OUR FEES

We will first assess you for Legal Aid eligibility. If  you are not eligbile then you may wish to meet the costs of your case privately. Our fees are determined on an Hourly rate of £160 (plus VAT) per hour with routine letters and telephone calls charged at 1/10th of that rate. This is the basis of how we calculate our fees. We will always provide a costs estimate and agree it with you before commencing work on your behalf. This will indicate the amount of work needed and the basis of the fee calculation. In addition if we need to incur any disbursements to complete the work required for you we will always seek to identify these in advance and obtain your approval before incurring them.Where public funding is not available, Dale & Dunphy are acutely aware of the costs of litigation, whether that is liaising with the police, keeping your driving licence or representation in the Magistrates or Crown Courts.  That is why we offer a fixed fee for each hearing, and in most cases for the entirety of your case(excluding criminal appeals), for all matters, that way you know the cost and it won’t be a penny more.

Our costs suit most pockets/ wallets / purses with a starting fee of £350 + Vat for first hearings in Criminal matters in East Anglia, other firms are cheaper and there are firms more expensive, we believe we charge a fair rate for a personal and quality service. this fee does not include the disbursement of mileage.

This would include;

• An initial conference (in our office or by telephone/email to your preference).
• Consideration of the case papers.
• Legal advice on your case and the court procedure.
• Further investigation/preparatory work.
• Attending court with you for the hearing with a case length up to one half day.
• Post hearing advice and confirmation of outcome.

Our Trial fees are negotiable depending on the complexity of each case starting fees are £2,000 + Vat in the Magistrates Court.  Crown Court cases are inherently more expensive because of the nature of these cases and on a private paying basis start at £5,000 + Vat. We aim to accommodate where we can.  You have access to more than 100 years of legal experience within the firm from Sally, Kieran, Helen & Nicola plus some of the finest Barristers practising their profession in London, East Anglia and elsewhere.

Your case will be handled by one of our Partners, Sally or Kieran or our colleague Helen Korfanty, if the matter requires greater depth and / or the instruction of an expert witness then Nicola may be asked to assist. See OUR TEAM for their profiles. Each and every one of the fee earners has a minimum 20 years’ experience, you can be assured you are in safe hands. We have a proven track record in achieving successful outcomes for our clients.

For more details contact Kieran office@dale-dunphy.co.uk or call 07748 638752

Motoring Offences

If your case is a motoring matter then we would seek to charge between £350 and £2,000 + VAT depending upon the complexity and length of time it would take to prepare your case. The simpler the case i.e. guilty plea to a drink or drug drive matter with representation at court then it is more straightforward and incurs less time and thus less fees. A Special Reasons Argument requires more time and would be in the region of £1,000.00 + Vat. These figures are indicative only of our fees. These figures do not include the instruction of an expert witness nor mileage or travel. The average case is circa £750.+Vat. A trial on such a matter would be in the region of £2,000 + Vat.

An illustration would be as follows:
Drink or Drug driving offence, guilty plea – fixed fee £350 VAT charged at 20%

Fee includes:

• 2 hours attendance/preparation:
  • considering evidence
  • taking your instructions
  • providing advice on likely sentence
  • advice on the options available to the court in relation to sentencing
  • Advice on whether an exceptional hardship, or special reasons argument should be made
• Attendance and representation at a single hearing at the Magistrates Court either in person or attendance via video link, anywhere in England & Wales.

The fee does not include:

• instruction of any expert witnesses
• taking statements from any witnesses
• advice and assistance in relation to a special reasons hearing
• advice or assistance in relation to any appeal

The key stages of your matter are based on the presumption that you have entered a guilty plea and have a date for your hearing.

• Speak with your solicitor to provide instructions on what happened, be that on the day, via phone or video link or in advance of the hearing.
• We will consider initial disclosure, and any other evidence and provide advice.
• Arranging to take any witness statements if necessary (this will have an additional cost, of £160 per hour circa 2 hours).
• We will explain the court procedure to you so you know what to expect on the day of your hearing, and the sentencing options available to the court.
• We will conduct any further preparatory work, obtain further instructions from you if necessary and answer any follow up queries you have.
• We cannot provide a timescale of when your hearing will take place, as this depends on the court listing for that day.
• We will attend court on the day and meet with you before going before the court. We anticipate being at court for [e.g. half a day].
• We will discuss the outcome with you. If advice is required on appeal, this will carry an additional cost.