A. Williams & Co. (Solicitors)

Our pricing for bringing and defending commercial litigation claims.

Simple case including advice: £15,000 plus 20% VAT – £25,000 plus 20% VAT

Medium complexity case: £25,000 plus 20% VAT – £50,000 plus 20% VAT

High complexity case: £50,000 plus 20% VAT – £350,000 plus 20% VAT

Factors that could make a case more complex:

• If it is necessary to make an application for and order of injunction to prevent the dissipation of assets
• Collating exhibits for the court
• If we have to challenge or defend applications to amend claims or to provide further information about an existing claim
• Defending claims that are brought by litigants in person
• Making or defending a costs application
• Complex preliminary issues such as whether the claimant is disabled or the applicable law or applicable jurisdiction (if this is not agreed by the parties)
• The number of witnesses and documents
• If we have to file several claims at the same time in the best interest of the client.

There will be an additional charge for attending courts of £5,000 plus 20% VAT per day (excluding the cost of a barrister). Generally, we would allow 5 – 10 days minimum depending on the complexity of your case.

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.

Counsel's fees are estimated at between £3,500 plus 20% VAT – £8,500 plus 20% VAT per day (depending on experience of the advocate and the preparation of a skeleton argument as required by the court) for attending a Court Hearing (including preparation)

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 and without prejudice offers for settlement where this is mandatory to explore whether a settlement can be reached
• Preparing a claim or Defence to the claim
• Reviewing and advising on a claim or Defence from other party
• Exploring settlement and negotiating settlement throughout the process
• Preparing or considering a costs schedule
• Preparing for (and attending) a Preliminary Hearing
• Exchanging documents with the other party and agreeing a bundle of documents as required.
• Taking witness statements, drafting statements and agreeing their content with witnesses
• Preparing bundle of documents
• Reviewing and advising on the other party's witness statements
• Agreeing a list of issues, a chronology and/or cast list
• Preparation and attendance at Final Hearing, including instructions to Counsel.

The stages set out above are an indication and if some of stages above are not required, the fee will be reduced. 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. If a settlement is reached during initial pre-claim settlement, your case is likely to take 8 – 16 weeks. If your claim proceeds to a Final Hearing, your case is likely to take up to a year depending on the complexity. 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.