Sheila Aly LLB (Hons)

Sheila completed her BVC at Inns of Court School of Law in 2002. She was called to the Bar in 2002 and completed her Pupillage with Littleton Chambers in 2004. Sheila completed her LLB in 2001, she is a CEDR Accredited Commercial Mediator and Mediation Trainer, ADR Group accredited Family Mediator and PMR Ltd Accredited Workplace Mediator.

Sheila has undertaken thousands of general civil, criminal, family, GMC and Regulatory matters.

Her hourly rate is ordinarily £250 per hour excluding any applicable VAT. The rate is variable and subject to agreement.

Thomas Hulme LLB (Hons), LLM

Thomas was admitted as a Solicitor in 2010 having completed the QLTT after the BVC at the Inns of Court School of Law in 2002, he was called to the Bar in 2006. He completed his LLB (Hons) at University of Sussex in 1999 and his LLM at University of Manchester in 2006.

Thomas is a Grade A Solicitor, he has undertaken thousands of general civil, family, property, insolvency, and GMC and Regulatory matters in more than 15 years of litigation experience.

His usual hourly rate is £200 excluding any applicable VAT. The rate is variable and subject to agreement.

Dr Monica Goff

Monica was first qualified as a clinician, she completed her PHD in 1998. Monica was called to the Bar in 2008 and she was admitted as a solicitor in 2010. She worked at Robert Meaton & Co where she completed her QLTT.

Monica is a Grade A Solicitor and the majority of her work has been litigation. In particular Monica has substantial experience of personal injury, family, contentious probate and general civil litigation. Monica also undertakes will drafting and power of attorney applications.

Her usual hourly rate is £200 excluding any applicable VAT. The rate is variable and subject to agreement.

Wills and Probate

We anticipate that our usual fees for wills are:

  • single will - £400 plus any applicable VAT
  • mirror will - £550 plus any applicable VAT

    • It is possible that there will be other fees added of between £100 - £200 where particular issues arise, for example expediting the process, home or hospital visits and letters to Doctors where there may be mental health issues.

    Our Lasting Power of Attorneys (LPA’s) usually cost:

  • LPA for a single person (1 type of LPA) - £550 plus any applicable VAT
  • LPA for a single person ( both types of LPA) - £850 plus any applicable VAT
  • For a couple we charge between £850 to £1250 depending on which type and number of LPA is sought plus any applicable VAT [Please note these fees exclude the Registration Fee]

    • It is possible that there will be other fees added of between £100 - £200 where particular issues arise, for example expediting the process, home or hospital visits and letters to Doctors where there may be mental health issues.

    The costs involved in Probate depend on the individual circumstances of the matter. For example, if there is one beneficiary and no property, costs will be at the lower end of the range. If there are multiple beneficiaries, a property and multiple bank accounts, costs will be at the higher end.

    The first stage of the process involves obtaining the grant of Representation (which is the grant of probate or letters of administration) and our fees are likely to be between £1,000 to £2000. This may take from a few weeks to a few months.

    The Second stage involves collecting the assets, settling liabilities and distributions and preparing accounts. This can take several months and fees do vary so we expect that it should be between £2000-£8000.

    There will be disbursements which are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as court fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.

    Immigration

    Hourly rate: £ 200

    On average, this type of work takes between 6 to 12 hours to complete. This means that on average costs are between £1200 and £2400. All figures exclude VAT unless specifically stated.

    The exact number of hours it will take depends on the circumstances in your case. Such as:

  • The amount of supporting evidence that we need to consider
  • Which language(s) you speak
  • Whether you are applying with other dependants

    • If you are able to provide sufficient evidence at our first meeting and clearly meet the applicable Immigration Rules, the cost is likely to be at the lower end of this range. 

    What services are included
    The work will involve:

  • Discussing your circumstances in detail and confirming whether this is the most appropriate application for you to make and what other options may be available to you
  • Giving you advice about the requirements of the Immigration Rules and whether you meet the criteria.
  • If you do not fulfill certain criteria, whether this can be overcome and how, which on average takes 2 hours
  • Considering the supporting evidence you have provided, which we anticipate will take 3 to 5 hours*
  • Where necessary, helping you obtain further evidence (such as medical records and bank statements), including taking statements of any witnesses
  • Preparing your application and submitting it on your behalf, which we anticipate will take 2 hours
  • Attendance at a Home Office interview: if the Home Office ask you to attend an interview, we will give you clear advice (and discuss the possibility of us attending with you) at the appropriate time. This could be between 4 and 8 hours of work.
  • Giving you advice about the outcome of the application and any further steps you need to take.

    • *the amount of hours depends on the number of documents, whether they need to be translated, whether anything is missing and how long it will take to obtain the missing documents Disbursements (not included in costs set out above)

    Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as visa fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.

  • Interpreters fees.
  • Independent expert reports e.g. medical experts. These are not required in many cases: we will let you know as soon as possible if we consider an expert report is necessary.
  • If there is an interview and we do attend with you, there will be additional disbursements in respect of our mileage/travel expenses.

    • The costs quoted here do not include:

  • Any Home Office fees for making the application. You will pay this to the Home Office directly as part of the application process.
  • Where the Home Office refuse your application, advice and assistance in relation to any appeal

    • How long will my application take?

    We cannot guarantee how long the Home Office will take to process your application. Read the current processing times. 

    We will normally be able to submit this type of application within X weeks of you instructing us, but we will let you know at the earliest opportunity if it is likely to take longer than this.

    Please note the anticipated number of hours and fees are an estimate based on the facts above. All applications are likely to vary and of course, we can give you a more accurate estimate once we have more information about your specific case.

    Employment Matters

    Our pricing for bringing and defending claims for unfair or wrongful dismissal

    Simple case: £6,000-£12,000 (excluding VAT)

    Medium complexity case: £12,000-£25,000 (excluding VAT)

    High complexity case: £25,000-£50,000 (excluding VAT)

    Factors that could make a case more complex:

  • If it is necessary to make or defend applications to amend claims or to provide further information about an existing claim.
  • Defending claims that are brought by litigants in person.
  • Making or defending a costs application.
  • Complex preliminary issues such as whether the claimant is disabled (if this is not agreed by the parties).
  • The number of witnesses and documents.
  • If it is an automatic unfair dismissal claim e.g. if you are dismissed after blowing the whistle on your employer.
  • Allegations of discrimination which are linked to the dismissal.

    • There will be an additional charge for attending a Tribunal Hearing of £1000 per day (excluding VAT). Generally, we would allow a day to several weeks depending on the complexity of your case.

    Disbursements

    Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as court fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.

    Counsel's fees estimated between £100 to £3000 per day (depending on experience of the advocate) for attending a Tribunal Hearing (including preparation).

    Key stages

    The fees set out above cover all of the work in relation to the following key stages of a claim:

  • Taking your initial instructions, reviewing the papers and advising you on merits and likely compensation (this is likely to be revisited throughout the matter and subject to change).
  • Entering into pre-claim conciliation where this is mandatory to explore whether a settlement can be reached.
  • Preparing claim or response.
  • Reviewing and advising on claim or response from other party.
  • Exploring settlement and negotiating settlement throughout the process.
  • Preparing or considering a schedule of loss.
  • Preparing for (and attending) a Preliminary Hearing.
  • Exchanging documents with the other party and agreeing a bundle of documents.
  • Taking witness statements, drafting statements and agreeing their content with witnesses.
  • Preparing bundle of documents.
  • Reviewing and advising on the other party's witness statements.
  • Agreeing a list of issues, a chronology and/or cast list.
  • Preparation and attendance at Final Hearing, including instructions to Counsel.

    • The stages set out above are an indication and if some of stages above are not required, the fee will be reduced. You may wish to handle the claim yourself and only have our advice in relation to some of the stages. This can also be arranged on your individual needs.

    How long will my matter take?

    The time that it takes from taking your initial instructions to the final resolution of your matter depends largely on the stage at which your case is resolved. If a settlement is reached during pre-claim conciliation, your case is likely to take a few weeks. If your claim proceeds to a Final Hearing, your case is likely to several months. This is just an estimate and we will of course be able to give you a more accurate timescale once we have more information and as the matter progresses.

    Debt Recovery

    These costs apply where your claim is in relation to an unpaid invoice which is not disputed and enforcement action is not needed. If the other party disputes your claim at any point, we will discuss any further work required and provide you with revised advice about costs if necessary, which could be on a fixed fee (e.g. if a one off letter is required), or an hourly rate if more extensive work is needed.

    Debt Value Court Fee Our Fee Our Fee Total
    Does not exceed £300 £35 £150 £185
    Exceeds £300 but does not exceed £500 £50 £150 £200
    Exceeds £500 but does not exceed £1,000 £70 £150 £220
    Exceeds £1,000 but does not exceed £1,500 £80 £150 £230
    Exceeds £1,500 but does not exceed £3,000 £115 £150 £265
    Exceeds £3,000 but does not exceed £5,000 £205 £200 £405
    Exceeds £5.000 but does not exceed £10,000 £455 £300 £755
    Exceeds £10,000 but does not exceed £200,000 5% of the value of the claim £1000 TBC
    Exceeds £200,000 or is not limited £10,000 £2000 £12,000

    Anyone wishing to proceed with a claim should note that:

  • The VAT element of our fee cannot be reclaimed from your debtor.
  • Interest and compensation may take the debt into a higher banding, with a higher cost.
  • The costs quoted above are not for matters where enforcement action, such as the bailiff, is needed to collect your debt.
  • Interpreters fees.

    • Our fee includes:

  • Taking your instructions and reviewing documentation.
  • Undertaking appropriate searches.
  • Sending a letter before action.
  • Receiving payment and sending onto you, or if the debt is not paid, drafting and issuing claim.
  • Where no Acknowledgment of Service or Defence is received, applying to the court to enter Judgement in default.
  • When Judgement in default in received, write to the other side to request payment.
  • If payment is not received within 28 days, providing you with advice on next steps and likely costs.

    • Matters usually take 28 days to several months from receipt of instructions from you to receipt of payment from the other side, depending on whether or not it is necessary to issue a claim. This is on the basis that the other side pays promptly on receipt of Judgement in default. If enforcement action is needed, the matter will take longer to resolve.

    Why Choose Aly & Hulme Associates?

    Modern life is hectic. We know you’re busy. we know your hours are often awkward and we know you have enough on your plate. That’s why our founding principle is to help you deal with your legal needs quickly, efficiently and effectively.

    We specialise in dispute resolution and whilst both partners have appeared in Court on thousands of occasions we will strive hard to avoid litigation wherever possible to provide you with a robust and cost-effective service.

  • We are approachable, professional and commercially minded.
  • We cover the South East and North West and will meet you at your convenience.
  • We have policies and procedures to ensure your matter is always taken care of.
  • We will always put your needs first and do our utmost to protect and further your best interests.
  • We are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and fully insured for your protection.

    • Contact our Corporate & Commercial Solicitors in Manchester Today

    To set an appointment with one of our solicitors, you can call us on 0330 133 0684 or email us at info@aha-law.co.uk or click the contact button below.

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