Fixed Costs for Debt Recovery Work

If at any stage the matter becomes contested then you will be charged on a time/costs basis for all work undertaken on your file.

Members of Debt Recovery Team who may work on your matter as detailed below:

• Stephen Wengraf  is a Partner and Head of Litigation with a current hourly rate of £320 plus vat £64 (a total of £384)
• Katie Whelan is a Solicitor with a current hourly rate of £250 plus vat of £50 (a total of £300)
• Charlotte McStravick is a Paralegal with a current hourly rate of £125 plus vat of £25 (a total of £150)

Regardless of who works on your matter, they will be supervised by Stephen Wengraf, Partner and Head of the Debt Recovery Department.

Preferential Rates

Please note that preferential rates are available upon request for multiple instructions. Please contact the Debt Recovery Department for more details about these rates.

Legal costs

Claims below Small Claims limit at £10,000

Letter of claim and file review and advice

£500 plus vat £100 (total £600)

Draft Summons/ Particulars of Claim

£350 plus vat £70 (total £420) to £500 plus vat £100 (total £600)

Witness statement and disclosure (depending on complexity)

£500 plus vat £100 (total £600) to £1000 plus vat £200 (total £1200)

Trial Preparation

£400 plus vat £80 (total £480) to £800 plus vat £160 (total £960)

Fast Track Claim below £25,000

Letter of claim

£500 plus vat £100 (total £600)

Draft Summons and Particulars of Claim

£500 plus vat £100 (total £600) to £750 plus vat £150 (total £900)

Case Management Orders

£500 plus vat £100 (total £600) to £1,000 plus vat £200 (total £1,200)

Witness statement and disclosure

£1,000 plus vat £200 (total £1,200) to £2,000 plus vat £400 (total £2,400)

Trial Preparation

£1,000 plus vat £200 (total £1,200)

Trial 

£1,000 plus vat £200 (total £1,200) to £2,000 plus vat £400 (total £2,400) plus travel expenses

Intermediate Claim (between £25,000 and £100,000)

Letter of claim

£500 plus vat £100 (total £600)

Draft Summons and Particulars of Claim

£500 plus vat £100 (total £600) to £750 plus vat £150 (total £900)

Case Management Orders

£500 plus vat £100 (total £600) to £1,000 plus vat £200 (total £1,200)

Witness statement and disclosure

£1,000 plus vat £200 (total £1,200) to £2,000 plus vat £400 (total £2,400)

Trial Preparation

£1,000 plus vat £200 (total £1,200)

Trial 

£2,000 plus vat £400 (total £2,400) to £5,000 plus vat £1,000 (total £6,000) plus travel expenses

Multitrack Claim (over £100,000)

Costs at hourly rate

Steve Wengraf – solicitor and partner £320 plus vat £64 (a total of £384)

Katie Whelan – solicitor £250 plus vat £50 (total £300)

Charlotte McStravick – paralegal £125 plus vat £25 (total £150)

Disbursements

Civil court fees

A court fee is payable on issue of a claim as set out in the table below.

Issuing claims

Money claims – Civil Fees Order 1.1-1.2 To issue a claim for money, the fees are based on the amount claimed, including interest. For Court Issued Claims, please round fractions of pence down to the nearest penny. Example: A Fee calculated as being £1050.5096 rounds down to a payable fee of £1050.50:

Non-money claims

To issue a claim for possession

High Court possessions £559 (no vat)

County Court possessions £415 (no vat)

To issue a claim for something other than money or possessions (e.g. civil injunctions, gas injunctions, anti-social behaviour injunctions) the fees are based on where you start your claim – fees order 1.5

High Court (including possession claims) £663 (no vat)

County Court £387 (no vat)

Timescales

Where the matter can be resolved without the issue of proceedings, the claim letter will be sent within a few days of having your full instructions. It then usually take around two to six weeks to receipt of payment from the other side,

If it is necessary to issue a claim then matters will usually take 10 weeks on the basis that the opponent pays promptly upon receipt of Judgment in Default.

If enforcement action is needed then the matter will take longer to resolve.

• Before the issue of Court proceeding there are guidelines called the Pre Action Protocols which set out a process that the pre litigation process should follow. In general terms the defendant has 14 – 30 days (depending on the circumstances) to acknowledge a claim and then up to 3 months to substantively respond to a claim. At all stages both claimant and defendant must respond to requests and both must act reasonably.
• If the case is not possible of resolution. Court proceeding may have to be issued which will almost always be in the County Court. If proceedings are issued and defended these are then allocated to a track by the Court which is appropriate to the complexity and value of the case.
  – Generally a claim for losses under £10,000 (under £1,000 for personal injury case) are Small Claims and should get from issue of proceedings to a Trial in 6 – 9 months.
  – Claims of £10,000 to £25,000 (£1,000 to £25,000 for personal injury claims) are dealt with as Fast Track Claims and should get from issue of proceedings to Trial in about 12 months.
  – Claims of £25,000 to £100,000 are dealt with as Intermediate Track Claims and should move from issue of proceedings to Trial in about 12 months.
• – Complex cases and ones involving damages which exceed £100,000 are Multi Track Claims which are likely to reach Trial in 12 – 24 months).

The above figures are guidance only. At all stages we will endeavour to give as precise as possible time estimates as the matter progresses.