VAT) for bankruptcy search fee (per beneficiary)
Where relevant we arrange the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process. The cost of swearing the oath is normally £12.00 (inclusive of VAT) (per executor), which needs to be paid directly to an independent solicitor when swearing the oath before him/her.
Additional costs:
Dealing with the sale or transfer of any property in the estate, and preparation and submission of a full estate accounts to HM Revenue and Customs are not included in our fees.
What work will be undertaken?
Our fees cover all the work in relation to the following key stages of your matter:
- Obtain your instructions and ascertain relevant issues and steps
- Identify the appointed executors or administrators and beneficiaries
- Obtain the relevant documents required for the application with your assistance
- Ascertain all liabilities and assets of the estate with your assistance
- Complete the application form and the relevant HM Revenue and Customs forms for your approval
- Draft an oath for you to swear before an independent solicitor
- Submit the application to the probate registry on your behalf
- Provide you with a copy of the Grant of Probate upon receipt from the probate registry
- Collect all assets with your assistance
- Settle all liabilities with your assistance
- Settle the inheritance tax payable, if applicable, with your assistance – please visit https://www.gov.uk/inheritance-tax for information about inheritance tax
- Distribute the net assets of the estate with your assistance
What is the likely timescale?
The likely timescale will vary depending on the cooperation and actions of third parties connected to your matter. On average a large estate falling within this range are dealt with within about 12 to 18 months. After all the liabilities and assets are ascertained with your assistance, obtaining the Grant of Probate normally takes about 8 to 10 weeks. Collecting assets and settling liabilities including the inheritance tax payable then follows, which can take between about 12 to 24 weeks. Once this has been done, distribution of the net assets of the estate normally takes about 4 to 6 weeks. However, there may be delays due to the circumstances beyond our knowledge and control.
We offer a comprehensive licensing service for clients such as transfers of existing premises licences, applications for new premises licences, defending clients in review proceedings, temporary event notices, late night refreshment or the provision of any regulated entertainment.
On transfers of existing licences, we will prepare and obtain all forms, consents, details from the transferor and submit the application to the local authority (and where relevant to the Police). For new licence applications, we will advise you on how you can promote the licensing objectives with a tailored operating schedule, preparing the application and accompanying documentation and submitting to all responsible authorities; prepare both the blue premises and the newspaper notice and assist you with the preparation of the premises licence plan; once the application is submitted, prepare the wording and arrange advertising of the application in the local newspaper; and deal with any objections from responsible authorities of by negotiating between you and the responsible authorities should they require fine tuning of the application. For defending review proceedings, we will review the reasons behind the application for review and advise you on a suitable course of action to follow, taking instructions on any mitigating circumstances; prepare your statements and any supporting documentation for the review hearing and submit the relevant documents to the responsible authorities; instructing Counsel where necessary to represent you in the review hearing and assisting with any further information required; and once the review application is completed, advise you in the implementation of any outcomes.
Licensing costs
For variations of existing premises licences – £750 plus VAT and disbursements
For applications for new premises licences – £1,000 plus VAT and disbursements
For defending review proceedings – This is charged on an hourly rate basis* and disbursements
*Our current hourly rate is £300.00 plus VAT for solicitors and £150.00 plus VAT for paralegals assisting the solicitors
There will also be disbursements to be expected in licencing matters. For current application fees, please visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/alcohol-licensing-fee-levels/main-fee-levels . For new applications, you will also need to place an advertisement with a local newspaper, for which each organisation will set their own fees. For defending review proceedings, if a barrister is instructed, please note each barrister sets their own fees once they review the appeal paperwork. At the time of taking your instructions, we will advise you on the expected disbursements applicable to your case and the estimated total costs. We will not incur any disbursements on your behalf without your prior agreement and will keep you updated throughout your case if disbursements are higher than initially estimated.
WHAT ARE THE EXPECTED TIMESCALES?
For minor variations to existing premises licences, these can generally take 4-6 weeks from receipt of full instructions inception. Transfers of the premises licence and/or specifying a new DPS can generally take 2-4 weeks.
For a new Premises Licence application, matters usually take 10-12 from receipt of full instructions from you. This is based on the application being relatively straightforward and you being able to provide all the necessary documents promptly. If your matter is more complex, for example, if there is substantial opposition from interested parties, or if there is a delay in receiving the documents we need, it may take longer.
An application for a review of the Premises Licence will depend on when the hearing is scheduled. Normally, the Licencing Team at the local authority will specify a date for the hearing and the matter will be concluded at the hearing.
If you are to be the applicant, we will meet with you to take your instructions and prepare the application and supporting documents or instruct counsel to do so where this is better suited. Once the application has been issued we will prepare the various documents in the case as directed by the Court. If the application reaches the hearing stage, we will instruct a barrister on your behalf for representing you at the hearing.
Due to the complexity of family matters, please note our firm only works on an hourly rate basis. Our current hourly rate is £300.00 plus VAT for solicitors and £150.00 plus VAT for paralegals assisting the solicitors. Estimated disbursements include but are not limited to any court application fees and the cost of instructing a barrister. Court fees are determined by the court (see https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fees-in-the-civil-and-family-courts-main-fees-ex50/family-court-fees-ex50) and each barrister sets their own fees once they review the paperwork. At the time of taking your instructions, we will advise you on the expected disbursements applicable to your case and the estimated total costs. We will not incur any disbursements on your behalf without your prior agreement and will keep you updated throughout your case if disbursements are higher than initially estimated.
In relation to timescales in financial remedy or injunction matters, these generally can take some time to get to trial, and so the timelines will vary depending on the court’s directions and whether any early settlement can be reached before the final trial. In terms of divorce applications, the new system for applications made after 6 April 2022 sets out a timeline of the process (see https://www.gov.uk/divorce/what-happens-after-you-apply) making the general time estimated for a divorce to be around 6 to 8 weeks from the time of making the application to the grant of the conditional order depending on individual circumstances and how long the court takes to list the hearing.
We provide expert, practical legal advice to those involved in a range of private disputes, including property disputes and claims of breach of contract.
Where you are claiming against another party, we will meet with you to take your instructions and advise you on the potential claims to be made (plus merits of doing so) as well as whether any steps should be taken before starting the claim. If you instruct us to proceed with making the claim, we will prepare the claim form and supporting documents or instruct counsel to do so where this is better suited. Once the claim has been issued we will prepare the various documents in the case as directed by the Court. If the claim reaches the hearing stage, we will instruct a barrister on your behalf for representing you at the hearing.
If a party has brought a claim against you or has written you in contemplation of making a claim against you, we will review the documents you have received and advise you on their contents and the merits of them/ any claims being brought against you. If you instruct us in the claim, we will prepare your defence or instruct counsel to do so where this is better suited as well as the various further documents in the case as directed by the Court. If the claim reaches the hearing stage, we will instruct a barrister on your behalf for representing you at the hearing.
Due to the complexity of dispute resolution matters, please note our firm only works on an hourly rate basis. Our current hourly rate is £300.00 plus VAT for solicitors and £150.00 plus VAT for paralegals assisting the solicitors. In terms of expected disbursements, this will include but are not limited to any court fees and the cost of instructing a barrister. Court fees are determined on the value of the claim (see https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fees-in-the-civil-and-family-courts-main-fees-ex50/civil-court-fees-ex50) and each barrister sets their own fees once they review the paperwork. At the time of taking your instructions, we will advise you on the expected disbursements applicable to your case and the estimated total costs. We will not incur any disbursements on your behalf without your prior agreement and will keep you updated throughout your case if disbursements are higher than initially estimated.
In relation to timescales in dispute resolution matters, these generally can take a long time to get a case to trial, often anywhere between 6 months to two years in the civil courts. Specific timescales are dependant on the complexity of the claim, directions issued by the court and whether an early agreement can be reached with the other side or if the claim is to proceed to a full trial. Timelines can also be affected depending on the track to which the claims are allocated to in the civil courts.