Our Fees

APRIL 2025 (UPDATE)

ALL FEES BELOW ARE INDICATIVE AND ARE PLUS VAT. 

In most cases I would need to see some case papers and once I briefly read the papers the balance of 1 hour (hopefully that should be 40 minutes or so) will be a phone call with you. I charge 1 hour of my time for that (£250).

If you then choose to instruct me to just attend a court hearing, my “indicative” fees are generally £750 to read all case papers to enable me to prepare for the hearing and then discuss the case with you and I then charge a further fee to attend court.

For cases less than 1 day that would be a further “indicative” fee of £500, £800 or £1,250 + any travel costs – train/hotel to attend court. 

My fees are subject to increase, depending on the size of any bundle and the complexity of issues. 

I charge an “indicative” fee of £800 for a half day in a local court within County Durham or Newcastle and an “indicative” fee of £500 for less than a half day in a local court within County Durham or Newcastle. If the case is outside of Country Durham or Newcastle my “indicative” fees for half or less than half a day start at £1,250. 

If you want a separate conference with me before any hearing, then a minimum charge will be levied of £250.  

Please note that although a hearing notice says e.g. 2 hours that is always +3 hours as I would have at to be in town for 8.30am to meet you at 9am for a 10am hearing.

NOTE e.g.: for a 2 hour listing for an FDR on divorce many judges will get the parties in court at 10am and after a chat for maybe 20 minutes will invite them to leave the courtroom to try and settle the case and come back after 12 noon to tell the Judge is the case is settled and if not then we are told to come back into court at 2pm with an order so the judge can then list the case for an evidential hearing. Also in FDR’s the judge will allow as much time as is needed if an agreement can be reached. That means a 2 hour hearing notice can become a case between 9am to at least 3pm.  That means the billing on what you may think is a 2 hour case has to be billed as a 1 day case. 

I need to be paid 50% of any agreed fee before I  book a hearing into my diary and I MUST be paid the balance at least 7 days before the hearing date. I will NOT CHASE YOU for payments. NOTE: If you DO NOT PAY ME as set out above, your case will be taken out of the diary and no refunds will be given. 

If a hearing is listed for a full day my “indicative” fee is £2,000. 

These fees are just to attend court. If you choose – after instructing me to just attend a court hearing – to then call many times or send multiple emails that time will be charged for. If I am attending court I will meet you approx. 1 hour before the hearing time.  

If a hearing is listed for more than 1 day, my brief fee is generally £2,500 for the 1st day and then £1,800 for each additional day + any travel/hotel costs (these fees are subject to increase depending on size of bundle and complexity of issues).

If you want me to come on the record and deal with the court and the other side and prepare your case, I charge an hourly rate of £250ph for work done on the case + fees for attending hearings. 

I will only come on record in cases that will be in Fast Track, Intermediate Track or Multi Track. If you win I can then claim legal costs against the other side. If you win you will be paid back any court fees you have paid, I will then refund to you 50% of the fees you paid to me and will retain the balance of the costs awarded. 

I charge drafting and prep work on 6 minute units, short phone calls in/out are charged on 2 minute units and short emails in/out are charged on 1 minute units. Lengthy emails or emails with multiple attachments, or lengthy phone-calls will be charged on 6 minute units. 

If I attend court for you and I have to prepare e.g. a skeleton argument, or comment on your position statement, or draft the order after the hearing, I will have to charge additional fees for my time.  

If you want me to prepare a bundle for a hearing, I can do that as I have bundling software – I will have to charge additional fees of at LEAST 2 hours of time. 

I am willing to give all clients a 15 minute free telephone consultation and you must call the office to set up an appointment on 0191.3692383. This call is simply to understand if yours is a type of case I can take on and allow me to check my diary for free dates. To be clear this is NOT to give you legal advice on your case and it will only be for 15 minutes, if you want more time that has to be billed. If I am not free to take on your case  I will signpost you elsewhere. 

If you decide to instruct me I will send you a fee proposal. You must send me ID and proof of address. You must act promptly as if I get booked for another case I may not then be able to take your case on. 

If you want me to review any papers to advise you on the merit of your case I will charge a minimum of 1 hour of my time. I will not accept numerous calls or numerous emails for you to “seek clarification” before instructing me as if you do that then the time will be billed.

My fees will either be on a fixed fee or on a time basis where my charges will be calculated by reference to all time spent by me on your matter.  

If I am working on a time basis I need to be paid a retainer of £2,000 and you will then be billed each 3-4 weeks once the retainer has been exhausted. These ongoing fees must be paid promptly and if you do not I will stop working on your case until the fees are paid. If you continue to fail to pay I will withdraw from your case.  My fees will include meeting you and where appropriate others, considering, preparing and working on papers, correspondence, making and receiving telephone calls, research, internal consultations and travelling.  Such time is recorded and will be charged in units as set out above 

Charging rates will be reviewed from time to time and you will be notified of any changes as soon as reasonably possible.  

If I quote a price to attend a court hearing and it then goes off to another date for judgment to be given, or for sentence to be issued, then a further fee will have to be agreed.   

My fees for attending court do not include: 

i) travel costs to/from court i.e. mileage (45p-pm) or train ticket, nor; 

ii) my travel time to and from court; nor 

iii) any parking costs, nor; 

iv) accommodation, which will be required if you have a 10am listing  (where we have to be at court for 9am) and the court is over 100 miles away from me (as I cannot be leaving at 4am or 5am to travel to court to get into town about 8am, to then meet you at court for 9am) and be at my best for a trial starting at 10am. It may be the case that no trains can even get me to the local train station nearest to the court by the latest time of 8.30am. If the case is listed for more than 1 day I would also need accommodation and meals for each of the additional days. 

If you instruct me to attend trial on a civil case, tribunal or mediation and you have prepared the case yourself then you shall accept that I will only be able to put forward the case as you have claimed or are defending. 

If you want a separate conference with me before the trial, then a minimum charge will be £250.  

If I take a case on for me to attend Court I will book out my time in my diary in accordance with the Court order.  

If a case concludes or settles early NO REFUNDS are offered i will refund any travel or accommodation not already paid for. 

If I get to court and for whatever reason a case is not effective NO REFUNDS are offered.

If a case is taken out of the listing a few days before the hearing it is at my sole discretion if ANY REFUNDS are given.

Any refunds will incur a £150 admin fee.