COSTS

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OFFICE HOURS: Mon to Fri - 9:00 am to 5:00 pm

(Please note that we close for lunch between 12 pm to 2 pm)

(Incorporating CHUNG & PLATT, EST. 1985)

T: 0161 228 6777

F: 0161 228 7774

E: info@chungandco.com

COSTS & OTHER INFORMATION

Explanatory Notes:

Our estimates are valid as at 1st January 2023. They are for general guidance only and are reviewed regularly. We reserve our right to make changes unless we have unconditionally fixed or agreed our charges with you in writing. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) requires all solicitors to publish their estimated legal fees for some specific, but not all, services offered. Not all solicitors charge the same fee or provide the same level of services. Costs should not therefore be your only consideration when choosing solicitors but also their professional status and expertise.

As a small but long established (since 1985) firm, your case will be handled and supervised only by fully qualified and experienced solicitors. We earn our status by high quality work at competitive price only.

You will pay “Legal Costs” for all our services, including verbal and/or written consultations, regardless of the outcome of the transaction concerned. Unless otherwise agreed in writing, we do not offer any free advice or service but in exceptional circumstances we may impose token or discounted charges only.
You may have to pay “Disbursements”, which are expenses paid to other parties, such as search fees, court fees, management company’s fees, bank charges, registration fees, Land Transaction Tax or Stamp Duty, landlord’s solicitors’ fees, mortgagee’s solicitors’ fees, bank transfer fees, bank charges, Land Registry fees, application fees, inspection fees, estate agents’ fees, surveyor’s fees, architect’s fees, accountant’s fees, insurance policy premiums, etc.
You will also pay “General Expenses”, which are our overheads chargeable as additional profit costs, such as Postages, Telephone, Fax, Photocopying and Stationery charges (minimum £20 per matter), Office Administration Charges (minimum £20 per matter), Travelling expenses (at £0.90 per mile), Bank transfer fees (£30 per transfer) and postal delivery handling charges, e.g. DHL or Royal Mail, (minimum £10 per item, if required), plus VAT in all cases, where applicable.
You may have to pay for our “AML Checks” by way of additional profit costs. Under the current Anti-Money Laundering (“AML”) legislations, all solicitors must check the sources of wealth and/or funds of their clients when payment is required, such as purchase price. We must be reasonably satisfied that your funds are legitimate or else we cannot use them. AML checks are always very time consuming, particularly for overseas funds. We must also check the identity and address of each of our clients and the money handlers. All information and/or documents supplied or obtained are for our information and record us as well as all the relevant government agencies and SRA (to be released at our sole discretion). You are deemed to have consented to us and/or them retaining them for as long as necessary. Our AML Checks costs start from £180 plus VAT per money handler.

All chargeable fees and expenses are net of VAT. You must also pay VAT at the prevailing rate which is 20% and it is variable. VAT is an additional tax payable to the Government and is payable in most cases, except by overseas clients but only if the transaction does not involve any property in the UK. For VAT registered clients, they may be able to reclaim it from the Government.

All published charges and expenses are estimates only on the assumption that the intended transaction is straightforward without any undue complication or delay. If not, you may have to pay more but we shall endeavour to agree with you in advance the extras payable before carrying out any further work.

We cannot guarantee success, any particular outcome and/or conclusion of any work within any time scale in all cases, since there are so many factors which are outside our control. However, we always endeavour to meet the reasonable expectations of our clients and we are known to be highly efficient and meticulous.

We reserve our rights in exceptional circumstances or when you act in breach of our Terms and Conditions of Business to decline instructions or cease acting without accepting any responsibility even if you have approved our estimates or paid our legal charges and expenses in part or in full. We shall then reassess them and seek payment of any shortfall or refund any credit balance to you.

There are cases where we can charge only on hourly rate basis. We have two fully qualified and highly experienced solicitors of the Senior Court of England & Wales. They are our partners and their key details are:-

Name & Status – Mr Stephen Jin Pang Chung, LLB (Hons), Senior Partner

Year of Admission – 1983
Languages spoken – English and Chinese (Mandarin & Cantonese)
Main law interests - Conveyancing (Commercial & Residential), Landlord & Tenant, Immigration & Nationality, Company & Commerce, Will & Probate, Divorce, Magistrates Court & Tribunal work, Licensing Applications, Town & Country Planning, Authentication, legalisation and translation (English/Chinese) of documents.
Hourly rate - £250 plus VAT, divided into 10 units, minimum charge 1 unit.

Name & Status – Mr Jonathan Sai Hung Chung, LLB (Hons), Partner

Year of Admission – 2011
Languages spoken – English and Chinese (Mandarin & Cantonese - Basic)
Main law interests - Conveyancing (Commercial & Residential), Landlord & Tenant, Immigration & Nationality, Company & Commerce, Will & Probate, Divorce, Magistrates Court & Tribunal work, Licensing Applications, Town & Country Planning and Authentication and Legalisation of documents.
Hourly rate - £225 plus VAT, divided into 10 units, minimum charge 1 unit.