Information on Fees

Fees

At Greens our specialist family law solicitors are passionate about giving our clients transparency in respect of the fees they will be charged for our services. We have developed fixed fees so that we can provide a service to suit most pockets. We discuss fees at our first meeting and give clear quotes for fixed fees for all work. Please read on to learn more about our fee structures.

First Meeting – £275 plus VAT

All our private paying clients attend an initial meeting which lasts for up to 90 minutes, At this meeting advice is given, strategy discussed, and options for management of the matter and options for fees discussed. We will agree the strategy to move the matter forward and agree a fee estimate and the level of service to be provided. The level of service and a quote will be confirmed in writing after discussion with our Head of Department.

Bespoke Fixed Fees (Silver Service)

We discuss with you the work which needs to be carried out for each stage of the case. We break the work down into manageable sections. We will calculate how much time we think we will be engaged carrying out the tasks required to progress the matter, and agree a fee with you. We will go on the Court record and our retainer is limited to the work we have agreed to do for the stage of your case. The fee is agreed and fixed at the beginning of the stage of the case to which it relates. The fee is generally paid at the outset but we are prepared to accept instalments in some circumstances.

At the end of each stage we will review whether a different level of service is required and provide a fresh fixed fee quote for the next stage. If you do not agree the quote or if at the end of the stage we agree a different level of service is required we will quote or estimate accordingly.

Gold Service

This is the ‘traditional solicitor client’ contract, and is suitable for complex cases and where you do not have the time to commit to your case. We will go on the Court record, liaise with third parties, and deal with all matters on your behalf. We will provide a costs estimate as opposed to a quote for the costs which are likely to be incurred, we will charge on an hourly basis (in 6 minute units) for all work on the file and bill at the end of each month for work done that month. Bills must be paid within 7 days of delivery if there are insufficient funds held on account. For this type of service we will normally expect a payment of £1000 on account but perhaps less depending on the costs which are likely to be incurred.

Bronze Service

This service enables us to act for you on a limited retainer (unbundled services) so for example we may agree to represent you at a Court hearing or prepare a statement or Form E. We do not go on the Court record and you will manage your own litigation including correspondence with the Court and other parties. We charge a fixed fee for the task we are carrying out. The fixed fee is payable in advance.

Pay as you Go

This service is for the person who is a litigant in person, managing their own case and representing themselves in Court. It is for those people who may need a bit of help or guidance along the way and perhaps need someone to check and advise on documents they have prepared themselves or need advice on procedure or documents with which they have been served.

The fee is charged on the basis that you will bring whatever you want advice on to the office and receive advice during an appointment or telephone call. All advice will be confirmed in a detailed letter of advice. You will be charged a one off fixed fee. It will be payable at the appointment or if we are advising remotely before we look at the documents in detail. We will need to know the nature of and the volume of paperwork before we can quote a fee.

Pay as You go works well for people who either do not have the financial resources to engage a solicitor for the whole of their matter but who may need advice from time to time as their case progresses through the Court.

Pick and Mix

All of our clients are able to swap between the levels of service they buy from us. We will help you ascertain which level of service is most appropriate for any given stage. For example in a financial remedy case you may seek:

Silver service for the first stage of any proceedings. This would include preparation of Form E, consideration of financial disclosure and raising a questionnaire, preparation of the documents for the first hearing, going on the Court record, liaising with the Court and solicitors, and representing you at the First Hearing.

The Bronze service to represent you at the Financial Dispute Resolution Appointment (2^nd hearing) combined with Pay as You Go for advice along the way.

If you are unable to settle your case at the Financial Dispute Resolution Appointment you may decide to instruct us on the Gold or Silver Service to conclude matters.

All services are offered on a bespoke fee basis and all fees and services are only offered after a review of your case with our Head of Department to ensure that the fee and service is suitable for your circumstances.