Regulatory information
Devonshires, Devonshires Solicitors, Devonshires Consultancy and The Debt Collection Centre are the trading names of Devonshires Solicitors LLP, registered in England and Wales with company number OC397401 authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority under registration number 619881. The SRA’s Rules can be found in its Codes of Conduct, available through the SRA website – https://www.sra.org.uk/solicitors/standards-regulations/.
A list of members is available for inspection at the registered office at 30 Finsbury Circus, London EC2M 7DT.
Any reference to Devonshires or Devonshires Solicitors on this website refers to Devonshires Solicitors LLP.
These pages contain general information only. Nothing in these pages constitutes legal advice. You should consult a suitably qualified lawyer on any specific legal problem or matter.
Devonshires Solicitors LLP is registered for VAT purposes with VAT registration number 231 5013 62.
Complaints
We want to give clients the best possible service. However, if at any point you become unhappy or concerned about the service we have provided then you should inform us immediately, so that we can do our best to resolve the problem.
In the first instance it may be helpful to contact the person who is working on your case to discuss your concerns and we will do our best to resolve any issues at this stage. If you would like to make a complaint, then you can read our full complaints procedure here. Making a complaint will not affect how we handle your case.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority can help you if you are concerned about our behaviour. This could be for things like dishonesty, taking or losing your money or treating you unfairly because of your age, a disability or other characteristic.
You can raise your concerns directly with the Solicitors Regulation Authority if you so wish.
What to do if we cannot resolve your complaint
The Legal Ombudsman can help you if we are unable to resolve your complaint ourselves. They will look at your complaint independently and it will not affect how we handle your case.
Before accepting a complaint for investigation, the Legal Ombudsman will check that you have tried to resolve your complaint with us first. If you have, then you must take your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman:
Within six months of receiving a final response to your complaint
and
No more than one year from the date of act/omission; or
No more than one year from when you should reasonably have known there was cause for complaint.
If you would like more information about the Legal Ombudsman, please contact them at:
Website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk
Tel: 0300 555 0333 between 9am to 5pm.
Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
Address: Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6167,Slough SL1 0EH
Legal Notices
Warning
Devonshires makes no warranties, representations or undertakings about any of the content of this website (including, without limitation, any as to the accuracy, quality, completeness or fitness for any particular purpose of such content), or any content of any other website referred to or accessed by hypertext link through this website (“Third Party Site”).
Devonshires does not endorse or approve the content of any Third Party Site, nor will Devonshires have any liability in connection with any of them (including, but not limited to, liability arising out of any allegation that the content of any Third Party Site infringes any law or the rights of any person or entity). Any enquiries should be directed to info@devonshires.co.uk.
Copyright Notice
The contents of these pages are © Devonshires 2019. You may download to a local hard disk and print extracts from this website for any non-commercial purpose. You may also copy materials on this site to third parties provided that any such copy is accurate and not misleading, is provided free of charge, acknowledges Devonshires as its source and prominently features both this limited right to copy and the www.devonshires.co.uk web address.
You may provide a link (but not a framed link) to this site from any other business information or business service website, but not (save with our prior written agreement) in any way which creates the impression that we are associated with or have approved such other site. Apart from this, you may not reproduce or store any part of this site on any other website without our prior consent.
Bribery Act
Devonshires Solicitors LLP has a zero tolerance policy towards bribery and corruption. The Firm is subject to the UK Bribery Act 2010 and has an anti-corruption policy which has been endorsed by its senior management. The policy applies to all of our employees, and prohibits making, offering or promising to make a payment or to transfer anything of value, including the provision of any service, gift or entertainment, on our behalf, by all or any of our employees, for any improper purpose or business advantage.
For more information about our anti-corruption policies and procedures, please contact us.
List of partners
List of partners in alphabetical order:
Name | Admitted |
---|---|
Adam Mathewson | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
Alice Overton | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
Anna Bennett | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
Asif Patel | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
Baljit Basra | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
Carlos Fernandes | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
Caroline Mostowfi | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
Charlotte Sawyer | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
Chris Drabble | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
Dan Moan | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
David Bullock | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
David Pack | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
Donna McCarthy | Legal Executive admitted in England & Wales |
Elad Yasdi | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
Gary Grigor | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
Gemma Bell | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
Hannah Langford | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
Helen Curtis | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
Hetal Ruparelia | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
Jamie Leonard | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
Jim Varley | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
Joanna Bouloux | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
Jonathan Corris | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
Jonathan Jarvis | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
Julian Barker | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
Justine Hunkins | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
Karen Morean | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
Kathryn Kligerman | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
Katie Fung | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
Katie Maguire | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
Kirsty Thompson | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
Kris Kelliher | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
Krissun Soodin | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
Lee Russell | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
Leo Stevens | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
Lucy Vannet | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
Mark Foxcroft | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
Mark London | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
Matthew Cocklin | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
Matthew Garbutt | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
Matthew Waters | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
Michael Wharfe | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
Natalie Swales | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
Neil Lawlor | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
Nikki Bowker | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
Pauline Lépissier | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
Philip Barden | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
Philip Evans | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
Prasan Modasia | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
Rachel Eldridge | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
Rachel Orgill-Harris | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
Rebecca Brady | Legal Executive admitted in England & Wales |
Richard Anderson | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
Saghar Roya | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
Samantha Grix | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
Sasha Pirbhai | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
Sharon Kirkham | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
Stavrina Tofallis | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
Stephen Netherway | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
Tom Humphrey | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
Triya Maicha | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
Victoria Smith | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
Zoe McLean-Wells | Solicitor admitted in England & Wales |
The information on this page is required by the Electronic Commerce (EC Directive) Regulations 2002.
The firm is authorised under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 to undertake exempt regulated activities without being authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority, provided that we comply with rules made by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Such rules specify the regulated activities which the firm may and may not undertake. We do not carry on mainstream financial services activities, which would require us to be regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. We are permitted to perform limited regulated financial activities in addition to our normal professional services, in the form of insurance mediation activities. This is broadly advising on, selling and the administration of insurance contracts. We may only conduct such activities where they are complementary and incidental to the provision of a particular professional service to a particular client.
Money Laundering
The Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017 (as amended) and the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 impose a number of obligations on law firms in the United Kingdom as part of the UK Government’s measures to combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism.
This legislation is intended to provide a comprehensive system of client identification procedures, record keeping and mandatory reporting.
Upon taking instructions from a new client we are required to identify both our client and (if relevant) the ultimate beneficial owner of our client, and to verify that identity in a number of ways. We will need your assistance to satisfy these requirements and we will not be able to act for you if we cannot comply with these obligations.
As lawyers, we are under a general professional and legal obligation to keep your affairs private. However, we are required, by current legislation, to make a report to the National Crime Agency (NCA) where we know or suspect that a transaction involves Money Laundering or Terrorist Financing. By instructing us to act on your behalf in accordance with our Terms of Business you give us irrevocable authority to make a disclosure to NCA if we consider it appropriate.
Modern Slavery Statement
This statement reflects our commitment to act ethically, with integrity and to comply with the principles of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
Reference to ‘slavery and human trafficking’ in this statement includes modern slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour.
Background
We are a provider of a range of legal services principally to clients within England and Wales. Our main office is based in London, with offices in Leeds, Colchester and Birmingham. Our business is organised into a number of different practice areas.
For the latest completed financial year, our turnover was in excess of the £36 million statutory threshold requiring us to publish this statement. In previous financial years, we have provided modern slavery statements on a voluntary basis.
Governance and Management
To ensure a high level of understanding of the risks of slavery and human trafficking in our supply chains and our business, all our Partners have been briefed on the matter.
Our CEO and senior members of our Business Support Teams play an integral role in ensuring these risks of slavery and human trafficking are minimised as much as possible.
Risk assessments are undertaken regarding our suppliers, in accordance with our Modern Slavery Risk Assessment.
Our policies, controls and procedures relating to slavery and human trafficking are reviewed on a regular basis.
Training is made available to all staff and is delivered to key staff in accordance with a risk based approach.
Our Staff
We take measures to ensure that there is no slavery and human trafficking taking place within our firm or any organisations affiliated with our firm.
- Where we are employing staff, we check that they have the right to work.
- All employees are paid a fair wage.
- Depending on the nature of their role, our staff are provided with training and awareness relating to slavery and human trafficking.
- We have policies and procedures in the workplace which encourage our staff to report concerns.
Our Supply Chain
Our supply chain includes the sourcing of various facilities principally related to the provision of legal services.
We are committed to ensuring in so far as we reasonably can that there is no slavery and human trafficking in our supply chains. To mitigate the risks of slavery and human trafficking we have:
- Taken steps to ensure we maintain optimum control over the working environment of each office.
- Limited the use of international supply chains.
- Built relationships with suppliers.
- Taken reasonable steps to ensure we contract with suppliers who:
- Commit to abide by the same principles regarding equality and diversity and to abolish slavery and human trafficking as we have.
- Have assured us that their staff are paid in accordance with the relevant legislation.
- Share our values.
We expect each supplier to carry out their own due diligence on their own suppliers in so far as it is reasonably practical for them to do so. We ask new suppliers to complete a questionnaire regarding their practices, including confirmation that there is no slavery and human trafficking at their organisation or along their supply chain. Only after we have satisfied ourselves in respect of their responses will we proceed to take them on as suppliers.
Wherever possible we have personal contact with our suppliers over the compliance with our expectations.
In order to measure how effective, we have been to ensure slavery and human trafficking is not taking part in our business or our supply chains, we have effective policies, procedures and controls together with and robust systems in place.
This statement is made pursuant to section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and constitutes our slavery and human trafficking statement for the current financial year.
Approval
Julian Barker approved this statement on behalf of the members of Devonshires Solicitors LLP on 11th November 2024.
Tax Evasion
Devonshires is committed to zero tolerance for tax evasion, and we are committed to a dedicated programme to counter the risk of any employee, contractor, business partner or representative of our firm engaging in the criminal facilitation of tax evasion.
SRA Transparency Rules
Whenever costs are stated below as excluding VAT, VAT is chargeable in addition to the figures stated. From 04.01.2011 the standard rate of VAT was increased to 20%.
EMPLOYMENT
Our indicative pricing for bringing and defending claims for unfair or wrongful dismissal.
Simple case: £12,000.00 – £15,000 (excluding VAT)
Medium complexity case: £15,000.00-£25,000.00 (excluding VAT)
High complexity case: £25,000.00-£45,000.00 (excluding VAT)
We generally charge on an hourly rate basis. These estimates are based on our current standard hourly rates which are: £110.00 for a trainee, £205.00 – £310.00 for a qualified solicitor and £335.00 for a partner. All hourly rates are stated excluding VAT. We have people of different seniority in our team, ranging from newly qualified to 17 years’ experience. All are qualified solicitors who are registered with the Law Society and have worked on many Employment Tribunal claims. The team is assisted by a trainee solicitor.
Factors that could make a case more complex:
- Events leading up to the dismissal which go back a long time
- 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 people who don’t have their own qualified representative to help them
- Making or defending a costs application
- Preliminary issues such as whether the claimant has enough service to bring a claim
- The number of witnesses and documents
- If it is an automatic unfair dismissal claim e.g. the dismissal is said to be because the person ‘blew the whistle’
- Having to have a separate hearing to decide what compensation should be awarded if the claim is successful
Disbursements
Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as court fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.
We use a barrister (also known as Counsel) for hearings at a Tribunal. Counsel fees can range from between £1,500 up to £15,000 per day excluding VAT (depending on experience of the barrister).
Key stages
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 claim or response
- Reviewing and advising on claim or response from other party
- Exploring settlement and negotiating settlement throughout the process
- Preparing or considering a schedule of loss/counter schedule of loss
- Preparing for (and instructing Counsel to attend) Preliminary Hearing(s)
- Preparing the list of documents, exchanging documents with the other party and reviewing their documents
- Taking witness statements, drafting statements and agreeing their content with witnesses
- Preparing the trial bundle
- Reviewing and advising on the other party’s witness statements
- Agreeing a list of issues, a chronology and/or cast list
- Preparation and Counsel’s attendance at Final Hearing, including instructions to Counsel
A hearing for wrongful dismissal would typically be completed within 1 day. A hearing for unfair dismissal would typically take 1 or 2 days depending on complexity and the number of witnesses, but it can take longer for example if it is about whistleblowing. Normally a wrongful dismissal or unfair dismissal case can be dealt with in a single hearing, but sometimes there has to be a preliminary hearing first to decide something essential about the claim, or it might be necessary to have a separate hearing to decide what compensation should be awarded if the Tribunal runs out of time to do so at the main hearing. There would be extra Counsel costs if additional hearings were required.
We would charge extra if someone from our team was to attend the hearing as well as Counsel. A fee estimate will be given based on the attending trainee solicitor or solicitor’s hourly rate.
The stages set out above are an indication and if some of stages above are not required, the fee will be lower. 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 on your individual needs.
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 and when the tribunal has capacity to hear the claim. If a settlement is reached before a claim has to be issued, your case is likely to take 4-6 weeks. If your claim proceeds to a Final Hearing, your case is likely to take up to 18 months. However, this is dependent on the listing of the Hearing by the Employment Tribunal. 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.
DEBT RECOVERY
Debt Recovery up to the value of £100,000.00
We generally as a rule charge on the basis of our standard hourly rates, these being;
Partner: £315.00 – £430.00 (plus VAT)
Senior Assistant Solicitor: £245.00 – £275.00 (plus VAT)
Assistant Solicitor: £165.00 – £250.00 (plus VAT)
Chartered Legal Executive: £235.00 – £275.00 (plus VAT)
Paralegal/Trainee Solicitor: £110.00 (plus VAT)
In certain undisputed matters and where possible we may agree to send an initial letter of demand (Letter Before Action) on a fixed fee basis of £150.00 – £250.00 (plus VAT) however this shall depend upon the complexity of the matter.
Our services provided depend upon the course of action required and those available to our client which shall be discussed at the outset of any instruction. Factors to be considered shall include whether the debt is accepted or disputed and the current financial status of your debtor and thereby their ability to make payment.
Services/Key Stages
In the majority cases, other than where settlement is found at an early stage, these shall be discussed with and explained to our client and include;
- Review of instruction and supporting documentation (estimated time 1 hour)
- Drafting and sending the applicable Letter Before Action (estimated time 1-1.5 hours)
- Correspondence with your debtor and/or their legal representative (estimated time 1-3 hours)
- Drafting and presenting a Claim to the applicable Court (estimated time 1-2 hours)
- Requesting Judgment (estimated time 0.5 hour)
- Enforcing Judgment by the most appropriate method (estimated time 1-4 hours)
- Reviewing any Defence or Counterclaim received (estimated time 1-2 hours)
- Drafting and filing to the court a response to a Defence and/or Counterclaim (estimated time 2-4 hours)
- Drafting applicable Witness Statement(s) (estimated time 2-5 hours)
- Reviewing and advising on the other party’s Witness Statement(s) (estimated time 1-2 hours)
- Preparing pre-hearing/trial a list of supporting documents and exchange with the other party (estimated time 3-4 hours)
- Preparing a hearing/trial bundle for filing to the court (estimated time 3-5 hours)
- Attendance at hearing (estimated time 0.5-3 hours)
Disbursements
These are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as court fees.
We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smooth process but applicable funds are required on account.
The Court fee for making a claim for money is based on the amount being claimed, the same are exclusive of VAT and in May 2023 were confirmed as follows;
Claim Value | Court Fee |
Up to £300.00 | £35.00 |
£300.01 to £500.00 | £50.00 |
£500.01 to £1,000.00 | £70.00 |
£1,000.01 to £1,500.00 | £80.00 |
£1,500.01 to £3,000.00 | £115.00 |
£3,000.01 to £5,000.00 | £205.00 |
£5,000.01 to £10,000.00 | £455.00 |
£10,000.01 to £200,000.00 | 5% of the claim |
Note that interest and compensation may take the debt into a higher banding, with a higher cost.
We use a barrister (also known as Counsel) for hearings and whose fees for preparation time and attendance can range from £350.00 to £7,500.00, plus VAT, depending upon the level of counsel required.
Anyone wishing to proceed with a claim should note that, the VAT element of our fee cannot be reclaimed from your debtor.
How long will my matter take?
This depends upon the period of time necessary from taking initial instruction to conclusion of the matter. If a settlement is reached before a claim is issued it is likely to take no more than 4-6 weeks. Should however your claim proceed to trial this can be 4-12 months. With each case being different we may only estimate but shall throughout the course of action discuss each stage with our client and provide where possible a more accurate timescale.
CONVEYANCING TRANSPARENCY
Purchase of a Residential Property
Disbursements and Fees
Our fees cover the legal work that is required to complete the sale of your property, including providing evidence of your ownership to the buyer’s Solicitors from the land registry, negotiating the sale Contract and completing, and redeeming any Mortgage that you have from the sale proceeds.
Whilst our work covers the legal work that is generally required to complete a sale, we draw your attention to the information below, which sets out the work, and advice that is specifically excluded within our retainer.
Legal fee for a Freehold Property:
Our fees for the purchase a Freehold property (based on the assumptions set out below) are based on the value of the property and subject to a minimum fee of £1,200 excluding VAT, and are as follows:
Value of Property | Fee (excl VAT etc) |
£0 – £500,000 | 0.275% of the purchase price |
£500,001 – £1,000,000 | 0.2% of the purchase price |
£1,000,001 – £2,000,000 | 0.1625% of the purchase price |
£2,000,001 -£3,000,000 | 0.125% of the purchase price |
£3,000,001 or above | Fee to be agreed once the sales particulars and key terms of the transaction are known |
Legal fee for a Leasehold Property:
Our fees for the purchase of a Leasehold property (based on the assumptions set out below) are based on the value of the property and subject to a minimum fee of £1,500 excluding VAT, and are as follows:
Value of Property | Fee (excl VAT etc) |
£0 – £500,000 | 0.35% of the purchase price |
£500,001 – £1,000,000 | 0.275% of the purchase price |
£1,000,001 – £2,000,000 | 0.2375% of the purchase price |
£2,000,001 -£3,000,000 | 0.2% of the purchase price |
£3,000,001 or above | Fee to be agreed once the key terms of the transaction are known |
Disbursements:
The usual disbursements payable to third parties (for example the Land Registry and the Government), in addition to our Legal Fee set out above, are as follows:
- Search fees:
£450 including VAT (if the searches required do not amount to this sum, we will credit any remaining balance against our invoice in due course)
- Land Registry fee:
£45 – £1,705 (dependent of the value of the property). VAT is not payable on this disbursement.
- Electronic money transfer fee:
£30 including VAT per transfer required
- Landlord’s registration fees (if leasehold):
£100 to £500 including VAT (variable according to the Landlord)
We use the word ‘Disbursements’ to mean costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as Land Registry fees. We will handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process throughout the course of your transaction.
At Devonshires we do not pay referral fees to Estate Agents or third parties in return for their recommendations; we are referred because the Estate Agent agrees with us that our service levels, efficiency and client care are second to none.
If you are buying with the assistance of a Mortgage you will need to let us know which lender you intend to proceed with. We are registered on the Solicitor Panel for a variety of lenders, but not all of them, so this will determine whether or not your lender will need to instruct their own Solicitor.
How long will it take?
The duration of your transaction will be dependent on a number of variable factors. The average process usually takes between 6 and 10 weeks.
It can be quicker or slower, depending on the parties in the chain. For example, if you are a first time buyer, purchasing a new build property with a mortgage in principle, it could take 5 – 6 weeks. However, if you are buying a leasehold property that requires an extension of the lease for example, this can take significantly longer, between 3 and 6 months. In such a situation additional charges would apply.
The length of the chain will also have an impact on timing, because each buyer and seller in the chain will need to be ready to move at the same time, so it might be necessary to wait for others to catch up.
What does the process involve?
The precise stages involved in the purchase of a property vary according to the circumstances. However, we have set out below the key stages that will usually be involved in all property purchase transactions, being the stages that are included within our costs that are set out above:
- We will take your instructions and provide initial advice as to the process and what we require from you;
- We will seek confirmation that your finances are in place to fund the purchase and contact your lender’s solicitors (if needed);
- We will advise you on the methods of joint ownership, if you are more than one person;
- We will receive and advise you on your property contract documents received from the Seller’s solicitors;
- We will carry out the usual searches which will have been discussed with you before these are put in hand;
- We will raise enquiries of seller’s solicitor following a review of the legal documentation provided;
- We will provide you with a report on title which will set our findings based on the review of the title information, search results and replies to enquiries we have received and highlight any issues, and where possible ways to mitigate against the risk of those, in the form of a comprehensive and detailed report;
- Where you have a mortgage, and where the lender is happy for us to act, we will act for both you and the mortgage company. We will have a duty to disclose to the mortgage company any matter we consider onerous or that we are required to do so as part of the CML requirements, and or any matter that we become aware of in relation to how you will be funding your purchase where monies are coming from other sources other than your own.
- We will send the final Contract to you for signature, and agree a completion date (the date from which you own the property and collect the keys) with the seller and the rest of the chain;
- We will exchange Contracts, after taking your authority to do so, and notify you once this has happened;
- We will request for all monies needed to be received from both your Mortgage lender and you, in time for the agreed completion date;
- We will then proceed to complete the purchase and notify you that the keys can be collected
- We will then deal with the submission of the SDLT form with HMRC and submit any stamp duty payable once the funds are received by us from you and submit an application for registration of your ownership at the Land Registry.
Stamp Duty Land Tax
The purchase of a property in the United Kingdom is usually subject to a tax payable to the Government, known as Stamp duty Land Tax (or ‘Stamp Duty’). This depends on the purchase price of your property. Also, first time buyers may receive more tax relief than others, whereas buyers who already own other properties may need to pay more tax. You can calculate the amount you will need to pay by using the online calculator on HMRC’s website (or if the property is located in Wales, by using the Welsh Revenue Authority’s website).
*Our fees assume that:
- this is a standard transaction and that no unforeseen matters arise including for example (but not limited to) a defect in title which requires remedying prior to completion or the preparation of additional documents ancillary to the main transaction (being a contract, transfer and/or lease);
- the purchase is to be by way of a freehold transfer of whole or if leasehold, this is the assignment of an existing lease and it is not the grant of a new lease; Please note, that if the property is leasehold, you should also be aware that ground rent and service charge 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.
- the transaction is concluded in a timely manner and no unforeseen complications arise;
- all parties to the transaction are co-operative and there is no unreasonable delay from third parties providing documentation;
- no indemnity policies are required. Additional costs and disbursements may apply if indemnity policies are required;
- that the Property is being purchased by up to two people and not a company in one transaction.
**Please note that our work does not include:
- Advice in respect of accounting treatment or any other Financial advice.
- Advice in respect of insurance matters
- Advice in respect of planning matters beyond reporting to you the results of any local search undertaken
- Tax advice or tax planning including, without limitation, advice on VAT, Capital Gains Tax, Corporation Tax or Income Tax
- Any licences to undertake works
- Dealing with any overage provisions
- Varying of any existing documents
- Reviewing or advising on any third party interests or tenancies, should a property be sold not with vacant possession
- Inspection of the Property
- Any extension required to extend any lease
Sale of a Residential Property
Disbursements and Fees
Our fees cover the legal work that is required to complete the sale of your property, including providing evidence of your ownership to the buyer’s Solicitors from the land registry, negotiating the sale Contract and completing, and redeeming any Mortgage that you have from the sale proceeds.
Whilst our work covers the legal work that is generally required to complete a sale, we draw your attention to the information below, which sets out the work, and advice that is specifically excluded within our retainer.
Legal fee for a Freehold Property:
Our fees for the sale a Freehold property (based on the assumptions set out below) are based on the value of the property and subject to a minimum fee of £1,200 excluding VAT, and are as follows:
Value of Property | Fee (excl VAT etc) |
£0 – £500,000 | 0.275% of the purchase price |
£500,001 – £1,000,000 | 0.2% of the purchase price |
£1,000,001 – £2,000,000 | 0.1625% of the purchase price |
£2,000,001 -£3,000,000 | 0.125% of the purchase price |
£3,000,001 or above | Fee to be agreed once the sales particulars and key terms of the transaction are known |
Legal fee for a Leasehold Property:
Our fees for the sale of a Leasehold property (based on the assumptions set out below) are based on the value of the property and subject to a minimum fee of £1,500 excluding VAT, and are as follows:
Value of Property | Fee (excl VAT etc) |
£0 – £500,000 | 0.35% of the purchase price |
£500,001 – £1,000,000 | 0.275% of the purchase price |
£1,000,001 – £2,000,000 | 0.2375% of the purchase price |
£2,000,001 -£3,000,000 | 0.2% of the purchase price |
£3,000,001 or above | Fee to be agreed once the key terms of the transaction are known |
- Management Information Pack (if Leasehold):
£200 to £500 including VAT (variable depending on your Landlord)
- Land Registry Documents fee:
£3.60 to £30 including VAT
- Electronic money transfer fee:
£30 including VAT per transfer required
We use the word ‘Disbursements’ to mean costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as Land Registry fees. We will handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process throughout the course of your transaction.
At Devonshires we do not pay referral fees to Estate Agents or third parties in return for their recommendations; where we are referred, this is usually because of our excellent service that we deliver to our clients and our reputation.
How long will it take?
The duration of your transaction will be dependent on a number of variable factors. The average process usually takes between 5 and 10 weeks.
It can be quicker or slower, depending on the parties in the chain. For example, if you are your buyer is not selling a property themselves and does not require a Mortgage, it could take 5/6 weeks. However, if you are selling a leasehold property that requires an extension of the lease, this can take significantly longer, between 3 and 6 months. In such a situation additional charges would apply.
The length of the chain will also have an impact on timing, because each buyer and seller in the chain will need to be ready to move at the same time, so it might be necessary to wait for others to catch up.
What does the process involve?
We will take your instructions and provide initial advice;
- We will guide you through the forms that you will need to complete, and the documents that you need to The forms are usually a Property Information Form and Fittings & Contents form, which will be supplied to the buyer;
- We will prepare a Contract and send it to the buyer’s Solicitor along with the full legal title to the property, the forms that you have already completed and any documents that you have supplied;
- It is likely that there will be some questions from the buyer and their Solicitor for us to answer, and some which may be best answered by you;
- Once the buyer is happy with our answers to their questions, the results of their searches and the terms of their Mortgage offer, we will let you have the Contract to sign and seek agree a completion date;
- We will then be ready to exchange Contracts, and this is when the Contract and completion date become legally The completion date will usually be at least five working days after exchange, but in exceptional circumstances it may be possible to complete sooner;
- If you have a Mortgage, we will contact your lender to find out exactly how much is owed to them, and we will send a statement to you showing the amount that will be available to you on completion once the amount due to your lender is deducted. At this stage, there will also be a Transfer document for you to sign, which is the legal document transferring ownership of the property to the buyer;
- On the day of completion, you should ensure that the property is vacated before lunchtime (including everything you want to take with you), and let the estate agent have the keys;
- Once we have received the buyer’s money, we will deal with the process of redeeming any existing mortgage where there is one from the sale proceeds (assuming that there is sufficient proceeds to do so) and send the remaining sale proceeds directly to you
*Our fees assume that:
- this is a standard transaction and that no unforeseen matters arise including for example (but not limited to) a defect in title which requires remedying prior to completion or the preparation of additional documents ancillary to the main transaction (being a contract, transfer and/or lease);
- this is a freehold transfer of whole or an assignment of whole of an existing lease and is not a new-build property or the grant of a new lease;
- the transaction is concluded in a timely manner and no unforeseen complications arise;
- all parties to the transaction are co-operative and there is no unreasonable delay from third parties providing documentation;
- no indemnity policies are required. Additional costs and disbursements may apply if indemnity policies are required;
- that the Property is being sold by up to two people and not a company in one transaction.
**Please note that our work does not include:
- Advice in respect of accounting treatment or any other Financial advice.
- Advice in respect of insurance matters
- Advice in respect of planning matters
- Tax advice or tax planning including, without limitation, advice on VAT, Capital Gains Tax, Corporation Tax or Income Tax
- Any licences to undertake works
- Dealing with any overage provisions
- Varying of any existing documents
- Inspection of the Property
- Any extension required to extend any lease