Our Fees
Transparent, published pricing
We publish our prices because we think you should be able to see what legal help costs before you pick up the phone. Where we can give you a fixed fee, we do. Where the work genuinely depends on what happens, we tell you the range and what moves you within it.
Judge Law is a private law firm. We do not offer Legal Aid, and all of our work is undertaken on a privately funded basis. We are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, number 634380, and we hold the Law Society's Conveyancing Quality Scheme accreditation.
VAT is charged at 20%. Where a price is shown as "plus VAT", VAT is added on top. Where a price is shown as "including VAT", it is not. Disbursements are costs payable to third parties, such as search providers, HM Land Registry and the court; we pay them on your behalf and add them to your bill.
Residential conveyancing
These are the prices behind our online quote tool, so the figure you see here is the kind of figure you will be quoted. For a quote tailored to your exact property, use our online conveyancing quote.
Our legal fee
Our fee depends on the price of the property. All figures below are our legal fee excluding VAT.
| Property price | Purchase | Sale | Remortgage | Transfer of equity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to £100,000 | £1,350 | £1,250 | £1,250 | £650 |
| £100,001 – £150,000 | £1,350 | £1,250 | £1,250 | £650 |
| £150,001 – £200,000 | £1,350 | £1,250 | £1,250 | £650 |
| £200,001 – £250,000 | £1,350 | £1,250 | £1,250 | £650 |
| £250,001 – £300,000 | £1,350 | £1,250 | £1,250 | £650 |
| £300,001 – £400,000 | £1,650 | £1,250 | £1,250 | £650 |
| £400,001 – £500,000 | £1,650 | £1,250 | £1,250 | £650 |
| £500,001 – £750,000 | £1,650 | £1,550 | £1,550 | £775 |
| £750,001 – £1,000,000 | £1,950 | £1,550 | £1,550 | £775 |
| £1,000,001 – £1,500,000 | On application | £1,550 | £1,550 | £1,150 |
| £1,500,001 – £2,000,000 | On application | £1,550 | £1,550 | £1,150 |
| Over £2,000,000 | Quoted individually | Quoted individually | Quoted individually | Quoted individually |
All figures exclude VAT at 20%. Purchases over £1,000,000 are quoted individually.
Conveyancing
See your exact conveyancing price
Get an instant, fixed-fee quote with your Stamp Duty, on screen in about a minute and emailed to you.
Additions to our fee
These apply only if they are relevant to your transaction. Each is added to the fee above, and each excludes VAT.
| Addition | When it applies | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Acting for your lender | You are buying or remortgaging with a mortgage | £150 |
| SDLT return preparation | You are buying, and we file your Stamp Duty return | £75 |
| Leasehold supplement | Purchase, sale or transfer of equity of a leasehold property | £250 |
| New build supplement | The property is a new build | £250 |
| Shared ownership supplement | The property is shared ownership | £250 |
| Gifted deposit | Some or all of your deposit is a gift | £150 |
| First-time buyer | No additional charge | No charge |
| Additional property or second home | No additional charge | No charge |
Disbursements
These are costs payable to third parties. We pay them for you and add them to your bill. The figures below include VAT where VAT is charged.
| Disbursement | Cost (including VAT) |
|---|---|
| Search pack – regulated local authority search, drainage and water, Groundsure environmental | £160.00 |
| Telegraphic transfer (TT/CHAPS), per transfer | £25.00 |
| Electronic identity and anti-money-laundering check, per person | £19.01 |
| Land Registry priority search (OS1/OS2) | £8.40 |
| Land Charges bankruptcy search (K16) | £7.20 |
| Bank account verification (Lawyer Checker) | £21.60 |
| Land Registry registration fee | See below |
Land Registry registration fee
HM Land Registry charges a registration fee based on the value of the property. We lodge applications electronically, which attracts the lower of the two published scales. No VAT is payable on the registration fee.
| Property value | Purchase or transfer of whole (Scale 1) | Remortgage or transfer of equity (Scale 2) |
|---|---|---|
| Up to £80,000 | £20 | £20 |
| £80,001 – £100,000 | £40 | £20 |
| £100,001 – £200,000 | £100 | £30 |
| £200,001 – £500,000 | £150 | £45 |
| £500,001 – £1,000,000 | £295 | £65 |
| Over £1,000,000 | £500 | £140 |
Stamp Duty Land Tax
Stamp Duty is a tax you pay to HMRC. It is not our fee. We prepare and file your return, but the tax itself is payable on top of everything above, and the amount depends on your own circumstances and on the rates in force on the day you complete. The current residential rates for a standard purchase are:
| Portion of the purchase price | Rate |
|---|---|
| Up to £125,000 | 0% |
| £125,001 – £250,000 | 2% |
| £250,001 – £925,000 | 5% |
| £925,001 – £1,500,000 | 10% |
| Above £1,500,000 | 12% |
- First-time buyers pay no Stamp Duty on the first £300,000, and 5% on the portion from £300,001 to £500,000. The relief is not available at all if the price is more than £500,000.
- If you are buying an additional property or a second home, a surcharge of 5% is usually added to each of the rates above.
We do not give tax advice. You should satisfy yourself as to the amount payable.
What is not included
We will always tell you the cost of any of these before we do the work:
- Indemnity policies
- Licence to assign
- Deed of covenant
- Notice of transfer and charge
- Leasehold management pack (the managing agent sets this fee and we confirm it separately)
- Declaration of trust
- Additional searches
- Expedited completion
- Our abortive fee, if the transaction falls through
Getting started, key stages and timescales
Getting started
We ask for £500 as a payment on account when you instruct us. It goes towards your searches and comes off your final bill, and it lets us start work straight away. There is nothing to pay at the point you accept your quote.
Key stages of a purchase
- Taking your instructions and giving you initial advice
- Checking your finances are in place and, if you are borrowing, receiving and reviewing your mortgage offer
- Carrying out searches and raising enquiries of the seller's solicitor
- Reviewing the title, the lease if there is one, and all replies and search results, then reporting to you
- Agreeing a completion date and exchanging contracts
- Completing the purchase, filing your Stamp Duty return and paying the tax
- Registering your ownership at HM Land Registry
How long it takes
A straightforward freehold purchase in a short chain usually takes 10 to 14 weeks from instruction to completion. Leasehold purchases take longer, typically 14 to 20 weeks, because we have to obtain a management pack from the landlord or managing agent and the timing of that is outside our control. A remortgage is usually 4 to 6 weeks. These are typical timescales, not promises.
Wills and probate
Grant of probate only
You provide the details of the estate, we prepare and submit the application, and you deal with collecting and distributing the assets yourself.
| Service | Fixed fee |
|---|---|
| Grant only, where no full inheritance tax account is required | £1,500 plus VAT |
| Grant only, where a full IHT400 account is required | £2,500 plus VAT |
Full estate administration
We handle everything: identifying and valuing the assets and liabilities, the inheritance tax position, the application, collecting in the estate, settling debts, preparing estate accounts and distributing to the beneficiaries.
| Estate | Our fee |
|---|---|
| Straightforward – one property, a small number of accounts, up to five beneficiaries, no inheritance tax payable, no disputes | £5,500 – £8,500 plus VAT |
| Moderate – several properties or accounts, a larger number of beneficiaries, or an IHT400 required | £8,500 – £15,000 plus VAT |
| Complex – inheritance tax payable, business or agricultural assets, trusts arising, foreign assets, missing beneficiaries or a claim against the estate | From £15,000 plus VAT, agreed with you at the outset |
Where Judge Law is appointed as executor, a value element is charged in addition, at 1% of the value of any property and 2% of the value of the other assets. We will always tell you which band your estate falls into before you instruct us, and we will tell you promptly if something emerges that moves it.
Disbursements
| Disbursement | Cost |
|---|---|
| Probate application fee (estates over £5,000) | £526 |
| Additional copies of the grant, ordered with the application | £2 each |
| Land Charges bankruptcy search, per name | £6 plus VAT |
| Notice in The Gazette, protecting against unknown claims | £96.55 plus VAT |
| Notice in a local newspaper | From approximately £100 plus VAT |
| Certainty Will Search | From approximately £60 including VAT |
| Office copy entries, per title | £7 |
There is no probate application fee if the estate is £5,000 or less.
Key stages and timescales
Key stages
- Taking your instructions, identifying the executors or administrators and confirming the terms of the will
- Identifying and valuing the assets and liabilities of the estate
- Preparing the inheritance tax account and paying any tax due
- Applying for and obtaining the grant of representation
- Collecting in the assets and settling the debts and liabilities
- Preparing estate accounts and distributing to the beneficiaries
How long it takes
A grant-only application is usually 8 to 12 weeks from the point we have everything we need from you, though HM Courts and Tribunals Service processing times move and are outside our control. A straightforward full administration typically takes 9 to 12 months. Estates with inheritance tax to pay, property to sell, or any dispute will take longer.
Employment tribunal claims
We act for both employees and employers in claims for unfair and wrongful dismissal. All of the fees below exclude VAT.
Initial advice
| Service | Fixed fee |
|---|---|
| Initial advice on a wrongful dismissal claim | £300 plus VAT |
| Initial advice on an unfair dismissal claim | £500 plus VAT |
Settlement agreements
If your employer offers you a settlement agreement (previously called a compromise agreement), the law requires you to take independent legal advice on it before it can take effect. Your employer will usually pay a contribution towards that advice, and in most cases that contribution covers our fee in full, so there is nothing for you to pay. We confirm the position with you at the outset, and if the employer's contribution does not cover our fee we tell you the difference before we start any work.
Fixed fees for individual pieces of work
If you want to run the claim yourself but need specific documents prepared, we will do that on a fixed-fee basis. Which of the two figures applies depends on the complexity of the claim and the seniority of the fee earner; we will tell you which applies before we start.
| Piece of work | Fixed fee | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Drafting the claim form (ET1) or response (ET3) | £600 or £850 plus VAT | Up to 4 hours' drafting |
| Preparing a schedule of loss | £350 or £500 plus VAT | No limit |
| Preparing a list of documents | £350 or £600 plus VAT | Up to 650 pages |
| Drafting a witness statement | £850 or £1,350 plus VAT | Up to 6 hours' work |
Running the whole claim
Where we act throughout, we charge at the hourly rate of the fee earner with conduct of your matter. Our hourly rates for tribunal work range from £150 to £350 plus VAT, depending on seniority. Total costs typically fall within these ranges:
| Type of claim | Complexity | Likely total cost |
|---|---|---|
| Wrongful dismissal | Simple | £3,000 – £6,000 plus VAT and disbursements |
| Wrongful dismissal | Complex | £4,500 – £8,500 plus VAT and disbursements |
| Unfair dismissal | Simple | £12,000 – £25,000 plus VAT and disbursements |
| Unfair dismissal | Medium | £25,000 – £45,000 plus VAT and disbursements |
| Unfair dismissal | Complex | £45,000 – £60,000 plus VAT and disbursements |
These figures assume the claim is heard at a tribunal within reasonable travelling distance, and they do not include any work after the final hearing, such as an appeal or enforcement. Most claims settle before the final hearing; if yours does, the total cost will be lower than the ranges above.
What makes a claim more expensive
- A preliminary hearing is needed, for example on jurisdiction or employment status
- There are allegations of discrimination or whistleblowing alongside the dismissal claim
- There is a large volume of documents, or a large number of witnesses
- The other side changes its case, makes late applications or is difficult to deal with
- The hearing is listed for several days rather than one
Disbursements, key stages and timescales
Disbursements
The main disbursement is counsel's fee for representation at the hearing. A less experienced barrister typically charges in the region of £1,000 to £1,500 per day; a more experienced barrister £2,000 per day and above. There is no fee to bring a claim in the employment tribunal.
Key stages
- Taking your instructions and advising on the merits and likely compensation
- Early conciliation through ACAS, which is compulsory before a claim can be brought
- Preparing and filing the claim form, or the response if you are the employer
- Exchanging documents and preparing the hearing bundle
- Taking witness statements and exchanging them
- Preparing for and attending the final hearing, with counsel
How long it takes
From instruction to final hearing is usually 6 to 12 months, driven largely by tribunal listing times, which vary considerably by region. If the claim settles at early conciliation, it can be concluded in 4 to 8 weeks.
Debt recovery
We recover undisputed business debts on a staged, fixed-fee basis, so that you know what each step costs before you decide to take it. You are never committed to the next stage, and we will tell you when we think a debt is not worth pursuing.
All of our fees below exclude VAT, which is charged at 20%. Court fees are set by the court and no VAT is payable on them.
Stage 1 – Letter of claim
We take your instructions, review your invoices and contractual terms, run a status check on the debtor, calculate the interest and compensation you are entitled to, and send a formal letter of claim that complies with the Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims.
| Value of the debt | Our fee |
|---|---|
| Up to £10,000 | £350 plus VAT |
| £10,000.01 – £50,000 | £550 plus VAT |
| £50,000.01 – £100,000 | £750 plus VAT |
| Over £100,000 | Quoted individually |
A great many debts are paid at this stage, which is why it is worth doing properly.
Stage 2 – The debtor's response
| What happens | Our fee |
|---|---|
| The debtor pays in full | £95 plus VAT, to receive, account for and remit the funds to you |
| The debtor accepts the debt and proposes terms of payment | £250 plus VAT to negotiate and document an instalment arrangement, and £150 plus VAT for each further round of negotiation |
| A formal settlement agreement or Tomlin order is needed | £450 plus VAT |
| The debtor does not engage | No further fee at this stage. We advise you on whether issuing proceedings is worthwhile |
Stage 3 – Issuing proceedings and obtaining judgment
Our fee covers drafting and issuing the claim, serving it, and applying for judgment in default if the debtor neither acknowledges the claim nor files a defence. The court fee is payable by you in addition and is usually recovered from the debtor if you succeed.
| Value of the debt | Our fee | Court fee | Fixed costs recoverable from the debtor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to £300 | £350 | £35 | £50 |
| £300.01 – £500 | £400 | £50 | £50 |
| £500.01 – £1,000 | £500 | £70 | £70 |
| £1,000.01 – £1,500 | £600 | £80 | £80 |
| £1,500.01 – £3,000 | £750 | £115 | £80 |
| £3,000.01 – £5,000 | £950 | £205 | £80 |
| £5,000.01 – £10,000 | £1,250 | £455 | £100 |
| £10,000.01 – £25,000 | £1,650 | 5% of the claim | £100 |
| £25,000.01 – £50,000 | £2,250 | 5% of the claim | £100 |
| £50,000.01 – £100,000 | £2,950 | 5% of the claim | £100 |
| Over £100,000 | Quoted individually | 5% of the claim, capped at £10,000 | £100 |
Our fees exclude VAT. The fixed costs in the final column are set by the Civil Procedure Rules and are added to the judgment; they do not cover the whole of our fee, and the difference is payable by you.
Stage 4 – If the claim is defended
A defended claim is no longer a debt recovery matter, and no fixed fee can sensibly cover it. We will charge at the hourly rate of the fee earner with conduct of your matter, which we will confirm to you in writing before we do any further work. Our hourly rates range from £150 to £350 plus VAT depending on seniority.
As a guide, a defended claim of up to £10,000 taken to a small claims hearing usually costs between £2,500 and £6,000 plus VAT. A defended claim on the fast track typically runs from £6,000 to £15,000 plus VAT. We will give you a written estimate when the defence arrives, together with our honest view on whether the claim is worth continuing.
Stage 5 – Enforcing a judgment
A judgment is not the same thing as being paid. If the debtor does not pay, these are the routes available and what each costs.
| Enforcement step | Our fee | Court fee |
|---|---|---|
| Advice on which enforcement route suits the debtor | £250 plus VAT | None |
| Order to obtain information from the debtor | £450 plus VAT | £69 |
| Warrant of control (County Court bailiff) | £350 plus VAT | £96 |
| Writ of control (transfer to the High Court) | £450 plus VAT | £82 |
| Attachment of earnings order | £550 plus VAT | £139 |
| Third party debt order | £950 plus VAT | £139 |
| Charging order, interim and final, without a hearing | £1,200 plus VAT | £139 |
- Where we transfer a judgment to the High Court, the High Court Enforcement Officer charges their own fees in addition to ours. We will confirm those fees with you before instructing them.
- A charging order that is opposed, or that requires a hearing, is charged at our hourly rates rather than the fixed fee above.
What is not included, and timescales
What is not included
- Insolvency proceedings, including statutory demands, winding-up petitions and bankruptcy petitions. We do take these on, and will quote separately.
- Any claim where the debt is genuinely disputed before proceedings are issued.
- Debtors outside England and Wales, and enforcement against assets outside England and Wales.
- Claims arising from more than a handful of invoices, or requiring reconstruction of an account, which we will quote for once we have seen the papers.
How long it takes
If the debtor pays on the letter of claim, matters are usually concluded within four to six weeks. The Pre-Action Protocol gives a debtor 30 days to respond, and we cannot issue before that has run.
If we issue proceedings and obtain judgment in default, allow three to five months from your original instruction. Enforcement adds anything from a few weeks to several months, depending on the route and the debtor. A defended claim will take considerably longer, and we will give you a revised timetable at the point the defence arrives.
Immigration
Our fees for immigration work are set out below, and all exclude VAT. Home Office application fees and the Immigration Health Surcharge are payable to the Home Office in addition, and are not included in our fees. Those fees change regularly and we will confirm the current amount for your application.
Work and business routes
| Route | Our fee |
|---|---|
| Skilled Worker – new employment | £3,840 – £6,000 plus VAT |
| Skilled Worker – change of employment | £3,840 – £6,000 plus VAT |
| Skilled Worker – high earner | £3,000 – £3,600 plus VAT |
| Senior or Specialist Worker (Global Business Mobility) – in-country | £3,000 – £4,200 plus VAT |
| Senior or Specialist Worker (Global Business Mobility) – entry clearance | £2,400 – £3,600 plus VAT |
| Global Talent | £3,600 – £6,000 plus VAT |
| Innovator Founder | £6,000 – £9,000 plus VAT |
| Temporary Work – Government Authorised Exchange | £1,800 plus VAT |
| Creative Worker | £2,400 – £3,000 plus VAT |
| Youth Mobility Scheme | £1,800 – £2,400 plus VAT |
| Other business and investment routes | Quoted individually |
Sponsor licences, settlement, citizenship and EU Settlement Scheme
Sponsor licences
| Service | Our fee |
|---|---|
| Sponsor licence application – Worker or Temporary Worker | £2,400 – £4,800 plus VAT |
| Adding a route to an existing licence, or compliance support | £1,200 – £4,800 plus VAT |
Settlement and citizenship
| Service | Our fee |
|---|---|
| Indefinite Leave to Remain | £2,400 – £4,800 plus VAT |
| Naturalisation or registration as a British citizen | £2,400 – £6,000 plus VAT |
EU Settlement Scheme
Free movement ended on 31 December 2020. Applications are now made under the EU Settlement Scheme.
| Service | Our fee |
|---|---|
| EU Settlement Scheme family permit, or a straightforward application | £1,020 – £1,800 plus VAT |
| Settled status (upgrading from pre-settled status) | £2,400 – £3,600 plus VAT |
| Late application, or an application with complicating features | £2,400 – £4,800 plus VAT |
What moves you within a range, key stages and timescales
What moves you within a range
- Whether the application is straightforward or has complicating features, such as gaps in immigration history, previous refusals or criminal matters
- How many dependants are included
- Whether documents need to be obtained from overseas or translated
- Whether we are also advising a sponsoring employer on its compliance duties
Key stages
- An initial assessment of your eligibility and the best route for you
- Advising on the documents you will need and reviewing what you provide
- Preparing the application and any supporting representations
- Submitting the application and booking your biometrics appointment
- Dealing with any further enquiries from the Home Office until a decision is made
How long it takes
Our own preparation usually takes 2 to 4 weeks from the point we have your documents. Home Office processing times then depend on the route and on whether you use the priority service. Standard processing is typically 3 to 8 weeks for entry clearance and up to 6 months for in-country applications, and we will tell you the current published times for your route.
Family law
We act in divorce and financial remedy proceedings, in disputes about children, and in cases involving domestic abuse. We also prepare pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements and separation agreements.
Your first appointment
We offer a free initial triage call, so that you can tell us briefly what has happened and we can tell you whether we are the right firm for you and what your options are likely to be.
A full advice consultation with a specialist family solicitor is £180 plus VAT. In that meeting you will get proper advice on your position, the likely outcomes and the realistic next steps, in writing afterwards if you want it.
Ongoing work
Beyond the first consultation, family work is charged at the hourly rate of the solicitor acting for you, which we will confirm to you in writing before you instruct us. Family matters vary so much in what they involve that a single published price would be misleading; instead, we give you a written estimate at the outset, broken down by stage, and we update it whenever something changes the picture.
Where the work is well-defined, such as a consent order, a separation agreement or a pre-nuptial agreement, we will normally offer a fixed fee, and we will tell you that fee before you commit.
Common questions
Do you offer fixed fees?
Wherever we can, yes. Conveyancing, grant-only probate, the debt recovery stages and many immigration and employment tasks are fixed fees, so you know the cost before you commit. Where the work genuinely depends on what happens, such as a contested matter, we give you a written estimate and confirm the hourly rate first, and we update the estimate if the picture changes.
Do I have to pay anything upfront?
For conveyancing we ask for £500 as a payment on account when you instruct us; it goes towards your searches and comes off your final bill. There is nothing to pay at the point you accept a quote. For other work, we confirm any payment on account in your client care letter before we start.
Is VAT included in your prices?
VAT is charged at 20%. Where a price is shown as "plus VAT", VAT is added on top; where it is shown as "including VAT", it is not. Disbursements payable to third parties are shown including VAT where VAT applies.
Do you offer Legal Aid?
We are not a supplier of Legal Aid. Judge Law is a private law firm, and all of our work is undertaken on a privately funded basis.
How are your hourly rates set?
Where work is charged by time rather than a fixed fee, our hourly rates range from £150 to £350 plus VAT, depending on the seniority of the person doing the work. We confirm the rate applying to your matter in your client care letter before any chargeable work begins.
What if I am unhappy with a bill or our service?
Please tell us. We acknowledge complaints within seven days and respond substantively within eight weeks. If we have not resolved it, you may be able to take it to the Legal Ombudsman at PO Box 6167, Slough, SL1 0EH, on 0300 555 0333, or at enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk.
Who does your work
Every matter is handled by a named solicitor or fee earner and supervised by a partner. We will tell you at the outset who has conduct of your matter, what their qualifications and experience are, and who supervises them.
Our hourly rates depend on the seniority of the person doing the work and range from £150 to £350 plus VAT per hour. We will confirm the rate applying to your matter in your client care letter before any chargeable work begins.
The firm is managed by Simarjot Singh Judge, Managing Partner, who is also our Compliance Officer for Legal Practice. Naresh Suppal is our other supervising partner.
If something goes wrong
If you are unhappy with our service or with a bill, please tell us. Our complaints procedure is set out in your client care letter and is available on request, and we will acknowledge your complaint within seven days and respond substantively within eight weeks.
If we have not resolved your complaint within eight weeks, you may be able to take it to the Legal Ombudsman. You must normally do so within six months of our final response, and within one year of the act or omission complained of, or of when you should reasonably have known there was cause for complaint.
The Legal Ombudsman can be contacted at PO Box 6167, Slough, SL1 0EH, on 0300 555 0333, or at enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk. If your complaint is about our behaviour or professional conduct rather than our service, you can report it to the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Last reviewed: September 2026
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