What we cost

All fees quoted exclude VAT & disbursements which will be quoted separately and vary depending on the case.

Mercian Law Limited issue claims using money claim online.

Court fees and our fixed costs are payable in advance.

8 Stages of Debt Recovery

The fees we charge for each stage are quoted below.

If you have any questions or would like more information, please call us on 01827 215679 or email us on enquiries@mercianlaw.com.

Initial Stage
Initial telephone interview	FREE
Retainer letter & terms of business

Stage 1 - Demand Payment
Monitored company report	FREE
Pre-action protocol letter	£25
Late payment interest notice	£25
Respond to letter of claim received	£25
Send payment in full or suggest payment proposal	£25

Stage 2 - Commence claim
Issue claim under £5000	£150
Issue claim under £5000	£250

Stage 3 - Request Judgment in default:
Issue claim under £5000	£55
Issue claim £5000 - £10,000	£70

Reply to or by Admission:
Filing an admission	£55
Accepting payment proposal	£55
Rejecting payment proposal and court to decide payment terms	£70

Debtor claims already paid:
File claimants reply	£70

Stage 4 - Debtor defence to your claim
Advice on merits of defence received & evidence required	£100
Draft, file & serve a reply to defence with no counterclaim
Claim under £5000	£200
Claim £5000 - £10000	£300
Draft, file & serve a reply to defence & defence to counterclaim Claim
Claim under £5000	£400
Claim £5000 - £10000	£600

Defending a claim issued against you
Advice on merits of claim & evidence required to defend	£100
Filing an acknowledgement of service	£25
Making an admission of part and file defence with no counterclaim	£200
Making an admission of part and file defence with counterclaim	£300
Draft, file & serve a defence with no counterclaim
Claim under £5000	£200
Claim Over £5000	£300
Draft, file & serve a defence with a counterclaim
Claim under £5000	£400
Claim Over £5000	£600


Filing directions questionnaire	£100
Allocation hearing	£250
Order for further information (allocation)	£25
Responding to court request for further documentation or information	£100

Stage 5 - Settlement
Preparing for and conducting telephone small claim mediation
Settlement negotiations
Drafting and agreeing settlement order for court sealing
Claim under £5000	£250
Claim £5000 - £10000	£500
Sending or responding to an offer of settlement letter	£25

Stage 6 - Preparation for final hearing
List of documents: standard disclosure
Request for inspection of disclosure document
Preparation of hearing bundle
Formatting witness statements for signature (max 2) (once drafted by witness)
Instructing expert witness
Filing at court and serving upon other side all documentation
Pre-trial checklist
Claim under £5000	£250
Claim £5000 - £10,000	£500
Photocopying of disclosure documents & bundle	5p per page

Stage 7 - Final hearing
Draft, file and serve case summary	£100
Instructing advocate to attend hearing	£175 +
Abortive advocate instructions	£75

Stage 8 -Enforcement
Warrant of control (county court)	£100
Instruct high court enforcement officer	£100
Reissuing a warrant of control	£100
Charging order application	£400
Third-party debt order	£250
Order to obtain information	£250
Attachment of earnings order	£200
Request for re-issue of enforcement	£100
Application objecting to suspended attachment of earnings or consolidated order	£200
File & serve witness statement in dispute ahead of final third party debt order or final charging order hearing	£100

Applications	£250
To apply on notice for judgment to be set aside
Application for summary judgment
Application to strike out defence
To apply to vary a judgment or suspend enforcement
To make an application on notice where no other fee is specified
To apply for a summons or order for a witness to attend
To apply by consent, or without notice, for a judgment or order
Application by consent for an adjournment of a hearing if it is received by the court at least 14 days before the date of the hearing.
Application to suspend a warrant of control
Application for a hardship payment pending a final third-party debt order
Application for stay to be lifted
Application to move hearing date

Additions	£25
Notice of discontinuance or withdrawal of claim
Obtaining HM Land Registry office copy entries
Insolvency search
Instructing a tracing agent
Apply for a certificate of satisfaction of a judgment debt
Filing a notice of acting
Filing a certificate of service
Request a search of the attachment of earnings index
Request consolidation of debt to existing attachment of earnings order
Application to transfer case
Registering or removing a charging order at the Land Registry
Preparing and filing an affidavit before debtors examination under order to attend court for questioning
Objecting to small claim being decided without a hearing

Claims or Counterclaims over £10,000 and Appeals

£201 per hour

We will quote and invoice for each stage of your matter in advance and will require payment before work will be undertaken.

For claims and counterclaims over £10,000 and appeals, our fees will be calculated by the time spent on the file. Time is charged in 6-minute units at £20.10 + VAT per unit.

Nuneaton County Court (a National 2 Court) is the nearest county court to Mercian Law Limited being in Tamworth. Verity Grigg, sole director of Mercian Law, qualified as a solicitor in 2002 and has more than 8 years post qualification experience in litigation. Under the guideline rates for Summary Assessment 2010, as published by H M Court as Tribunal Service the rate approved is £201.

Success in a claim or counterclaim over £10,000 enables a Costs Order to be sought. The amount awarded is assessed by the Judge, and therefore the amount awarded may not be the same as the amount paid in legal fees.

Court Fees

The Current EX50 – County Court Fees. details the court fees payable in addition to Mercian Law fees and VAT.

Mercian Law Limited will advise you what Court fees are payable and invoice for them when required.

Insolvency

Service	Mercian Law Fee	Disbursements
Statutory demand	£100 + VAT	-
Bankruptcy petition	£400 + VAT	Court fee (creditors petition) £280 Official receivers deposit £990
Winding Up petition	£400 + VAT	Court fee £280 Official receivers deposit £1600 Advertisement £79.40 + VAT Process server (estimated) £120 Swear fee £7 Advocate for hearing - £175 + VAT

Terms of Business

Drafting or Reviewing Terms of Business £500 + VAT

On Call - Annual Advice Retainer

Unlimited telephone Debt Recovery Advice for 1-year £2000 + VAT

This is for those who have an in-house credit control team that issue proceedings but require advice on matters to assist in next steps decision making.

Residential Possession Claims

Accelerated possession proceedings	Mercian Law Fee
Check Form 6A	FREE
Serve Form 6A by 1st class post	£100
Issue accelerated possession proceedings	£250

S8 Rent Arrears Possession Proceedings
Serve S8 notice	£100
Issue possession proceedings online inc: filing & serving witness statements & an advocate to attend hearing	£600

Warrant of Possession
To apply for Warrant of Possession	£200

Torts (Interference with Goods) Act 1977
To serve a Torts (Interference with Goods) Act 1977 Notice	£100

Disputed Claims for Possession

If your possession claim becomes defended, any additional work will be charged at £201 per hour.

Useful Links

What we cost

Initial Stage

Stage 1 - Demand Payment

Stage 2 - Commence claim

Stage 3 - Request Judgment in default:

Reply to or by Admission:

Debtor claims already paid:

Stage 4 - Debtor defence to your claim

Defending a claim issued against you

Stage 5 - Settlement

Stage 6 - Preparation for final hearing

Stage 7 - Final hearing

Stage 8 -Enforcement

Applications

Additions

Service

Mercian Law Fee

Disbursements

Statutory demand

Bankruptcy petition

Winding Up petition

Accelerated possession proceedings

S8 Rent Arrears Possession Proceedings

Warrant of Possession

Torts (Interference with Goods) Act 1977