CONVEYANCING (residential)

ATM Law can assist with your freehold sale or purchase, leasehold sale or purchase or mortgage or remortgage. The fee charged is dependent upon the value of the property and enquiries involved.  ATM Law  has substantial experience and expertise in all property related matters and below is the ATM Law fee structure detailing all key events and related costs involved. Please do not hesitate to contact us for a quote if the transaction you wish us to undertake is not covered here.

fees and disbursements

• Legal fee – please refer to the table below
• Search fees – approximately* £230 inc vat for basic (Local, Environmental and D&W) and approximately* £255 inc vat for complete pack (Local, Environmental, D&W, Chancel and Title Checker)
• Acting on behalf of the lender – this depends on the lender involved, its requirements, nature and length of enquiries which ranges between is £100 and £250 plus VAT
• The fee for a re-mortgage depends on the lender involved, its requirements and value of property and is charged on an hourly rate of £150- £200 plus VAT.   Based on experience our fee for a re-mortgage can range between £700 to £1250 plus VAT
• Fees for advising on or preparation of any other documents or deeds may be subject to an hourly charge.
• HM Land Registry fee-please refer to the table below
• Electronic money transfer fee £12.
• AML Searches fee – £30 plus VAT
• Land Registry Official copies of Titles, Plans, Leases and Deeds – £3 each document
• Official Priority Search – £3 each search
• Bankruptcy search fee –  £2 each name
• Dealing with and filing Stamp Duty returns £100 Plus vat
• Mortgage redemption fee: £50-100 Plus vat
• Sourcing Indemnity insurances: £100- 150 + VAT
• File Storage Fee (to store file for at least 6 yrs) : £50 + VAT

*this may vary depending on the local authority’s charges

ATM Law fixed fee structure:

Our fee is based on your transaction not being or becoming unduly complex or protracted.  The following are examples of factors that are likely to increase the cost of the service:

– if legal title is defective or part of the property is unregistered

– if you discover building regulations or planning permission has not been obtained

– if crucial documents you have previously requested from the client have not been provided

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as Land Registry fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.

So the fee for your purchase is dependent upon the value of your Property plus the disbursements outlined above.

Disbursements

As stated above, the Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as search fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.

Leasehold disbursements – There are certain disbursements which will be set out in the individual lease relating to the Property. The disbursements which we anticipate will apply are set out separately below. This list is not exhaustive and other disbursements may apply depending on the term of the lease. We will update you on the specific fees upon receipt and review of the lease from the seller’s solicitors.

Other Anticipated Disbursements*

• Notice of Transfer fee – This fee if chargeable is set out in the lease. Often the fee is between £40-£100.
• Notice of Charge fee (if the property is to be mortgaged) – This fee is set out in the lease. Often the fee is between £40-£100.
• Deed of Covenant fee – This fee is provided by the management company for the property and can be difficult to estimate. Often it is between £50-£200
• Certificate of Compliance fee – To be confirmed upon receipt of the lease, as can range between £20-£100.

*These fees vary from property to property and can on occasion be significantly more than the ranges given above. We can give you an accurate figure once we have sight of your specific documents.

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.

Land Registry’s fees

• HM Land Registry fee – refer below
• Scale 1 fees

• When assessing fees under Scale 1, fees must be paid on the VAT-inclusive consideration or rent.
• Fee reductions when using Scale 1
• There are reduced fees for:
• voluntary first registrations (applications for first registration
  based on adverse possession or lost deeds are regarded as voluntary
  applications, unless the application includes a deed that triggers
  compulsory registration) (minimum 25% reduction)
• transfers of whole and surrenders of whole for registered titles when using the portal or Business Gateway (50% reduction)

There are no reduced fees for:

• applications for first registration of title to a rentcharge, a
  franchise or a profit, or mines and minerals held apart from the surface
  (as these are not treated as voluntary applications for fee purposes)
• transfers of part and other applications affecting part of registered titles even when using the portal or Business Gateway
• applications to register leases when using the portal or Business Gateway

Scale 2 fees

Fee reductions when using Scale 2

The reduced fees in the table above apply in the following circumstances:

• transfers or assents of whole
• charges of whole
• transfer of charges

and many other applications of whole for registered titles when using the portal or Business Gateway.

There are no reduced fees for:

• transfers of part
• other applications affecting part of registered titles even when using the portal or Business Gateway

Stamp Duty or Land Tax (on purchase)

This depends on the purchase price of your property. You can calculate the amount you will need to pay by using HMRC’s website or if the property is located in Wales by using the Welsh Revenue Authority’s website here.

How long will my house purchase take?

How long it will take from your offer being accepted until you can move in to your house will depend on a number of factors. The average process takes between 4-6 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 4 weeks. However, if you are buying a leasehold property that requires an extension of the lease, this can take significantly longer, between 6 and 3 months. In such a situation additional charges would apply.

Stages of the process

The precise stages involved in the purchase of a residential property vary according to the circumstances. However, below we have suggested some key stages that you may wish to include:

• Take your instructions and give you initial advice
• Check finances are in place to fund purchase and contact lender’s solicitors if needed
• Receive and advise on contract documents
• Carry out searches
• Obtain further planning documentation if required
• Make any necessary enquiries of seller’s solicitor
• Give you advice on all documents and information received
• Go through conditions of mortgage offer with you
• Send final contract to you for signature
• Draft Transfer
• Advise you on joint ownership
• Obtain pre-completion searches
• Agree completion date (date from which you own the property)
• Exchange contracts and notify you that this has happened
• Arrange all necessary indemnities (if so required)
• Arrange for all monies needed to be received from lender and you
• Complete purchase
• Deal with payment of Stamp Duty/Land Tax
• Deal with application for registration at Land Registry

The precise stages involved in the sale of a residential property vary according to the circumstances. However, below we have suggested some key stages that you may wish to include:

• Take your instructions and give you initial advice
• Our due diligence and client care
• Deducing title and preparation of Draft Contract pack
• Issuing draft contract pack
• Dealing with the purchasers pre-contract enquiries
• Dealing with the purchasers lenders enquiries
• Approving Contract and Transfer
• Obtain planning documentation if required
• Send final contract to you for signature
• Agree completion date (date from which you own the property)
• Exchange contracts and notify you that this has happened
• Complete purchase
• Arrange for all monies needed to be paid to your lender (if any)
• Arrange for all other sums, fees or arrears payable on your behalf
• Arrange payment of balance to you
• Send out original transfer and related deeds to the purchasers conveyancers

Our fee assumes that:

1. 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
2. for leasehold transactions this is the assignment of an existing lease and is not the grant of a new lease
3. the transaction is concluded in a timely manner and no unforeseen complication arise
4. all parties to the transaction are co-operative and there is no unreasonable delay from third parties providing documentation
5. no indemnity policies are required. Additional disbursements may apply if indemnity policies are required.

Immigration services range of costs

We can assist with:-

• Applications for naturalisation or registration under the British Nationality Act 1981
• Applications on behalf of European Economic Area (EEA) nationals and their family members under the applicable EEA Regulations or Immigration Rules, including applications for permanent residence, residence cards, and registration certificates
• Applications under the Immigration Rules, including:
  • student and work experience visas
  • visit visas (for tourism, or visiting friends / family)
  • spouse and partners applications, including fiancé(e)s or proposed civil partners
  • applications for work, business or study under the Points-Based System;
  • dependent relative and family reunion applications
  • ancestry visas
  • other categories, such as applications on the basis of long residence

Range of costs

We provide an example of our service and price using an instruction to make an application for leave to remain

We charge for immigration work on an hourly rate basis. Our hourly rate is £150-200 plus VAT.

On average, this type of work takes between 5-10 hours to complete. This means that on average costs are between £1000 and £2000 plus VAT.

The exact number of hours it will take depends on the circumstances in your case.

Such as:

• The amount of supporting evidence that we need to consider
• Which language(s) you speak
• Whether you are applying with other dependants

If you are able to provide sufficient evidence at our first meeting and clearly meet the applicable Immigration Rules, the cost is likely to be at the lower end of this range.

What services are included:

The work will involve:

• discussing your circumstances in detail and confirming whether this is the most appropriate application for you to make and what other options may be available to you;
• giving you advice about the requirements of the Immigration Rules and whether you meet the criteria.
• if you do not fulfil certain criteria, whether this can be overcome and how, which on average takes 2 hours;
• considering the supporting evidence you have provided, which we anticipate will take 2 to 5 hours*;
• where necessary, helping you obtain further evidence (such as medical records and bank statements), including taking statements of any witnesses;
• preparing your application and submitting it on your behalf, which we anticipate will take 2-4 hours;
• Attendance at a Home Office interview: if the Home Office ask you to attend an interview, we will give you clear advice (and discuss the possibility of us attending with you) at the appropriate time. This could be between 1 and 3 hours of work.
• giving you advice about the outcome of the application and any further steps you need to take.

*the amount of hours depends on the number of documents, whether they need to be translated, whether anything is missing and how long it will take to obtain the missing documents Disbursements (not included in costs set out above):

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as visa fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.

• Interpreter’s fees charged at an hourly rate.  You may not require an interpreter but if you do we estimate that this kind of application will normally require between 2-5 hours with an interpreter, depending on the complexity of your case.  You do not have to use an interpreter that we recommend.
• Independent expert reports e.g. medical experts. These are not required in many cases: we will let you know as soon as possible if we consider an expert report is necessary.
• If there is an interview and we do attend with you, there will be additional disbursements in respect of our mileage/travel expenses.

The costs quoted here do not include:

• Any Home Office fees for making the application. You will pay this to the Home Office directly as part of the application process.
• Where the Home Office refuse your application, advice and assistance in relation to any appeal
• Interpreters fee (if applicable)
• Independent expert report (if applicable) 

How long will my application take?

We cannot guarantee how long the Home Office will take to process your application. We suggest you refer to the Home Office guidance available online on its current processing times

We will normally be able to submit this type of application within 4 weeks of you instructing us, but we will let you know at the earliest opportunity if it is likely to take longer than this.

Please note the anticipated number of hours and fees are an estimate based on the facts above. All applications are likely to vary and of course, we can give you a more accurate estimate once we have more information about your specific case.

DEBT RECOVERY

Range of costs

Below are details of our fees for a business to business debt that is undisputed

Court Claims

These costs apply where your claim is in relation to an unpaid invoice which is not disputed and enforcement action is not needed. If the other party disputes your claim at any point, we will discuss any further work required and provide you with revised advice about costs if necessary, which could be on a fixed fee (e.g. if a one off letter is required), or an hourly rate if more extensive work is needed.

Anyone wishing to proceed with a claim should note that:

• The VAT element of our fee cannot be reclaimed from your debtor.
• Interest and compensation may take the debt into a higher banding, with a higher cost.
• The costs quoted above are not for matters where enforcement action, such as the bailiff, is needed to collect your debt.

Our fee includes:

• Taking your instructions and reviewing documentation
• Undertaking appropriate searches
• Sending a letter before action
• Receiving payment and sending onto you, or if the debt is not paid, drafting and issuing claim
• Where no Acknowledgement of Service or Defence is received, applying to the court to enter Judgement in default
• When Judgement in default in received, write to the other side to request payment
• If payment is not received within the time frame set out in the Judgement, providing you with advice on next steps and likely costs

Matters usually take 4-12 weeks from receipt of instructions from you to receipt of payment from the other side, depending on whether or not it is necessary to issue a claim. This is on the basis that the other side pays promptly on receipt of Judgement in default. If enforcement action is needed, the matter will take longer to resolve.