How we can help you

We can assist you in making an application to enter and live in the UK if you otherwise do not have the right to do so. This is known as immigration, and we specialise in all critical and urgent matters relating to immigration. We will tailor our service to suit your unique situation and requirements.

Here, you will find specific advice on general visa applications and appealing to the first-tier tribunal. You will find advice for all other services on our website. If you need an estimate or further details regarding any type of immigration issue, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

A senior lawyer will supervise all work. At the beginning of our relationship, we will inform you of who you will be working with and who to contact if you have any concerns. We will also explain what to expect from our service. We routinely deal with complicated immigration matters, so please do not hesitate to get in touch.

A step-by-step approach to immigration matters

We will always begin by discussing your circumstances with you in detail to advise you on your options and the best application to make. Then, we will give you professional and bespoke advice regarding your application, the likely outcome, immigration rules, and the timescale you are facing. We will also talk you through any supporting evidence that is required.

Next, we will prepare your application and submit it on your behalf. Then, if you are asked to attend an interview by the Home Office, we will prepare you for this, explaining what questions you will ask. Once there is a decision from the Home Office, we will discuss this with you and any further action that may be taken if required.

Service exclusions

Please note that further work is charged at an extra fee. Examples include attending Home Office interviews, applications for your dependants, and advising and assisting if the Home Office has refused your application.

What we charge for our service

We charge an hourly rate for our services, depending on the sort of legal professional you require:

• Consultant solicitor services - Between £250 and £375 per hour
• Legal assistants and paralegals - Between £90 and £375 per hour

Please simply get in touch with our friendly and professional team if you would like us to put together a bespoke quote for you.

As immigration matters are unique to the individual in question, we can only ever estimate the likely costs once we have discussed your immigration matter with you and viewed your papers.

Here are some of the factors that can make your immigration more complex and consequently lead to higher costs

• Dealing with an application that has previously been refused
• You want to challenge an application refusal
• Your application is linked to the applications of other people
• We need to gather a large amount of supporting information

VAT and rates

We apply VAT in accordance with the law. Unless we state otherwise, all of the fees we quote are exclusive of VAT. We will not add VAT onto disbursements where the relevant third party has already added it.

Unless otherwise stated, our fees are quoted exclusive of VAT. The prevailing rate of VAT is then added where applicable.

• Most disbursements include VAT at the prevailing rate, which we add to your bill without a mark-up or additional VAT.
• Some disbursements, such as official fees, are not subject to VAT.
• For more advice about how VAT is charged, please get in touch with our team.

Other costs that you need to budget for:

Aside from the fees that we charge, there are a few other costs that you do need to budget for. These may include, but are not limited to: When making an application, consider any Home Office, Immigration Office, or UK Visa fees. UK Visa and Home Office fees can be found here. If you do not speak English, you will need to pay for an interpreter. This is typically in the region of £100 per hour. The cost of instructing an advocate or barrister to represent you at an appeal hearing or to advise you and draft the grounds for appeal. The cost will depend on the professional’s experience, yet it will be charged per hour. The fees experts charge for preparing any reports required to support your application. Prices differ considerably depending on the expert you hire and the nature of the report. This could be anywhere from £1,000 to £20,000.

How long do immigration matters take?

We cannot control the timescale, as it depends on how long the Home Office takes to deal with your application. We would typically be able to submit this sort of application within a month or six weeks of you instructing us. However, if we suspect any delays for any reason, we will inform you of this at the earliest possibility. The Home Office have published the following guidance on its processing times. They can be found here. This is an estimate and it may take longer to review and process your application. Please do note that first-tier tribunal appeals do take much longer. Therefore, you can expect an appeal to take as long as one year.

If you have outstanding debt owed to you up to the value of £100,000, My Business Counsel can help you to reclaim it. There are many different types and sources of debt that our clients approach us to recover, so you can rest assured that our debt recovery service will be tailored to your exact needs.

All work delivered will be supervised by either a Partner, Consultant Solicitor or Consultant Barrister, ensuring that you receive specialist guidance and support from start to finish. We will also let you know who your point of contact is, which makes communication much smoother and faster for you.

Please note that whilst we will do everything we can to speed up the process, it is ultimately the behaviour of your debtors who influence the timescale. There is also no guarantee that you will be successful in reclaiming your debt, although we will of course do everything within our power to reach a positive outcome.

An example of the process

The process of debt recovery can vary due to the volume of debt being recovered, the number of debtors involved, and other unique factors that may apply. However, the following example will give you a good idea of what our debt recovery service includes and how it works.

What’s included?

The key stages involved in a debt recovery matter and included in the estimated fee stated below include:

• • Taking your instructions and reviewing the relevant documentation.
• • Investigating the debtor’s legal liability to pay the debt.
• • Investigating the debtor’s ability to pay the debt.
• • Sending a letter prior to action.
• • Receiving payment and sending it to you, or if the debt is not paid, drafting and issuing a claim.
• • Where no acknowledgment of service or defence is received, applying to the court to enter judgment in default.
• • When judgment in default is received, writing to the debtor to require payment.
• • If payment is not received promptly, we provide advice on the next steps and likely costs.

What’s not included?

The fees provided further down this page do not include any additional work. Examples include dealing with any defended debt (whether through litigation, negotiation or any alternative means of dispute resolution), insolvency proceedings, enforcement of a judgment, ancillary applications (such as an application to strike out or amend), a counterclaim or an appeal.

Our fees

Our fees are calculated according to the seniority of the individual delivering work and their practice area. These rates fall into the following categories:

• • Consultant Solicitors: Hourly rates ranging from £250 -£375 per hour
• • Paralegals and Legal Assistants: Between £90 and £375 per hour

Fee ranges

Due to debt recovery being a highly detailed task, we are only able to offer a likely estimate of the costs of our services. This will be provided following a discussion with you and having studied any and all documentation. However, we understand that you will want to gain an idea of our fees before getting in touch, so the following fee ranges should help you to make an informed decision:

• • Low complexity: £2,000 to £4,000
• • Medium complexity: £4,000 to £7,500
• • High complexity: £7,500+

As well as all debt recovery cases being unique, there are numerous factors that can increase the level of complexity involved. Below are some common examples. • The debtor having a defence, counterclaim or a right of set-off. • There being multiple parties to the recovery action. • The debt having been assigned or factored. • The debtor appointing solicitors. • A higher-value debt. • The debtor being based overseas. • The debtor being hard to locate. • The debtor being hard to serve. • The legal or factual basis for the debt being complicated, disputed or unclear. • If applicable, your unfamiliarity with litigation in the English courts.

What can make debt recovery more complex?

As well as all debt recovery cases being unique, there are numerous factors that can increase the level of complexity involved. Below are some common amples.

• • The debtor having a defence, counterclaim or a right of set-off.
• • There being multiple parties to the recovery action.
• • The debt having been assigned or factored.
• • The debtor appointing solicitors.
• • A higher-value debt.
• • The debtor being based overseas.
• • The debtor being hard to locate.
• • The debtor being hard to serve.
• • The legal or factual basis for the debt being complicated, disputed or unclear.
• • If applicable, your unfamiliarity with litigation in the English courts.

Additional costs and considerations

On top of the fee ranges listed above, a few additional factors should be considered:

• • Instructing finding agents to locate hard-to-find debtors, which can range from £50 to £5,000 to reflect the time spent and difficulty involved in locating the relevant person(s).
• • Instructing a process server to serve your claim on the debtor, which will be a minimum of £250.
• • Instructing overseas legal advisers to advise on any elements governed by matters of foreign law, which will be a minimum of £1,000.
• • Court fees for starting proceedings and for other stages in the litigation process. Court fees depend on the level of the unpaid debt, with the fee ranging from £35 (for unpaid debts not exceeding £300) to £5,000 (where the unpaid debt is £100,000).
• • Instructing a barrister or advocate to represent you. The fees charged for this counsel are difficult to estimate, as they are calculated according to the complexity of the case, the required experience of the advocate, and whether or not the matter actually reaches trial. For instance, instructing junior counsel on an undisputed debt claim up to £10,000 would likely cost £750 to £1,500; junior counsel on an undisputed debt claim of up to £100,000 would likely cost £1,500 to £2,500; and junior counsel on a disputed debt claim of up to £100,000 would likely cost £15,000 to £20,000.

We incur these and other necessary additional third-party costs (“disbursements”) on your behalf, which are added to our invoice without a mark-up. As a result, any third parties are paid directly by My Business Counsel as part of your bill. Prior to work commencing, we will provide an estimate of any disbursements.

VAT

• Unless otherwise stated, our fees are quoted exclusive of VAT. The prevailing rate of VAT is then added where applicable.
• Most disbursements include VAT at the prevailing rate, which we add to your bill without a mark-up or additional VAT.
• Some disbursements, such as official fees, are not subject to VAT.
• For more advice about how VAT is charged, please get in touch with our team.

How long will my matter take?

From receiving instructions from you to the payment from the other side, you could be looking at approximately eight to 16 weeks in most cases. This depends on whether or not issuing a claim is necessary. This estimate is based on situations where the other side pays promptly once they receive a judgment in default. If enforcement action is required, the matter will naturally take longer to resolve.

Enforcement actions

We can also assist you in terms of enforcing a debt if the Judgement Order is not paid. There are several enforcement actions that you can pursue, and we will discuss with you the most suitable method. For the most common enforcement methods, our fees are as follows:

• Attachment of earnings application - £400 plus VAT
• Application for the debtor to attend Court for questioning - £300 plus VAT
• Statutory demand - £450 plus VAT
• Charging order application - £550 plus VAT

If your business requires a license for new premises or needs to change the terms of an existing license, My Business Counsel is here to help. As with all of our services, licensing applications are tailored to your exact needs and the type of license you wish to obtain or update. All work delivered will be supervised by either a Partner, Consultant Solicitor or Consultant Barrister, ensuring the highest quality of service from beginning to end. Whilst we will endeavour to complete the application as swiftly as possible, please note that the approach taken by the relevant licensing authority is a major factor.

We will also let you know who your point of contact is, which makes communication much smoother and faster for you.

An example of the process

The process of submitting a licensing application can vary due to the unique nature and complexity of the work required. However, the following example will give you a good idea of what our service includes and how it works.

What’s included?

The key stages of a licensing application include:

• • Taking your instructions and providing advice in regard to the procedural requirements relevant to your licensing application.
• • Providing advice on the current licensing climate and approach taken by the relevant licensing authority.
• • Providing advice on the likely costs and timescales involved in your licensing application.
• • Assessing the premises and area and taking into consideration your local authority’s licensing policy, including any cumulative impact policy and other special licensing policies related to your business.
• • Providing licensing strategy guidance and advising how and when to apply to optimise your prospects of success.
• • Completing the licensing application form in accordance with your instructions and submitting it to the relevant authority.
• • Preparing and serving copies of the premises licence application on the responsible authorities.
• • Drafting the necessary public notices, advising you how to display them, and arranging for the application to be advertised in a suitable local publication.
• • Advising you as to the requirement to provide a suitable licence supervisor and drafting the relevant supervisor application forms.

What’s not included?

The fees provided further down this page do not include any additional work, such as:

• • Preparing suitable plans.
• • Attending meetings with the relevant licensing authority or responsible authorities, nor their fee for such meetings.
• • Dealing with or advising you in relation to queries or representations received from either the responsible authorities or other interested parties.
• • Advising on varying the licence (or where your application is to change an existing license, advising on further variation).
• • Attendance and representation at a licensing sub-committee hearing of the responsible authority.
• • Attending the property to be licensed.
• • Experts fees if required.

Our fees

Our fees are calculated according to the seniority of the individual delivering work and their practice area. These rates fall into the following categories:

• • Consultant Solicitors: Hourly rates ranging from £250 -£375 per hour
• • Paralegals and Legal Assistants: Between £90 and £375 per hour

Fee ranges

Due to each licensing application being unique, we are only able to offer a likely estimate of the costs of our services. This will be provided following a discussion with you and explaining the process involved. However, we understand that you will want to gain an idea of our fees before getting in touch, so the following fee ranges should help you to make an informed decision:

• • Simple application: For instance, a restaurant or late-night refreshment premises in a commercial area – £1,400 to £3,500
• • Medium complexity application: For instance, a bar or late-night restaurant in a densely populated area – £2,100 to £5,500
• • High complexity application: For instance, a large premise with different licensable activity requirements, a large capacity premises, a night club, provision of relevant entertainment, or premises located in a cumulative impact zone – £6,000+

Please note that our charges are also affected by the approach taken by the relevant licensing and responsible authorities, as well as the involvement of any residential and local amenity groups.

What can make a licensing application more complex?

There are also numerous factors that can increase the level of complexity involved. Below are some common examples.

• • Larger premises.
• • More densely populated location.
• • Licensed activity not in keeping with the local area.
• • Perceived likelihood of public nuisance, crime or disorder attaching to the licensed activity.
• • Historic licensing issues associated with the local area.
• • Historic licensing issues associated with the particular premises.
• • The extent to which the proposed licence may not align with Local Authority policy.
• • Later hours of operation.
• • Outdoor festivals and events.
• • Multiple stakeholders involved in instructing us.

Additional costs and considerations

On top of the fee ranges listed above, a few additional factors should be considered:

• • Application fee charged by the licensing authority: This is usually between £100 and £1,905 but can be higher if the venue capacity exceeds 4,999 people.
• • Advertising fee: This is typically between £100 and £500.
• • Enquiry agent fees to display public notices: The usual range is from £75 to £500.
• • Preparing plans: This can cost between £300 and £1,000.

On top of the fee ranges listed above, a few additional factors should be considered:
We incur these and other necessary additional third-party costs (“disbursements”) on your behalf, which are added to our invoice without a mark-up. As a result, any third parties are paid directly by My Business Counsel as part of your bill. Prior to work commencing, we will provide an estimate of any disbursements.

VAT

• Unless otherwise stated, our fees are quoted exclusive of VAT. The prevailing rate of VAT is then added where applicable.
• Most disbursements include VAT at the prevailing rate, which we add to your bill without a mark-up or additional VAT.
• Some disbursements, such as official fees, are not subject to VAT.
• For more advice about how VAT is charged, please get in touch with our team.

How long will a licensing application take?

Typically, a licensing application will take between six and twelve weeks. However, this is assuming that the application is straightforward and you are able to provide all necessary documentation as and when required. More complex applications or delays in providing documents can lengthen the process, as can substantial opposition from interested parties such as neighbourhood groups. In the event that you need to appeal, this can take up to a year. It should also be noted that as with all litigation, your desired outcome cannot be guaranteed. In some cases, a license may not be granted.

We understand that the death of a family member, loved one or friend is a difficult and stressful time. The situation be exacerbated when their assets need to be secured and dealt with, which is why My Business Counsel is committed to supporting our clients and making the process as smooth as possible. Securing the legal right to deal with a deceased person’s assets is known as ‘grant of probate’ or a ‘grant of letters of administration’. Once obtained, we can then also help you with arranging the collection and distribution of the assets if desired. Whilst we can deal with any kind of estate, we particularly focus on those that are mid to high in value, internationally based or complex due to other reasons. Our uncontested probate service is fully bespoke and all work delivered will be supervised by either a Partner, Consultant Solicitor or Consultant Barrister.

We will also let you know who your point of contact is, which makes communication much smoother and faster for you.

An example of the process

The process of obtaining a grant of probate can vary due to the unique nature and complexity of the case. However, the following example will give you a good idea of what our service includes and how it works, although we can also deal with far more complicated matters.

What’s included?

The key stages of a probate matter include:

• • An initial one-to-one discussion with one of our experienced probate solicitors, which will determine what you want to achieve.
• • A review of the will (or where there is no valid will, the application of the intestacy rules) to identify those who are entitled to be executor or administrator, and to ascertain whether there are any potential issues that may prevent or delay the grant of probate.
• • Identifying the type of probate application you require.
• • Confirming the nature and probate value of the relevant assets and liabilities required to make the application.
• • Making an initial calculation of the inheritance tax due, including estimating the first instalment if applicable.
• • Completing the relevant inheritance tax forms and submitting them to you for reading and signing.
• • Offering guidance in regard to how to finance the payment of the first instalment of inheritance tax, which is required in order to apply for the grant of probate.
• • Submitting the signed inheritance tax forms to HMRC.
• • Preparing and submitting the application for the grant to the Probate Registry.
• • Making the application to the Probate Registry on your behalf.
• • When required and desired, confirming assets and instructing any relevant third parties.
• • Offering advice on tracing any beneficiaries named in the will.
• • Settling liabilities and administration expenses.
• • Advising on and settling inheritance tax liability in the administration period.
• • Preparing and obtaining the approval of the estate accounts.
• • Distributing the assets (or their proceeds) in accordance with the terms of the will and obtaining appropriate receipts.

What’s not included?

The fees provided further down this page do not include any additional work, such as:

• • Any legal challenge as to the validity of the will or your entitlement to the grant of probate.
• • Any challenges by beneficiaries and third parties in relation to any distribution.
• • Liaising with lawyers or representatives as to overseas elements of the estate.
• • Litigation in which the estate is a claimant or defendant.
• • Standalone legal work involved in the sale of estate assets.
• • Tax advice other than that set out above, such as working with an accountant in relation to income tax or capital gains tax returns.

Our fees

Our fees are calculated according to the seniority of the individual delivering work and their practice area. These rates fall into the following categories:

• • Consultant Solicitors: Hourly rates ranging from £250 -£375 per hour
• • Paralegals and Legal Assistants: Between £90 and £375 per hour

Fee ranges

Due to each grant of probate being unique, we are only able to offer a likely estimate of the costs of our services. This will be provided following a discussion with you and having studied any and all documentation. However, we understand that you will want to gain an idea of our fees before getting in touch, so the following fee ranges should help you to make an informed decision:

• • Low complexity: £5,000 to £20,000
• • Medium complexity: £20,000 to £30,000
• • High complexity: £30,000+

What can make uncontested probate more complex?

As well as all cases being unique, there are numerous factors that can increase the level of complexity involved. Below are some common examples.

• • Issues as to the validity of the will or a missing original will.
• • Complex legal issues or uncertainties arising from the terms of the will.
• • High-value estates.
• • Complex inheritance tax or other tax issues.
• • Large numbers of assets to be distributed.
• • Large numbers of beneficiaries.
• • Disagreements with beneficiaries and active beneficiaries.
• • Where you have appointed us as your executor.
• • Foreign wills, assets and liabilities.
• • The need for an unusually large number of face-to-face meetings with you, with others, or visits to a property.
• • High-value assets in the estate such as properties, investments and other items.
• • Complicated liabilities of the estate.
• • Protracted discussions with HMRC and the District Valuer.
• • If there is no will or the estate consists of any shareholdings (stocks and bonds), additional costs are likely.

Additional costs and considerations

On top of the fee ranges listed above, a few additional factors should be considered:

• • Valuation fees for assets of the estate, which range from £50 for a small item to £15,000 for a substantial asset.
• • Probate Registry application fees.
• • Bankruptcy searches, priced at £10.99 per person per search.
• • HM Land Registry Office Copy entries, priced at £3 per entry per search.
• • Advertising in the Gazette – section 27 Trustee Act notice, priced at £70.
• • Advertising in a newspaper, with fees ranging from £50 to £500 per notice, depending on the individual publication’s pricing structure.
• • Inheritance Tax.

We incur these and other necessary additional third-party costs (“disbursements”) on your behalf, which are added to our invoice without a mark-up. As a result, any third parties are paid directly by My Business Counsel as part of your bill. Prior to work commencing, we will provide an estimate of any disbursements.

VAT

• Unless otherwise stated, our fees are quoted exclusive of VAT. The prevailing rate of VAT is then added where applicable.
• Most disbursements include VAT at the prevailing rate, which we add to your bill without a mark-up or additional VAT.
• Some disbursements, such as official fees, are not subject to VAT.
• For more advice about how VAT is charged, please get in touch with our team.

How long will uncontested probate take?

The timeframe involved in the issuing of a grant of probate varies according to the size of the estate and the complexity of the matter. As a rough idea, a low-complexity matter could take between three and twelve months. Once completed, we will then proceed to the administering of the estate and the distribution of its assets, which normally takes a further six to eighteen months. However, larger and more complex estates can take significantly longer. The response times of HMRC and the time it takes to sell any assets (if applicable) are also to be considered. We will do everything we can to provide a likely timescale for each stage and the entire process, although please note that it could potentially take much longer due to the factors listed above.