We believe you should know what a service will cost before you commit to it. Wherever possible, we offer fixed fees for straightforward matters, and always confirm costs before work begins.
Many of our clients qualify for some form of Legal Aid, which can cover part or all of your costs — we offer a free assessment to check.
Every new enquiry starts with a free, no-obligation conversation with one of our solicitors, so you understand your options and likely costs before deciding how to proceed.
Get in touchDepending on your circumstances and the nature of your case, your matter can be funded in one of three ways:
If you're eligible, we apply for Legal Aid on your behalf. In most cases this is free or requires only a small and manageable contribution.
For clients who don't qualify for Legal Aid, we can agree a fixed fee upfront for a defined piece of work.
Alternatively, we charge based on time spent, using our standard hourly rate structure below.
If you're eligible, we can apply for Legal Aid on your behalf. The Scottish Legal Aid Board (SLAB) sets the fee for each piece of work and dictates the level of funding provided. In most cases, Legal Aid is either free or requires only a small contribution, set by Scottish Government regulations based on your income and savings.
If your case is likely to result in you preserving or recovering property — particularly in divorce actions involving financial provision, or cohabitation claims — "legal aid clawback" may apply, meaning some costs may be recovered from what you receive. We'll discuss this with you where it's relevant to your case. Full details are also published in the Legal Aid Keycard, available online.
Around three-quarters of adults in Scotland are likely to be eligible for some form of Legal Aid — but some clients are not. For clients funding their case privately, we offer two options:
Fixed fee: we agree a set fee upfront for a defined piece of work. Because the fee is fixed, we don't provide a detailed time breakdown for this way of working.
Time and line: we charge based on the time spent on your case, using the hourly rate structure below. In some cases — for example, where a client is only eligible for Legal Aid on part of their case — we may combine a fixed fee with Legal Aid funding to help move things along efficiently.
Please also note that there can be outlays, which need to be discussed during the currency of the instruction.
VAT is charged on all fees and outlays at the current rate.
| Charge | Units | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Per hour | 10 units | £200 |
| Per 30 minutes | 5 units | £100 |
| Per 6 minutes | 1 unit | £20 |
| Detailed letters (per 125 words) | 1.25 units | £25 |
| Precognitions (per 250 words) | 2 units | £40 |
| Formal letters | 0.5 units | £10 |
| Emails (per 125 words) | 1.25 units | £25 |
| Formal emails | 0.5 units | £10 |
| Short telephone calls (under 3 minutes) | 0.5 units | £10 |
| Telephone calls (3–6 minutes) | 0.75 units | £15 |
| Telephone calls (over 6 minutes, per 6 minutes) | 1 unit | £20 |
| Incidental expenses | 5% of total fee (excluding outlays) | |
