Paying for a solicitor

Read later

Solicitors charge for their time and services. If you’re getting legal advice or representation from a solicitor, you’ll probably need to pay for these services. Costs for legal services will depend on which solicitor you choose.

Solicitors are subject to the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s (SRA) Price Transparency Rules. The rules require firms to publish price and service information on their websites for certain areas of practice. They’re also required to publish their complaints procedures and to display a digital badge to show they’re regulated by the SRA. The rules were introduced to help potential clients make informed decisions about legal services.

You may be able to get legal aid to help pay for some or all of your legal costs.

What your solicitor will charge for

Your solicitor should:

tell you how much your case is likely to cost at the outset
keep you updated about costs during the process
give you a final bill clearly showing what work was done and when, and the amount charged

Charges may include:

their basic fee
expenses
a success fee – an added fee if your case is successful and you have a conditional fee agreement
premiums for after-the-event insurance or any other legal expenses insurance
disbursements – for example costs for searches, land registry fees or getting reports (such as medical records)
any other fees – for example court, barrister and expert fees

Types of bill

The type of bill you receive will depend on whether the work is:

contentious (involving the courts)
non-contentious (does not involve the courts but may involve a tribunal)

If the courts are involved (contentious)

If your case went to court, your solicitor will give you:

a detailed breakdown bill
a summary bill (sometimes called a gross sum bill)

If your case went to court and you only receive a summary bill, you can ask your solicitor for a detailed breakdown bill. You need to ask for it within three months of getting the summary bill. The detailed bill will replace the original summary bill. If your solicitor is suing you for an unpaid bill, they do not have to give you a detailed version.

If the courts are not involved (non-contentious)

If the work did not involve a court case, your solicitor will give you a summary bill (sometimes called a gross sum bill).

You can ask your solicitor for a more detailed bill, but they do not have to provide one.

If you’re unhappy with your bill

You can complain about:

your bill
the services you’ve received

How to complain about your solicitor

Challenge your solicitor’s bill – GOV.UK website

Talking to your solicitor about payment

You can discuss payment options with your solicitor. For example, they may be able to offer you:

a no win, no fee agreement
damages-based agreements
free or one-off payment advice

Your solicitor may take out after-the-event insurance for you, so that you can pay the other side’s legal costs if you lose. It may also cover your solicitor’s expenses.

No win, no fee agreements

You agree to pay only if you win your case. However you may still have to pay, in certain circumstances, if the agreement is ended by you or your solicitors before the case finishes.