Fees Policy
At Descartes, Solicitors we understand that the cost of legal services is a significant consideration for our clients. We are therefore clear about costs and work in ways that provide value for money and agree our fees on a fixed fee basis.
Fees Policy
At Descartes, Solicitors we understand that the cost of legal services is a significant consideration for our clients. We are therefore clear about costs and work in ways that provide value for money and agree our fees on a fixed fee basis.
Call 0208 995 3556 to speak to one of our advisors
Fees Policy
At Descartes, Solicitors we understand that the cost of legal services is a significant consideration for our clients. We are therefore clear about costs and work in ways that provide value for money and agree our fees on a fixed fee basis.
You can read the reviews of some of our clients here
Our Team
Our team is made up of qualified solicitors and specialist legal advisors supervised by Ms. Behice Tural and Mr. Shwan Sharif. Both have over 14 years’ experience in the field of Immigration, Nationality and Human Rights Law.
We recognise that similar cases can often present with different levels of complexity and even cases that seem straightforward can, sometimes, take several months to make sure everything is done properly.
It is for this reason that we encourage you to contact us so that we can provide you with a realistic estimate of costs to make sure that you receive the right amount of support to meet your individual circumstances. We will agree costs with you for specific aspects of your case so you can stay in control throughout.
Descartes Solicitors does not carry out any publicly funded work. If you require Legal Aid assistance, please contact The Law Society on 020 7320 5650 Monday-Friday between 9.00 and 17.00 or by using their online ‘Find a Solicitor’ Directory at http://solicitors.lawsociety.org.uk/.
Value Added Tax (VAT)
Initial Consultations
We offer an initial no obligation consultation which can either be in person, by telephone or by email up to an exchange of 6 emails. The cost of this service will be £250 ( plus VAT if applicable) .
IMMIGRATION LAW
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.
| POINTS BASED SYSTEM | |
| TIER 1 | |
| Tier 1 (Investor) Extension | 6,000-10,000 per main applicant |
| Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) Extension | 6,000-10,000 per main applicant |
| Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) | 5,000-7,000 |
| Tier 1 (General) – dependant | 2,000 per dependant |
| Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) – initial application | 5,000 |
| Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) – dependant | 1,500 per dependant |
| Business plans | 4,000 – 6,000 |
| TIER 2 | |
| Tier 2 (General) / Skilled worker | 3,500 |
| Tier 2 (Intra-Company Transfer) | 3,500 |
| TIER 4 | 2,500 |
| TIER 5 | 2,500 |
| Sponsor licence Application | 3000-5000 |
| VISAS FOR TURKISH NATIONALS | |
| ECAA (Turkish businessperson) Extension | 2,000-5,000 |
| Turkish worker Extension | 2,000 |
| FAMILY VISAS | |
| Fiancé(e) | 1,500-3,500 |
| Spouse/Civil partner visa | 1,500-3,500 |
| Spouse Extension Applications | 2,500 – 3,500 |
| Child (sole applicant) | 2,500 – 3,500 |
| Dependant on main applicant | 500 per dependant |
| Dependant Relative | 3,500- 5,500 |
| Family Reunion | 1,500- 2,500 |
| Dependents | 500 per dependent |
| VISIT VISAS | |
| Standard Visitor (Tourism) | 1,500-3,000 |
| Visit Visa Extension Application | 1,500-3,000 |
| Paid Permitted Engagements (academic, legal, sports, creative) | 2,500 |
| Private medical treatment | 2,500 |
| Marriage/civil partnership | 2,500 |
| LONG RESIDENCE | |
| 10 years | 2,500-4,500 |
| 20 years | 2,500-5,500 |
| OTHER CATEGORIES | |
| Ancestry Visa | 5,000 |
| Representative of an overseas business Extension | 5,000 |
| Dependents | 500 per dependent |
| Asylum Application | 5000 |
| Human Rights Application | 3500 |
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;
- advising you as to 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
- considering the supporting evidence you have provided
- 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
- advertising you about the outcome of the application and any further steps you need to take.
Work will be carried out by:
– Directors
– Caseworkers under the supervision of the directors or supervisors
– Solicitors and trainee solicitors under the supervision of the directors or supervisors
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.
- Fees for attending an interview or other appointments
- Where the Home Office refuse your application, advice and assistance in relation to any appeal
Factors likely to increase costs of your matter
The following factors are likely to increase the cost of your matter:
- Not having all of the paperwork available, or having missing or incorrect information that needs investigation and correction
- Third parties not responding to our communications promptly
- Dealing with unusual or complex circumstances
As soon as any complications arise we will discuss these with you and agree on the fee for the additional work being carried out in advance of any additional work being undertaken.
How long will my application take?
We cannot guarantee how long the Home Office will take to process your application. You can read more about the current processing times here
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 seamless process.
Counsel’s fees are estimated from £1,500 to £2,500 per day (depending on the experience of the advocate) for attending a Tribunal hearing (including preparation).
Interpreters’ fees are estimated from £30-£50 per hour. Most applications will normally require between 5 -10 hours of client contact with an interpreter, depending on the complexity of the case.
Independent expert reports such as country expert and medical experts may be required in some cases such as asylum or human rights related cases. We will let you know as soon as possible if we consider an expert report to be necessary. We will also advise you as to the expert’s fees and you will make the final decision as to whether the expert should be instructed.
If there is an interview and we do attend with you, there will be additional disbursements in respect of our mileage/travel expenses. These will be confirmed with you in advance.
The costs quoted above do not include any Home Office fees for making an application. You will be asked to pay these fees directly to the Home Office as part of the application process.
We will let you know at the earliest opportunity and before any such fees are incurred by you, if any of these are applicable.
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 where this is mandatory to explore whether a settlement can be reached;
- Preparing a claim or response
- Reviewing and advising on claim or response from other parties
- Exploring settlement and negotiating settlement throughout the process
- preparing or considering a schedule of loss
- Preparing for (and attending) a Preliminary Hearing
- Exchanging documents with the other party and agreeing on a bundle of documents
- Taking witness statements, drafting statements and agreeing their content with witnesses
- preparing a bundle of documents
- Reviewing and advising on the other party’s witness statements
- agreeing to 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 the 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 aspects of the stages. This will be tailored to 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 and the Tribunal diary. If a settlement is reached during pre-claim conciliation, your case is likely to take 4-8 weeks. If your claim proceeds to a final hearing, your case is likely to take 12-36 weeks.
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.
Contact Us
DESCARTES SOLICITORS is recognised as one of the leading multi-practice firms in the UK. Our specialist lawyers can be contacted on 0208 995 3556 / 0844 556 9901 or e-mail info@descartessolicitors.co.uk.
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