Frequently Asked Questions

Do you do free consultations?

Your initial consultation will be free if you are:

• Eligible for legal aid
• If your enquiry is in connection with an accident or personal injury
• If your enquiry is in relation to a matter upon which we will give you a fixed quotation, for example residential conveyancing and Will writing in which case your initial consultation is included in the fixed fee

In other cases such as family matters or commercial conveyancing and general civil litigation we charge £50 for an initial half hour consultation and that fee includes a letter confirming our advice and our standard terms of business. (The fee is subject to vat at standard rate so the total payable for the initial consultation and initial letter is £58.75).

Contact us for more information.

What are your normal opening hours?

Our office is open 9am - 5pm Monday to Friday except for Bank Holidays (we will be closed for August Bank Holiday on Monday 27th and Tuesday 28th). Appointments may be made outside of these times by prior arrangement.

How much do you charge?

For some types of work we can give you a standard fixed fee quotation for example Will writing and standard residential property transactions. For personal injury cases we may be prepared to enter into a "no win no fee" agreement with you. You may be eligible for public funding and we will be able to carry out an assessment for eligibility for you at our initial meeting.

In other cases our standard hourly rate is £150.00 plus VAT.

Contact us for more information.

Do you do legal aid?

We have a contract with the Legal Services Commission to provide publicly funded mediation advice. In relation to other types of legal aid work we can carry out an assessment of your elegibility for public funding and can advise accordingly. For people who do not qualify for legal aid we can offer a range of funding solutions and would be pleased to discuss these with you.

More info on legal aid...

Where are you situated/can you give me directions?

At Somercotes near Alfreton in Derbyshire.
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Do you have anyone who specialises in family matters?

Yes we have a family law specialist. Aileen Chapman, the firm’s principal has specialised in family law for over 20 years and is an advanced member of the Law Society Family Panel and a Family Mediator. Aileen is also a trained collaborative lawyer. Joanne Fasey is a Legal Executive specialising in family cases.

Do you do appointments outside of normal office hours?

Yes, appointments may be made after 5pm on week days and on Saturdays by prior arrangement with the person dealing with your case.

Can you represent me even though my ex partner has seen you previously?

This depends on what we have seen your ex partner about. If we have advised your ex partner in relation to a matter which is completely unconnected with you and the current issue it may be possible for us to act for you although if we have seen your ex partner on a previous occasion in relation to the same matter we cannot act for both of you but we may be able to refer you to somebody else that can help you.

How much is it to swear an Oath?

£5.00 plus £2.00 for each exhibit (an exhibit is a document referred to and attached to the Affidavit or Declaration).

How long does it take to get divorced?

A typical straightforward divorce takes approximately 4 months.
For more information see our divorce information section.

I want to purchase /sell a property, how much would your charges be?

Our charges depend on the price of the property you are buying or selling. We do provide free quotations. If you would like a quotation from us please telephone or use the contact us form giving details of the purchase/or sale price and if you are buying the name of the local authority area in which the property is situated.

Do you draw up leases?

Yes we can prepare tenancy agreements for residential property and leases for commercial property.
For more information view our conveyancing section.