Bringing a legal case need not lead to excessive costs being incurred. We are open and transparent with you about our charges from the outset. Our charging rates and fixed fees are competitively priced and provide value for money.
INITIAL CONSULTATION
When you contact us for the first time, we will take the details of your case and arrange an initial consultation with you. The cost of the initial consultation is £100.00 (+ VAT) and payment is taken before the consultation takes place. This charge can be paid over the phone or by electronic transfer, whatever is easiest for you.
The consultation takes place over Microsoft Team, although if you willing to travel we are happy to meet you at our offices. The consultation is a chance for you to meet us directly to see if you would like to work with us. It also gives you the opportunity to ask questions about how we work and how we will progress your case. In advance of the consultation we will consider all relevant documents and we will provide you with advice on your legal options.
please contact us to arrange an initial consultation
HOURLY RATE
We can offer you the following hourly rates if you choose to instruct us on this basis:
- £200.00 per hour for solicitor-advocate
- £130.00 per hour for other fee earners
We would invoice you on a monthly basis and would also be happy for you to make payments on account of costs to assist you in budgeting for the legal support.
Unfortunately, we are not able to offer legal aid. This is restricted to only a couple of practices in England and Wales. For more information contact 0345 345 4345.
FIXED FEE PACKAGE FOR SEN TRIBUNAL APPEALS
We recognise that the costs of seeking legal advice and support can be prohibitive. We have therefore created a fixed fee package of support for Parents and Carers where you are considering or are undertaking an appeal to the SEN Tribunal. The costs of the package can be spread out over the course of the appeal or until it concludes.
The fixed fee package does include the instruction of independent experts, if required.
We can also agree a monthly repayment schedule so that the costs can be spread over 6 or 12 months.
For SEN Tribunal Appeals (all categories of appeal) we offer a fixed cost for our services with you. Given the nature of SEN Tribunal appeals this is broken down into two stages:
Stage 1: Advice and Preparation
£3,500 + VAT
We will manage the appeal on your behalf and undertake all worked required to bring the appeal to a hearing. This includes the following types of support:
- Carrying out an initial case evaluation on the strength of the case.
- Discussing the case and providing you with a case plan setting out what is required to pursue the appeal.
- Ongoing liaison with you via telephone/email/ meetings as the case progresses.
- Preparing the appeal documentation and supporting evidence.
- Dealing with all correspondence with the Local Authority/School and LA professionals.
- Dealing with all correspondence with the Tribunal.
- Preparation of further information which will include, witness statements, costs schedules, information from your proposed school and any supporting school records/documentation.
- Preparation of the Working Document where the appeal relates to the contents of the EHC Plan.
- Pre-Tribunal meeting and preparation.
- All travel costs and our disbursements. If you require private expert advice this is not covered by the fixed fee and is additional cost, although we can help you to source the appropriate expert.
Where the case is decided by the Tribunal “on the papers alone”, you would only incur the fixed fee to this stage. This is common in cases involving a “refusal to assess” a child’s special educational needs.
