Small Claims Advice

Fixed Fee Small Claims Advice – claims up to £10,000

£10,000 is still a lot of money to most people and the prospect of losing such a sum if it is owed to you or paying it if you don’t think you should, can be a tremendous worry. As a general rule, solicitors fees cannot be claimed back from your opponent where the claim is dealt with in the Small Claims Court. You may therefore be reluctant to seek advice when you need it most.

We provide cost effective advice on the merits and preparation of your claim or defending a claim, and help you understand the process and what you need to do to maximise the prospects of success.

Bearing in mind the above, we have designed a fixed fee service so you know exactly what cost you will pay. You can decide to do one stage, two stages or all three of the stages set out below to suit your needs. You will know exactly what you are paying for and can therefore budget properly.

Stage 1 Fixed Fee Small Claims Advice – we will:

Provide a 30-minute interview to include an outline of:
Merits of bringing or, if applicable defending a claim.
Provision of Court Forms and guidance on completion.
Review the Court Forms you have prepared and advise you on any amendments needed.
Forward the papers to the Court. However, you pay the appropriate Court fee.
Complete the Request for Judgment or, where appropriate, advise you on completing the Directions Questionnaire. If the matter is defended, we will advise you on how to prepare witness statements.

Our costs £400 plus VAT and disbursements.

Stage 2 Evidence - we will spend up to 2 hours maximum and provide the following:

Advise you on the collection of further evidence or Expert Reports.
Review and amend witness statements.
Our costs will be £400 plus VAT and disbursements.

Stage 3 The Final Hearing/Trial -

we will review the prepared papers and arrange for you to be represented at the Final Hearing. If a Barrister is instructed to represent you at the Final Hearing, then you will be responsible for the Barrister’s fees including any VAT.

Our costs will be £450 plus VAT and disbursements.

NOTE – in certain circumstances the Court may list additional Hearings for

Case Management to deal with any Applications or matters arising from the dispute. If you wish us to represent you at these Hearings, then this will be subject to a separate quote. It may not always be possible due to the complexity of matters to offer fixed fee small claims advice under the above fee regime. In those circumstances, we will provide a quote at the outset and before any fees are incurred by you. The actual cost will depend on a number of factors which we will discuss with you if you decide to instruct us.

This work is dealt with by both Gareth Edmondson and Alan Martin - whose details and experience are set out on the Disputes Page.

Typically the time scale for a contested claim can be between 3 to 6 months.

Please note that the expenses are set out on the main page dealing with Debt Recovery.