Fixed fees, agreed in writing, before you instruct.
A clear fee position at the outset is the most reliable indicator of how the rest of the matter will be handled. We work to a fixed-fee model wherever the scope allows, and we put the figure in writing before you instruct.
The starting fees below are indicative. The final figure is set after a paid consultation, once the scope of your matter is properly understood.
Four principles that govern every fee.
The position the firm holds on price, in plain terms. These are the rules we operate to on every matter.
A single figure, not an estimate.
Where the scope of work can be defined, the fee is fixed. You pay the figure you were quoted, regardless of how much time the matter ultimately takes. Hourly billing is the exception, reserved for matters whose scope cannot be defined upfront, and always agreed in writing before it begins.
Scope set out in writing.
The fee proposal sets out the work covered and lists the third-party disbursements that sit outside the legal fee, principally Home Office application fees, the Immigration Health Surcharge, biometric enrolment costs and, where relevant, Indian state registration fees.
If the scope changes, we tell you.
If the matter develops in a way that changes the work involved, we tell you, and we agree a revised figure in writing before we proceed. There are no quiet additions to an invoice and no charges for work you did not authorise.
The consultation comes first.
A paid initial consultation is the first stage of any matter. It allows us to give a fee proposal that fits your circumstances, rather than one drawn from a generic schedule. If we are not the right firm for the matter, we will say so at the consultation, and you will pay nothing further.
The fee is not a negotiation, and it is not a moving target. It is the position the firm holds for the work in front of it, set out in writing, before anyone is committed. That clarity is part of the service.Whytecroft Ford · Fee policy
Starting fees by service.
The figures below are indicative starting fees. Each matter is scoped at consultation; your written fee proposal may sit above or below the figure listed here.
First call and scoping
Relationship-based routes
Skilled Worker
ILR and naturalisation
Standard and specialist visit
Power of attorney and advisory
What your fee covers.
The fee proposal sets out the precise scope. As a working summary, the position on both sides is set out below.
What sits inside the fee.
Senior-led handling from instruction to filing. Document review and strategy. Drafting of the application and cover letter. Liaison with the Home Office. A point of contact during normal business hours throughout the matter.
If the matter progresses to a request for further evidence at the same stage, that work sits inside the original fee.
What sits outside the fee.
Third-party disbursements: Home Office application fees, the Immigration Health Surcharge, biometric enrolment, document translation, notarisation, apostille, and Indian state registration fees.
Work outside the agreed scope, including matters that fall outside our practice areas (asylum, appeals, administrative review, judicial review), which we do not handle.
Price clarity, as part of the service.
A clear fee position is the first piece of work product the firm provides. The discipline that produces a precise fee proposal is the same discipline that produces a precise filing. If one is loose, the other will be too.
Request a written fee proposal.
Book an initial consultation and you will leave with a clear picture of the route, the realistic timeline, and a written fee proposal you can sit with before committing.