Pricing Guides

Welcome to Geldards pricing and service page. Here you will find information in relation to the following areas:

  • Residential conveyancing
  • Probate (uncontested)
  • Employment tribunals (unfair/wrongful dismissal)
  • Debt recovery (up to £100,000)
  • Business immigration

If you are looking for assistance in relation to any of these five areas, the relevant guide/s will provide you with a clear understanding of the costs and related services involved together with contact details.

Geldards and Debt Recovery

Chasing late payment takes time and resources. Most businesses operate a tight ship and persistent non-payers can seriously affect a business’ cash flow and ultimately its profits. Furthermore, if the situation is neglected, it can also impact on your business’ overall financial standing.

Debt recovery requires a considered ‘project management’ approach. The method, speed and manner of the recovery must be fully scoped, planned, managed and costed but flexibility is key as circumstances often change during the recovery process. Geldards’ specialist debt recovery team have a market-leading reputation for delivering effective and speedy debt recovery solutions for clients and debts of all sizes. We have an experienced team who are commercially aware and sensitive to your particular needs and who will work alongside you and recommend the most cost-effective means of securing payment of your debt.

Description of the service

The costs set out below relate to a business to business debt of up to £100,000 and will apply if your claim is in relation to a debt that is not defended and/or enforcement action and/or insolvency proceedings are not needed. If your claim is defended and/or enforcement action and/or insolvency proceedings are necessary at any point, we will discuss any further work required and will provide you with revised advice about costs, which could be on a fixed fee or an hourly rate, if more extensive work is needed.

Pricing structure

Our fees and other costs Maximum VAT at 20%
Commission of up to 25% of sums recovered – average commission 17.5%* As per the level of commission charged
Searches (if needed):
  • Land Registry enquiries – £10.00
  • £2.00
  • Consumer enquiry/search – £10.00
  • £2.00
  • External tracing agent referral – £10.00
  • £2.00
  • External tracing agent’s fee** – average cost £50.00
  • £10.00
Initial letter to your customer – up to £150.00 £30.00
Pre-legal aborted file fee*** – up to £75.00 £15.00

*The rate of commission charged will depend on the size of debt, volume of instructions, repeat business, etc, and will be agreed upon with you at the outset of your matter.
** You may not be charged this fee in certain circumstances, e.g. there has not been a successful trace.
*** If you instruct us to close our file because it is no longer viable to pursue the claim, we may charge this fee to cover some of our time-costs incurred.

County Court action (if needed)

Issue of claim

Maximum charges
Potentially recoverable from your customer Not recoverable from your customer VAT at 20% Total
Debt value Court fee Our fee + VAT (“fixed costs”) Our fee + VAT (“preparation costs”)
£25 – £300 £35.00 £50.00 up to £100.00 £30.00 £215.00
£301 – 500 £50.00 £50.00 up to £100.00 £30.00 £230.00
£501 – 1,000 £70.00 £70.00 up to £150.00 £44.00 £334.00
£1,001 – 1,500 £80.00 £80.00 up to £150.00 £46.00 £356.00
£1,500 – 3,000 £115.00 £80.00 up to £200.00 £56.00 £451.00
£3,001 – 5,000 £205.00 £80.00 up to £200.00 £56.00 £541.00
£5,001 – 10,000 £455.00 £100.00 up to £225.00 £65.00 £845.00
£10,001+ 5% debt value £100.00 * * *

* This will vary depending upon the court fee which is based upon debt value at this level.

* Claims above £10,001 we will provide a quote and discuss with you.

Request for judgment in default

Recoverable from your customer Not recoverable from your customer Maximum VAT at 20% Total
Debt value Our fee + VAT (“fixed costs”) Our fee + VAT (“preparation costs”)
£25 – 5,000 £22.00 up to £75.00 £19.40 £116.40
£5,001 and above £30.00 up to £75.00 £21.00 £126.00

If you wish to proceed with a claim you should note that:

  • The costs set out above:
    • Do not apply to matters where the claim is defended and/or where enforcement action (if payment of a judgment is not made voluntarily, steps may have to be taken to “enforce” it through the courts) and/or insolvency proceedings (e.g. a statutory demand and/or a bankruptcy or winding-up petition) are needed to collect your claim.
    •  Are based on a straightforward claim where the court serves the papers on your customer. If service is more problematic than anticipated then this is likely to increase the costs and we will provide details of any additional fees and charges at the relevant time.
  • The VAT rate, court fees and fixed costs may be subject to change from time to time.
  • The VAT element of our fees cannot be reclaimed from your customer.
  • Interest and compensation may take the debt into a higher banding, with a higher cost.

Our fees include:

  • Taking your instructions and reviewing documentation.
  • Undertaking any necessary searches and sending an initial letter to your customer.
  • Engaging with your customer.
  • Receiving payment and sending it to you, or if the debt is not paid, discussing the options with you and taking your instructions.
  • In relation to County Court action (if needed):
    • Drafting and issuing your claim at court.
    • Where no Acknowledgment of Service or Defence is received, applying to the court to enter Judgment in Default.
    • When Judgment in Default is received, writing to your customer to request payment.
    • If payment is not received, providing you with advice on the next steps and likely costs.

How long will my matter take?

We aim to set up an account and send the initial letter to your customer within 48 hours of receipt of your instructions. Straightforward matters may settle in full within days or a couple of weeks of your instructions, however, more complex cases, or cases requiring negotiated settlement terms, may take several months to conclude.

Team Profiles

Paul Hopkins, Partner

T: +44 (0)29 2039 1727
E: paul.hopkins@geldards.com

Paul is a partner and head of the Commercial Dispute Resolution Team in Cardiff. He qualified as a Solicitor in 1987 and has expertise in handling high value, large and complex cases including debt recovery. He was a director of Go Debt Limited between 2000 – 2015 and supervises the Debt Recovery Team in Cardiff.

Nino Simone, Partner

T: +44 (0)1332 378 320
E: nino.simone@geldards.com

Nino is a partner and head of the Commercial Dispute Resolution Team in the Midlands. He qualified as a Solicitor in 1991 and has expertise in handling high value, large and complex cases, including debt recovery. He supervises Lewis Adamson.

Michael Evans, Partner

T: +44 (0)29 2039 1736
E: michael.evans@geldards.com

Michael is a responsive, experienced commercial litigation solicitor, providing tailored, practical and effective dispute resolution advice. Michael advises national and regional businesses and public bodies on a wide range of commercial disputes including contracts, competition, professional negligence and banking claims. He has worked on multiple large-scale, high-value, multi-party disputes and also advises on international issues.  Michael qualified as a solicitor in 2010.

Lewis Adamson, Associate

T: +44 (0)1332 378 337
E: lewis.adamson@geldards.com

Lewis qualified as a Solicitor in 2018 and specialises in Dispute Resolution and Litigation. Lewis has experience of dealing with County Court proceedings, mediation and debt recovery matters.

Rhys Thompson, Solicitor

T: +44 (0)29 2039 1806
E: rhys.thompson@geldards.com

Rhys qualified as a solicitor in 2020 and is experienced in advising and assisting on cases involving private, public and third sector clients (both UK-based and international). Cases include a range of contentious commercial matters including; director and shareholder disputes, professional negligence claims, general contractual disputes, intellectual property disputes, competition law disputes and general insolvency and debt recovery matters.

James Kalicinski, Legal Assistant

T: +44 (0)29 2038 6543
E: james.kalicinski@geldards.com

James is a legal assistant with over 12 years’ experience in the debt collection industry specialising in dispute resolution, commercial debt, civil litigation and insolvency. James is currently part-way through his CILEX law studies and has obtained a certificate in law and practice.

Supervision and quality statement

We are committed to providing reliable, effective and expert services to all clients and are certified under the ISO 9001 Quality Management System.

Paul Hopkins supervises the Debt Recovery Team which is based at our Cardiff Office. Nino Simone supervises the debt recovery work carried out at our Midlands Offices.

Geldards and Employment Tribunals (unfair/wrongful dismissal)

Geldards employment team’s expertise extends across contentious and non-contentious issues and our clients include businesses, public sector organisations, entrepreneurs, senior directors and employees. We aim to make life easier for our clients and our practical approach seeks to resolve issues before they get to the stage of a costly employment tribunal. We recognise however that in certain circumstances legal action is required, and it will be necessary to bring or defend claims in the employment tribunal.

Description of the service

We have set out below our pricing structure regarding the provision of advice and representation to employees and employers in relation to the bringing or defending of claims before the Employment Tribunal for unfair or wrongful dismissal. This includes the costs of entering into pre-claim conciliation where this is mandatory. Please note therefore that our pricing structure in relation to any non-mandatory pre-claim conciliation stage falls outside the scope of this information and you will be provided with an individual cost estimate in this regard at the outset of your matter.

Price range

Our pricing structure for bringing and defending claims for unfair and/or wrongful dismissal is as follows:

  • Simple case: £12,000 – £18,000 (with additional VAT of £2,400 – £3,600) not exceeding 1 hearing day involving 1 or 2 witnesses.
  • Medium complexity case: £18,000 – £25,000 (with additional VAT of £3,600 – £5,000) not exceeding 2 hearing days involving 3 or 4 witnesses.
  • High complexity case: £25,000 – £50,000 (with additional VAT of £5,000 – £10,000) not exceeding 3 hearing days involving 5 or more witnesses.

For attending a tribunal hearing lasting longer than those indicated above there will be an additional charge of £2,500 (with additional VAT of £533) per day.

In the majority of cases, these costs will include the solicitor who is dealing with your case conducting the advocacy for case management and preliminary hearings. For the final merits hearings, particularly in relation to high complexity cases, instructing a barrister to do the advocacy could be more appropriate. In such cases there will be an additional cost involved in instructing a barrister, see the ‘Disbursements or other costs that can be expected’ section below for details.

Basis of our charges

We charge by reference to the amount of time taken to undertake the work needed at the relevant hourly rates of the team members involved. Relevant hourly rates range in accordance with the following:

  • between £165 (plus VAT of £33) – £395 (plus VAT of £79)

The lowest and highest ends of the range relate to trainee solicitors and partners respectively and the hourly rate applicable to your mater will depend upon who in the team is appointed on your behalf. This will be discussed and agreed with you. Please see ‘Team Profiles’ section for further details.

Alternative options for funding your claim or defence

You may have other funding options available, such as cover under an insurance policy, and we will discuss these options with you at your first appointment.

Factors affecting the price – what will make your case a more complex one?

The factors that could make a case more complex include:

  • The number of witnesses involved;
  • If it is 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 is not agreed by the parties);
  • The number of documents;
  • If it is an automatic unfair dismissal claim e.g. if the claim involves whistleblowing;
  • Claims brought by or against more than one party;
  • The number of days for the hearing;
  • Claims alleging a failure to consult collectively in redundancy or TUPE situations;
  • Responding to data subject access requests including reviewing the documents the employer should validly disclose and/or redacting what is disclosed (where appropriate);
  • Acting for more than one party, for example defending individual employees and employer for discrimination;
  • Allegations of discrimination which are linked to the dismissal.

Key stages of a claim

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 the claim or response
  • Reviewing and advising on the claim or response from the other party
  • Exploring settlement and negotiating settlement throughout the process
  • Preparing or considering a schedule of loss
  • Preparing for (and attending) any 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 the 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 the final hearing, including instructions to Counsel if required

The stages set out above are an indication only, and if some of the stages above are not 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 to suit your individual needs.

Disbursements or other costs that can be expected

As well as our fees, you may need to pay disbursements which are costs related to your matter that are payable, such as court fees, barrister fees or travel fees where it is necessary to travel a long distance to the final hearing. Where applicable disbursements will be subject to VAT at 20%. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process and will look to you either to provide us with funds in advance or to reimburse us separately.

Where it is necessary to instruct a barrister in relation to your claim, the barrister will charge a brief fee and a daily rate for attending a tribunal hearing which will be in addition to our costs (as outlined above).  The barrister’s fees will depend upon their level of seniority and the complexity of the case. On average, in cases that reach a final hearing before a tribunal, which are reasonably straightforward the barrister’s fee will be in the region of £1000 – £2,000 (plus VAT of £200 – £400) for the first day of the hearing and £750 – £1100 (Plus VAT of £150 – £220) for each day after that. The barrister’s time in preparing for the hearing is included in that amount. We will discuss the options for instructing a barrister and the likely cost of doing so as appropriate.

How long will my matter take?

The time that 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 2 – 6 weeks. If your claim proceeds to a final hearing, your case is likely to take 26 – 52 weeks or longer depending upon the caseload of the tribunal and where the claim has been lodged. Depending on the complexity of the case, an Employment Tribunal hearing can last between one and multiple days. It is possible to reach a resolution at any time before the final hearing through a settlement via ACAS.  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.

Team Profiles

Lowri Phillips, Partner

T: +44 (0)29 2039 1758
E: lowri.phillips@geldards.com

Lowri qualified as a solicitor in 1998 and has over 20 years’ knowledge and hands-on experience in all aspects of employment law, advising clients on contentious matters. She is an experienced advocate and has represented clients in relation to various types of employment claims, including unfair dismissal and wrongful dismissal, at all stages of the claim and represented clients in Employment Tribunals, the Employment Appeal Tribunal and the Court of Appeal, undertaking advocacy up to Employment Tribunal level.

Helen Snow, Partner

T: +44 (0)29 2039 1497
E: helen.snow@geldards.com

Helen qualified as a solicitor in 2005 and is an experienced employment lawyer advising clients on all aspects of employment law including unfair and wrongful dismissal claims. Helen is experienced in dealing with all stages of the claim and has represented clients on numerous occasions in Employment Tribunals and in the Employment Appeal Tribunal, undertaking advocacy up to Employment Tribunal level.

Joga Singh, Partner

T: +44 (0)29 2038 6549
E: joga.singh@geldards.com

Joga qualified as a solicitor in 2006 and is an experienced employment lawyer. He has represented clients in relation to various types of employment claims, including unfair dismissal and wrongful dismissal, at all stages of the claim and regularly represents clients in preliminary and substantive hearings in the Employment Tribunal.

Rachel Mills, Senior Associate

T: +44 (0)1332 254 123
E: rachel.mills@geldards.com

Rachel qualified as a solicitor in 2001 and advises clients on a range of employment issues. She has dealt with numerous employment tribunal claims on behalf of clients in relation to a wide range of issues, including an unfair and wrongful dismissal. Rachel has represented clients on numerous occasions in Employment Tribunal and in the Employment Appeal Tribunal, undertaking advocacy up to Employment Tribunal level.

Ramyar Hassan, Solicitor

T: +44 (0)29 2038 1865
E: ramyar.hassan@geldards.com

Ramyar joined the Employment Team as a Solicitor after qualifying in November 2020. Prior to qualification, Ram spent six months of this Training Contract in the employment department assisting the team with a wide variety of matters, including drafting tribunal documentation, employment contracts, policies and settlement agreements along with providing general assistance to the team on both contentious and non-contentious employment law and information law matters.

Trainee Solicitors

The team will generally have the assistance of trainee solicitors and, again generally, there will be different trainee solicitors in the team approximately every 6 months. In the event of a trainee solicitor carrying out (under appropriate supervision) any work in respect of your matter then you will be provided with their details.

Supervision and Quality Statement

We are committed to providing reliable, effective and expert services to all clients and are certified under the ISO 9001 Quality Management System.

The team operates out of offices in both Cardiff and the Midlands and is supervised by Lowri Phillips.  Lowri is a partner based in Cardiff.

Geldards and Probate and estate administration

Geldards Private Client team has many years of collective experience in helping individuals and families at a time of bereavement and dealing effectively and empathetically with all matters relating to wills and estate administration and inheritance tax. We tailor our services to meet your requirements. Rather than a call-centre approach, we have individual team members dedicated to your matter and who will work closely with you and keep you updated as the estate administration progresses. As well as providing an efficient service for straightforward estates, our specialist team regularly deals with high value and complex matters.

If you are a lay executor, the cost of having professional help with the estate administration process is usually payable from the estate and can save you a lot of time as well as providing you and the beneficiaries with peace of mind. Having expert input early on means any potential issues can be spotted and addressed in an appropriate way and all relevant tax allowances claimed to offset inheritance tax. There may even be scope for onward estate planning by rearranging an inheritance with a deed of variation within two years of the death of the deceased, to save significant tax now or in the long run.

Description of the service

We have set out below our pricing structure in relation to applying for the Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration and the collection and distribution of assets belonging to a person following their death, where these are within the UK and the matters are not contested. The fee estimate detailed below is for the work involved in dealing with an estate administration from start to finish. This estimate is for a straightforward estate where:

  • There is a valid will
  • The extent and nature of the deceased’s assets and liabilities are apparent from the paperwork available
  • There is no more than one property (and the property is not being sold as part of the estate administration)
  • There are no more than 5 bank or building society accounts
  • There are no other intangible assets
  • There are no assets held outside of the UK
  • There are 1-4 beneficiaries
  • There are no disputes between beneficiaries on the division of assets. If disputes arise this is likely to lead to an increase in costs
  • The estate value is within the general nil-rate band amount of £325,000, there is no inheritance tax payable and the executors do not need to submit a full account to HMRC
  • No formal income or capital gains tax return is required for the estate administration period
  • There are no claims made against the estate

Price range

We anticipate the work involved in these circumstances will take between 14 – 18 hours work, which would be carried out in accordance with the estimated timeframes mentioned below, with overall fees between £3,900 (plus VAT) – £6,250 (plus VAT). VAT is currently chargeable at 20%. Please see the ‘Basis of our charges’ section below for further details.

Disbursements or other costs that can be expected

Disbursements are costs relating to your matter which are payable to third parties. In relation to a straightforward probate matter, typically these will be:

  • Probate application fee of £273 plus £1.50 for each additional court sealed copy of the Grant required (usually one per asset).
  • Swearing of the oath (£7 per executor)
  • Bankruptcy-only Land Charges Department searches (£2 plus VAT £0.20p per beneficiary)
  • Trustee Act Notices in the London Gazette and the Local Newspaper – Protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors (in the region of £250).

We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process. The disbursements are then added to the firm’s invoice and are payable from the estate.

Providing you with a specific cost estimate for your matter

The exact amount of our fees and disbursements will depend on the individual circumstances of the matter. For example, if there is one beneficiary and no property our fees will be at the lower end of the range (or maybe less than this if you only wish us to help you with part of the process). If there are multiple beneficiaries, a property and multiple bank accounts, our fees will be higher than the range indicated.

Circumstances in which there are likely to be additional costs include:

  • If there is no will;
  • If the estate includes any shareholdings (stocks and bonds) which need to be dealt with;
  • If there is an unoccupied property (in respect of which particular insurance arrangements will be required);
  • If it is relevant to make a claim for transferable nil rate band or residence nil rate band to offset the value of the estate to reduce or eliminate inheritance tax;
  • If it is relevant to complete and submit a full inheritance tax return;
  • If a formal income and/or capital gains tax return needs to be submitted to HMRC;
  • If we are dealing with the sale or transfer of a property in the estate;
  • If the deceased had business or farm assets;
  • If there is an ongoing trust established by the Will.

We will be able to give you a specific estimate once we have more information about the estate.

Basis of our charges

We charge by reference to the amount of time taken to undertake the work needed at the relevant hourly rates of the team members involved (see below). We do not charge by reference to the value of the estate. As a broad guide, in our experience, our fees exclusive of VAT do not tend to exceed 3% of the gross value of an estate (this is only a very broad rule of thumb as some estates may be high in value but relatively simple to administer, conversely some estates may be quite complex to administer, because of the number of accounts and other assets or because of the number of beneficiaries, even though the overall value involved is relatively modest).

Relevant hourly rates range between £190 (plus VAT) – £375 (plus VAT)

The lowest and highest ends of the range relate to legal assistants and partners respectively and the hourly rate applicable to your matter will depend upon who in the team is appointed on your behalf. Please see ‘Team Profiles’ section for further details.

A specific estimate will be provided to you following on from an initial meeting or discussion with you, to find out more from you about the estate and circumstances and your requirements. We will then send you details of engagement setting out the scope of the work you have asked us to carry out and the estimate of our fees, and the circumstances in which our estimate may change, to confirm our instructions with you.

Fixed Fee options

We may be able to offer fixed fee options depending on the circumstances and your requirements, (particularly if you are asking us to help you with a part of the estate administration process rather than all of it).

How long will the process take?

On average, the process of administering a straightforward estate within the parameters described above will take 6 months. This includes making enquiries to find out the date of death, the value of assets and liabilities in the estate, preparing the paperwork to apply for the Grant to allow the estate to be administered and waiting for the Probate Registry to issue this (typically 4 weeks from submission of the application), placing any statutory notices required, collecting in the assets and settling the liabilities of the estate, preparing estate accounts for approval by executors and main beneficiaries, making an informal settlement of any income tax arising on interest accruing during the estate administration and arranging distributions in accordance with the Will.

If the estate is more complex and particularly if inheritance tax is payable in the estate, the process will typically take between 9-18 months including taking into account waiting time for HMRC tax clearance.

Team Profiles

Erica Thomson, Partner

T: +44 (0)115 983 3745
E: erica.thomson@geldards.com

Erica qualified as a solicitor in 1997 and is an experienced private client lawyer with over 15 years’ experience. She provides solutions for high net worth individuals including wealth preservation, later life planning and succession planning for individuals and business owners. Erica advises clients across the East Midlands on a full range of issues pertinent to their personal legal requirements including; wills, trusts, lifetime gifts and deeds along with the administration of complex estates and trusts.

Jaclyn Barnes, Partner

T: +44 (0)115 983 3747
E: jaclyn.barnes@geldards.com

Jackie is a Partner in Geldards’ Private Client team, advising clients on wills, tax and estate planning, estate administration, trust administration and court of protection matters. Jackie qualified as a solicitor in 2005 before joining Geldards the following year, having graduated from the University of Warwick in 2002. Jackie became a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners in 2008. Clients are often referred to Jackie by other professional advisers with whom she works to provide a joined-up approach to the client’s personal planning.

David Williams, Partner

T: +44 (0)115 983 3757
E: david.williams@geldards.com

David qualified as a solicitor in 1984 and has approaching thirty years’ experience in advising families and family businesses in wealth protection and succession planning. Having qualified as a lawyer, David ran a property development business and subsequently became general manager of a large building society. All that experience is put to good use in counselling clients in a strategic, common sense and thoughtful manner. One of David’s greatest skills is the ability to listen to clients and to get to the heart of what they are trying to achieve. David works with our large private client team, encompassing wills, trust, tax, family and property expertise to ensure that our clients receive a service that responds to all of their needs.

Anne Taylor, Senior Associate

T: +44 (0)29 2039 1779
E: anne.taylor@geldards.com

Anne is a Senior Associate and has over 10 years’ experience as a private client solicitor. She is highly experienced in all aspects of wills, trusts, powers of attorney and estate administration and leads a section of the team dedicated to effective trust and estate administration.  A skilled wealth planner, Anne is a longstanding member of Camelot’s lottery advisory panel, providing expert advice and support to numerous winners over the years.  She has worked closely with several very significant winners to implement effective long term personal planning strategies, and forged strong relationships as their trusted advisor.  Anne is a full member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners and is on the committee of the STEP Wales branch.

She acts for both professional and lay executors in administering estates and has experience of dealing with high value estates, comprising of business and agricultural assets. Anne also carries out trust administration work.

Anne has developed a niche area of practice in relation to compensation protection and court of protection work (including high value statutory will and gift applications and contentious court of protection proceedings). She regularly has matters referred to her by other law firms and other professionals, who recognise her specialism and reputation in these areas (including the Official Solicitor).

Gillian Crouch, Senior Associate

T: +44 (0)29 2038 6547
E: gillian.crouch@geldards.com

Gillian is an experienced Senior Associate in the Probate and Estates administration section of the Private Client team. Although Gillian advises on all areas of private client work, she specialises in the effective administration of high-value estates, probate, complex trusts and matters and vulnerable beneficiary trusts.

Gillian acts for and advises lay executors and trustees, as well as dealing with estates where Geldards are appointed as executors, or act as Trustee via the Geldards Trust Corporation.

Gillian deals with numerous high-value trusts for vulnerable beneficiaries and works closely with the vulnerable person and those who support them. She puts in place investment strategies in conjunction with independent financial advice, to ensure that such benefit may be provided for the vulnerable person.

Gillian works closely with executors, trustees, beneficiaries and family members providing empathetic and pragmatic advice and support to her many clients.

Anne George, Consultant

T: +44 (0)29 2038 6538
E: anne.george@geldards.com

Anne is a wills and probate specialist solicitor with over 38 years’ experience.

She has acted as executor and trustee on many occasions, and has particular expertise in dealing with large and high value estates. Anne has also acted for generations of families in preparing wills, lasting powers of attorney and trusts, and is known for her sensitive and caring manner.

Prior to joining Geldards in February 2021, Anne was a partner in her own Swansea practice for several years before becoming a consultant at a central Swansea firm. She continues to be based in Swansea and remains available to meet with local clients.

Laura Ikin, Associate

T: +44 (0)29 2039 1862
E: laura.ikin@geldards.com

Laura qualified as a solicitor in 2012 and specialises in providing advice in relation to Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney, trusts and tax and estate planning. She advises clients who wish to plan for later life to ensure their assets are passed on in accordance with their wishes, which can include the preparation of Wills, lifetime trust arrangements and Lasting Powers of Attorney along with providing Inheritance Tax advice. Laura has also advised many business owners on their estate planning, making sure their businesses are being passed on after their days in the most tax-efficient manner whilst taking into account provision for their families. Laura also regularly works in collaboration with financial advisers or accountants to provide a comprehensive and ‘joined up’ approach to client’s estate planning needs. Laura’s favourite part of her role is getting to know her clients and she prides herself on being able to make every client feel comfortable and at ease in discussing what can be complex or sensitive issues.

Zoe Lowe, Associate

T: +44 (0)29 2039 1869
E: zoe.lowe@geldards.com

Zoe works with the Private Client team in Cardiff, specialising in the administration of trusts and estates. A post-graduate of Cardiff University, Zoe joined Geldards in July 2017. Zoe worked as a paralegal before completing a training contract and qualifying as a solicitor in 2016.

Dervla Flynn, Associate

T: +44 (0)1332 378 324
E: dervla.flynn@geldards.com

Dervla is an experienced private client lawyer providing expert advice on Inheritance Tax Planning, Wills, Probate, Powers of Attorney and Court of Protection matters. A graduate of Queen’s University Belfast, Dervla is not only qualified to practise as a solicitor in England and Wales, but also in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. She has therefore gained a wealth of specialist and invaluable experience on cross border matters.

Hannah Jean, Associate

T: +44 (0)29 20320386525
E: hannh.jean@geldards.com

Hannah is able to undertake all aspects of private client work, including Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney, tax and trust and estate administration. Hannah has particular expertise in estate administration and is used to having to work alongside other professionals such as accountants and surveyors to ensure more complex estates are administered as efficiently as possible.

Esther Trevelyan, Associate

T: +44 (0)29 2039 1892
E: esther.trevelyan@geldards.com

Esther is an associate with significant experience dealing with a broad range of Private Client matters. Esther has been a key member of the Top Ranked department for over seven years, which is noted for its “perfectly balanced professional but friendly advice.”

Esther’s main focus is Trust & Estate Administration, including high net worth and complex matters, as well as Urgent Grant Ad Colligenda Bona, applications to reseal Grants of Probate, and Court of Protection Applications.

Esther also provides day to day advice and assistance to lay Deputies, Trustees and Executors, dealing with complex reporting to the Office of the Public Guardian on their behalf. She also advises on Statutory Wills, Appointment of Trustees and applications for Deputies to live rent free in lieu of care provided.

Esther is also able to provide support with Personal Injury/ Compensation Protection Trusts, Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney and EPA registrations.

Esther is a Swansea Law graduate having joined Geldards in 2015 and is currently in the process of completing her CILEX portfolio in order to qualify as a Chartered Legal Executive. Esther specialises in the administration of trusts and estates, Court of Protection work including Deputyship applications and providing day to day advice and assistance to lay Executors and Deputies and guiding them through the process. Esther also has experience with Statutory Will and appointment of Trustee applications, Compensation Protection Trusts, Wills and Lasting Powers of Attorney. Esther prides herself on being a huge support for clients who are often going through difficult times.

Bianca Gregory, Legal Executive

T: +44 (0)1332 378 371
E: bianca.gregory@geldards.com

Bianca works in our Private Client team in the Midlands, specialising in Estate Administration. Bianca has over 10 years of experience in Private Client and is a post-graduate of Derby University. Bianca is currently completing her CILEX qualifications and will shortly be qualifying as a Private Client Chartered Legal Executive.

Clare Bush, Legal Assistant

T: +44 (0)115 983 3658
E: clare.bush@geldards.com

Clare specialises in the administration of estates and has over 15 years’ experience of working in the Private Client Department.

Ginny Weldon, Legal Assistant

T: +44 (0)29 2038 6536
E: ginny.weldon@geldards.com

Ginny is a Legal Assistant in the Private Client Department, assisting in handling new enquiries, answering queries, and running files. Ginny has always maintained a good and sensitive relationship with clients during the initial process and throughout the course of a client’s matter to conclusion.

Ginny has over twenty-three years’ experience working as a Legal Assistant. Her expertise lies primarily in Estate Administration, Wills, and in the preparation and submission of Lasting Power of Attorney documents to the Office of the Public Guardian. She has always fostered a good working relationship with clients and she feels that a fulfilling aspect of this work is the opportunity to efficiently assist families during what can be difficult and upsetting times for them.

Prior to joining Geldards in February 2021, Ginny assisted one of our Consultants, Anne George, in central Swansea firms. She continues to be based in Swansea and remains available to meet with or speak to all clients.

Kayleigh Hume, Legal Assistant

T: +44 (0)29 2038 1731
E: kayleigh.hume@geldards.com

Kayleigh is a Legal Assistant in the Private Client Department and has over 8 years’ experience working in the Private Client Team. She assists in handling new enquiries, answering queries, and running files.

Zara Rashid, Legal Administrator

T: +44 (0)115 983 3656
E: zara.rashid@geldards.com

Zara is a Legal Administrator in the Private Client team and assists in handling new enquiries and answering queries.

Supervision and quality statement

We are committed to providing a reliable, effective and expert service to all clients and are certified under the ISO 9001 Quality Management System.

There are 14 members of the team who may work on your matter depending on your location. Regardless of who works on your matter, they will be supervised by Erica Thomson and Jaclyn Barnes, Partners and Head of Probate and Estate Administration in the Midlands and Anne Taylor and Gillian Crouch, Senior Associates in Cardiff.

Geldards and Residential Conveyancing

Geldards Residential Property expertise is second to none.  Whether you are buying, selling, re-mortgaging a property or making an investment, we can give you expert help and guidance to ensure the process runs as smoothly as possible.

Our Residential Property team will always put your priorities first, ensuring that they talk to you in plain English and provide a friendly, competitive and professional service. We will keep you updated throughout the process and respond quickly to any enquiries. Ultimately, we aim to ensure that the process is as straightforward as possible so that you can move as smoothly and quickly as possible.

The vast majority of our residential work is carried out in our Nottingham Office. Our Cardiff Office only carries out residential work for specific clients.

Description of the service

The conveyancing process involves the following key stages:

Purchase/Mortgage (freehold or leasehold)

  • Take your instructions and give you initial advice
  • Check finances are in place to fund purchase and contact lender’s solicitors if needed
  • Receive and advise on contract documents
  • Carry out searches
  • Obtain further planning documentation, if required
  • Make any necessary enquiries of seller’s solicitors
  • Give you advice on all documents and information received
  • Go through conditions of mortgage offer with you
  • Send final contract to you for signature
  • Draft transfer
  • Advise you on joint ownership, if appropriate
  • Agree completion date (date from which you own the property)
  • Obtain pre-completion searches
  • Exchange contracts and notify you that this has happened
  • Arrange for all monies needed to be received from your lender and from you
  • Complete purchase
  • Deal with payment of Stamp Duty Land Tax/Land Transaction Tax
  • Deal with registration at Land Registry
  • Serve any notices (leasehold purchase only)

Sale (freehold or leasehold)

  • Take your instructions and give you initial advice
  • Obtain title information and details of any mortgage on the property
  • Send Seller’s Property Information Documents to you to complete
  • Send landlord/management company leasehold forms to complete (LPE1)(leasehold only)
  • Send out contract documents
  • Reply to any enquiries raised by the prospective buyer’s solicitors
  • Send out final contract to you for signature
  • Obtain redemption statement from the mortgagee (where required)
  • Agree completion date (date on which you sell the property)
  • Exchange contracts and notify you when this has happened
  • Prepare and send out replies to requisitions
  • Complete sale
  • Redeem the mortgage (if any)
  • Account to you for the sale proceeds
  • Send transfer and any title documents to the buyer’s solicitors

Re-mortgage (freehold or leasehold)

  • Take your instructions and give you initial advice
  • Obtain title information and details of any mortgage on the property
  • Obtain information from landlord/management company regarding payment of service charge/rent and copy insurance schedule (leasehold only)
  • Send Re-mortgage Information Form to you to complete
  • Carry out searches
  • Go through conditions of mortgage offer with you
  • Obtain redemption statement from existing mortgagee
  • Agree completion date (date on which you re-mortgage the property)
  • Report to your new mortgagee
  • Obtain pre-completion searches
  • Receive funds from new mortgagee and redeem the existing mortgage
  • Deal with registration at the Land Registry
  • Serve any notices (leasehold only)

How long will my matter take?

How long it will take for your transaction to complete will depend on a number of factors. The average process for a sale or purchase takes between 6 – 8 weeks and for a re-mortgage between 4 – 6 weeks.  It can be quicker or slower, depending on the parties in the chain and the complexity of the transaction.  For example, if you are purchasing a leasehold property that requires an extension of the lease, this can take significantly longer.

Price and factors affecting the price

Our fees for a typical house sale or purchase range from around £1,000 plus VAT of £200 for a simple transaction to £5,000 plus VAT of £1,000 for a substantial historical building on unregistered land.  These figures however may vary in cases with special complications. That is why we will always give you an individual cost estimate at the start of the transaction taking into account the actual features of your purchase.  We charge a fixed fee, but this is subject to change if complications become evident during the transactions.  We will always advise you immediately about any complications and discuss the potential impact on price before any additional charges are incurred.

Examples of complications may be:

  • if legal title is defective or part of the property is unregistered
  • if we discover building regulations approval or planning permission have not been obtained
  • if crucial documents we have previously requested from you have not been provided.

Our fees for a typical re-mortgage range from £675 plus VAT of £135 to £1,000 plus VAT of £200.

In addition to our fees above and disbursements/other costs mentioned below, there will be an administration charge in the form of a TT (bank transfer) fee: £24 incl VAT (sale, purchase

and re-mortgage).

Disbursements or other costs that can be expected

Disbursements are costs related to your matter which are payable to third parties, such as Land Registry fees.  We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.

Search Fees: approximately £400 – £450 incl VAT (factors which can affect this include which local authority the property is located within and whether property specific searches are required e.g. a coal mining search) (purchase and re-mortgage)

Official Copy Register Entries and Title Plan: £7.20 incl VAT (sale and re-mortgage)

Land Registry Search fee: £3.60 incl VAT (purchase and re-mortgage)

Bankruptcy Search fee: £2.40 incl VAT per name (purchase and remortgage)

Land Registry fee: This depends on the purchase price of the property or the amount of the mortgage (for a re-mortgage).  You can calculate the amount you will need to pay by using the HM Land Registry calculator.

Stamp Duty Land Tax (England): This depends on the purchase price of the property (this is only paid on a purchase).  You can calculate the amount you will need to pay by using the HMRC’s Stamp Duty calculator.

Land Transaction Tax (Wales): This depends on the purchase price of the property (this is only paid on a purchase).  You can calculate the amount you will need to pay by using WRA’s Land Transaction Tax calculator.

Certificate of Compliance fee: This can range between around £90 and £240 incl VAT (freehold or leasehold purchase).

In relation to leasehold purchases, there will be the following additional costs:

  • a fee for giving notice of assignment and charge to the landlord will be payable, which will be confirmed when documentation is received from the seller’s solicitors or conveyancers – this is set out in the lease and often the fee is between around £90 and£360 incl VAT; and
  • Deed of Covenant fee – this fee is provided by the management company for the property and can be difficult to estimate. Often it is between around £90 and £360 incl VAT.

You should also be aware that ground rent and service charges are likely to apply throughout your ownership of the property. We will confirm the ground rent and the anticipated service charge as soon as this we receive this information.

In relation to leasehold sales, a fee will be payable to the landlord and/or managing agent for a sales pack the amount of which varies from transaction to transaction. Often it is between around £90 and £900 incl VAT.

Example:

For the purchase of a freehold property in Wollaton, Nottingham (registered under one title number) at a price of £300,000 by two buyers, who have owned residential property previously, who are buying with a mortgage and who will only own one residential property on completion of the purchase, the fees and disbursements would be:

Fees
£1,200 plus VAT of £240 £1,440.00
Disbursements
Stamp Duty Land Tax £2,500.00
Land Registry Registration Fee £150.00
Local Authority Search Fee (including VAT) £139.20
Drainage Search Fee (including VAT) £64.80
Environmental Search Fee, including Mining Search (including VAT) £144.00
Chancel Repair Search Fee (including VAT) £24.84
Land Registry Search Fee (including VAT) £3.60
Bankruptcy Search Fees (including VAT) £4.80
Bank Transfer Fee (including VAT) £24.00
Total Disbursements       £3055.24
   
Grand Total       
£4495.24

Team Profiles

Richard Hadrill, Associate

T: +44 (0)115 983 3705
E: richard.hadrill@geldards.com

Richard studied law at Nottingham Trent University and qualified as a solicitor in 1988. He has over 30 years’ experience of dealing with all aspects of residential conveyancing, including freehold and leasehold sales and purchases, re-mortgages, transfers of equity, probate sales, auction sales, shared ownership purchases and equity release. Richard is friendly and approachable, and he provides pragmatic solutions to clients’ problems.

Sanita Ramjee, Solicitor

T: +44 (0)115 983 3673
E: sanita.ramjee@geldards.com

Sanita is a Solicitor specialising in residential conveyancing with over 4 years’ experience advising on all types of residential property transactions.

Sanita has a great deal of experience in dealing with freehold and leasehold sales and purchases; new build purchases; right to buys; re-mortgages; transfers of equity; probates sales; auction sales and purchases; company purchasers; advising on un-registered titles and voluntary first registrations; shared ownership properties; lease extensions; providing independent legal advice to guarantors and occupiers; drafting loan agreements; and preparation of declaration of trusts.

Zoie Monroe, Legal Executive

T: +44 (0)115 983 3653
E: zoie.monroe@geldards.com

Zoie is a legal executive specialising in residential conveyancing with over 15 years’ experience advising on all types of residential property transactions. Whilst primarily based in the Nottingham Office, Zoie has a presence at our other Midland Office in Derby for the benefit of our clients. Zoie joined Geldards in 2016 following her relocation from the North West of England.

Supervision and Quality Statement

We are committed to providing a reliable, effective and expert service to all clients and are certified under the ISO 9001 Quality Management System.

We are also accredited under the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS). Our CQS number is CQS03489.  Under CQS our Senior Reporting Officer is David Williams.

Nottingham

Your matter will be dealt with by either Richard Hadrill who is an Associate, Sanita Ramjee who is a Solicitor, or Zoe Monroe who is a Conveyancer.  They are supervised by David Williams who is a Member and head of residential property.

Contact details

In the first instance please arrange to contact any of those named below, who will ensure that your enquiry is directed to the appropriate place:

Richard Hadrill: (T) 0115 983 3705 (E) richard.hadrill@geldards.com

Sanita Ramjee: (T) 0115 983 3673 (E) sanita.ramjee@geldards.com

Zoie Monroe: (T) 0115 983 3653 (E) zoie.monroe@geldards.com

Geldards and Business Immigration

Our Business Immigration Team have extensive expertise advising corporate clients, charities and public sector clients with business immigration issues. We work closely with HR departments and more directly with clients with fewer HR resources, to offer support and training on all aspects of business immigration law and HR issues.

Following the introduction of the point-based immigration system in the UK and the UK’s exit from the European Union, many clients have faced significant challenges in ensuring EEA and other foreign nationals working for them in the UK continue to have the relevant visas and right to work documentation. We also recognise our clients and entrepreneurs wish to continue to recruit from the pool of talent around the world to address the skills shortage in their particular industries.

Description of the service

Our team provide advice and services in relation to the following:

  • Applying for and obtaining a sponsorship licence;
  • Advising on the ongoing obligations an employer has, as a sponsor;
  • Advice on visa requirements and the most appropriate routes available;
  • Advice on workforce planning and risk mitigation;
  • Advice on right to work checks and undertaking right to work audits.

We aim to make life easier for our clients by discussing their particular situation, advising on the appropriate route, visa and type of sponsorship licence that would be most applicable. We can assist with the application to register clients as a sponsor and the issuing of sponsorship certificates by them to their employees and investors.

We provide bespoke training sessions and webinars to HR staff to ensure they are aware of the legal obligations and compliance requirements of their organisations, in particular the right to work checks they must carry out on all employees.

Price Range

Set out below is our pricing structure regarding the provision of advice in relation to business immigration issues. Please note this does not include the cost of any application fees or other related fees that maybe payable.

Type of work to be carried out and average fee per instruction is as follows:

  • Application for registration as a sponsor: £1,750 to £2,250 plus VAT of £350 – £450.
  • Advice on specific types of visas: £1,250 to £1,750 plus VAT of £250 – £350.
  • Advice on issuing a certificate of sponsorship: £750 to £1,250 plus VAT of £150 – £250.
  • Immigration / right to work check and audit: £1,500 to £2,000 plus VAT of £300 – £400.

Basis of our charges

We charge by reference to the amount of time taken to undertake the work needed at the relevant hourly rate of the team member involved. Relevant hourly rates range in accordance with the following:

  • Between £165 (plus VAT £33) – £395 (plus VAT £79)

The lowest and highest end of the range relate to trainee solicitors and partners respectively and the hourly rate is applicable to your matter will depend upon who in the team is appointed on our behalf. This will be discussed and agreed with you.

Disbursements or other costs that can be expected

No Disbursements are payable via Geldards LLP for any of the above services. However, UK Visas and Immigration charge a range of fees to both employers and individual employees. The fees will vary based on the sponsor licence, and visa applied for. They can include but are not limited to the following fees:

Fees Small or charitable sponsors Large Sponsors
Skilled Worker Sponsor Licence £536 £1,476
Temporary Worker Sponsor Licence £536 £536
Add Skilled Worker to existing Temporary Worker No fee £940
Priority service for expedited processing of Sponsor Licence application £500 £500
Priority change of circumstances service (cost per change) £200 £200
Premium customer service scheme (three month) £2,000 £6,250
Premium customer service scheme (per year) £8,000 £25,000
Immigration Skills Charge first 12 Month (per employee) £364 £1,000
Immigration Skills Charge each additional 6 month (per employee) £182 £500
Allocation of Certificate of Sponsorship £21 – £199 £21 – £199

In addition, the individual employee will be required to pay the application fees and surcharges directly to UK Visas and Immigration. These can include (but are not limited):

  • Visa Application Fee: between £95 to £1,638
  • Immigration Health Surcharge: between £470 to £624 per year

Providing you with a specific cost estimate for your matter

We will on receipt of your instructions discuss and agree a cost estimate for the matter.

How long will the /my matter take

The team will work to meet the client’s needs and expectations in relation to timescales. We will aim to respond to all email and telephone instructions within 48 hours. Please note time scales for HM Visas and Immigration can vary, the below timescales are provided as guidance only and actual timescales can be longer.

  • Application for Sponsorship Licence – 8 weeks.
  • Priority Sponsor Licence applications – 10 working days.
  • Updating Sponsor Licence details – 18 weeks.
  • Allocation of a Certificate of Sponsorship to individual employee – 1 working day.
  • Application for new certificate of sponsorship allocation to a sponsor – 18 weeks.
  • Visa Application processing time – 5 working days to 24 weeks.

The team will advise you of any relevant timescales and deadlines.

Team profiles

Joga Singh, Partner
T: +44 (0)29 2038 6549
E: joga.singh@geldards.com

Joga qualified as a solicitor in 2006 and is an experienced employment and immigration lawyer who has extensive experience in providing strategic advice in complex employment law, immigration and HR matters.

Joga advises clients in relating to obtaining a sponsorship licence and ongoing compliance with the sponsor requirements. He also delivers bespoke training sessions on a variety of employment law and HR issues.

Rachel Mills, Senior Associate
T: +44 (0)1332 254 123
E: rachel.mills@geldards.com

Rachel qualified as a solicitor in 2001 and advises clients on a range of employment and immigration issues. Experienced in contentious and non-contentious matters, for both individuals and companies, Rachel advises a wide range of sectors in all aspects of employment and immigration law.

Ramyar Hassan, Solicitor
T: +44 (0)29 2038 1865
E: ramyar.hassan@geldards.com

Ramyar qualified as a solicitor in 2020 and advises clients on a range of immigration and employment issues.

Ramyar provides bespoke advice to clients on a variety of business immigration issues, such as right to work checks, obtaining a sponsor licence, various visa routes, ongoing obligations of a sponsor, and the allocation of certificates of sponsorship.

Ramyar is a fluent Kurdish speaker.

Trainee Solicitors

The team will generally have the assistance of trainee solicitors and, again generally, there will be different trainee solicitors in the team approximately every 6 months. In the event of a trainee solicitor carrying out (under appropriate supervision) any work in respect of your matter then you will be provided with their details.

Supervision and qualify statement

We are committed to providing reliable, effective and expert services to all clients and are certified under the ISO 9001 Quality Management System.

The team are all qualified employment lawyers within our Employment Department, who have both business immigration and employment law expertise, enabling them to provide a cost-efficient and integrated approach.

The team operates out of offices in Cardiff and the Midlands and is supervised by Lowri Phillips.  Lowri is a partner based in Cardiff.

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