May 2008 Hourly Charging Rates (excluding VAT)

Our charges are usually based on the amount of time spent working for you, at the appropriate rate for the lawyers involved. The range of rates reflects the experience of the partners and lawyers concerned, the ranges of complexity for different types of work and the urgency with which the work is carried out.

We will always discuss and agree with you at the outset a suitable charging rate for your work. Our aim will always be to achieve your objectives efficiently and cost-effectively. We will in most cases provide you with an estimate in advance of what the work is likely to cost and will warn you if at any stage that estimate is likely to be exceeded. In appropriate cases we can also agree fixed or capped fees. There are types of work for which we will agree in advance a value-based fee with you and in litigation you can now obtain insurance cover for costs if you lose and interim funding arrangements.

We are not a firm that adheres rigidly to fixed charging structures. Our approach in every case is to maintain the flexibility to ensure that our charges and any funding arrangements are appropriate to the job, to your budget and to the value we would hope to add.