#2653

Is that £800 or £800 plus four hours work? If so at what hourly rate? £800 plus VAT fixed fee is pretty much market rate. £800 plus anything on a time costs basis for work like that is a pisstake unless you’re being advised by Mishcons or one of those other posh people firms.

I do that kind of work occasionally. I’d usually quote minimum £650 plus VAT but up to £1,000 plus VAT if I can. It’s worth trying to negotiate but if they know every other firm in the area charges that amount you won’t get far.

It is just copy paste but you have to know which precedent to use!

#2654

£800 + VAT all in.

Jeez, I’ll do it myself. How hard can it be? Not like it’s important or anything.

#2655

You can totally do it yourself. Or I’ll do it for you for £750 plus VAT.

1 Like
#2656

I’ve already got the one that this person prepared for my friend. Our circumstances are almost identical. I really resent paying £800 for changing the names around.

#2657

Well that’s 3 quotes, so who should epimer go with?

  • Raanraals - £750 + VAT
  • spaceshipped - £650 + VAT
  • Some joker - £800 + VAT

0 voters

#2658

Be honest now. We’re all friends here. Will many of your clients have said similar about your professional services?:wink:

2 Likes
#2659

If I’m charging for three or four hours of work, it’s because I’ve got documents to analyse and lots of new facts to consider. Not for applying standard legal knowledge.

The service charges, on the other hand… sucks air through teeth

2 Likes
#2660

I mean, let’s be honest, I’m going to pay through the nose for this eventually, but I’m going to have a grumble about my pal getting exactly the same thing done by the same firm for £350 for the rest of my life.

1 Like
#2661

9 months on from starting the process, I finally own half of the house - yay!

And what have we learned everybody? DON’T. BUY. PROPERTY. WITH. FAMILY.

22 Likes
#2662

Fair play. Sounds like you’ve had a hell of a time with it.

Although I’m just finishing up selling mine and my sister’s flat and that’s been absolutely fine aside from a few minor irks. Guess it depends on who your family is (me and my sister don’t get on hugely well all things considered)

#2663

One delicious reading of this is that you’ve sold your sister’s home without her knowing. :slight_smile:

2 Likes
#2664

I think it’ll probably be fine if you sold the flat and went separate ways (in hindsight would have been much better for us) but being an outsider having to buy one of the parties out is just uncomfortable. Too many people getting involved to give the impression that one party is benefiting more from the situation than the other. It’s almost like putting a price on making sure your family members continue to like you! :laughing:

What I must say is my parents, who are usually quite difficult (well my dad I mean), have been so chilled. I swear my dad used to be super uptight about me even taking out a phone contract but he’s just been so laid back and I thought he’d get mega hot headed about the situation but they’ve been such supportive cool people. New respect for them tbh :slight_smile:

4 Likes
#2665

:smiley:

That would be delicious.

#2666

Yeah fair point. From what I remember the lad was making things difficult over what are, in the context of both a) family and b) housebuying reasonably small sums of money? I mean my sister’s cost us about £2k by moving out now rather than waiting 6 weeks so we’re officially another year into the 5 year fixed mortgage which I thought was a ridiculous decision but, y’know, it’s family and it’s not going to be the difference between me buying a shed or a palace next time is it?

1 Like
#2667

That’s pretty wild. it will be a copy and paste of a style taken from practicallaw.com or similar.

Unless you are doing something wild around the financing/ share/ division of ownership then I can’t understand how it comes to that. That’s an hour at partner’s rate in a REALLY good firm, and I presume you’re not using a magic circle partner to do your conveyancing? :rofl:

#2668

We’re doing something a little odd with the shares (not flat % based, but based on who contributes what to the deposit and mortgage payments over time) but we’ve got a formula for that already done.

It’s just some local firm. Maybe I should use someone in this shitehole town I work in instead of fancypants Cambridge.

#2669

Entering into a declaration of trust

It is always advisable for co-owners who hold property as tenants in common to enter into a declaration of trust to:

  • Confirm the extent of their respective beneficial interests.

  • Set out any express terms that the co-owners want to include. These might include provisions to deal with a situation where one of the co-owners wants to sell or practical arrangements for day-to-day issues such as how the parties will arrange for maintenance and meet other expenses related to the property.

Joint Land Registry and Law Society practice note: Joint ownership (January 2013) explains how important it is for conveyancers to advise joint buyers on co-ownership issues at the time they acquire the property and to record their intentions in a declaration of trust, particularly when they are buying the property in unequal shares. For more information, see:

In the case of a commercial property transaction, the parties will need to have decided beforehand whether a trust of land is, in fact, the most suitable structure. For more information, see Joint venture structure .

For links to Practical Law’s materials on jointly owned land and drafting, interpreting and negotiating a declaration of trust, see Co-ownership and trusts of land toolkit .

#2670

I could probably just email you the document, even thought I’m not an english property lawyer. That’s how DURRR this is.

These replies to myself are @Epimer obvs.

2 Likes
#2671

I’ll just say that Mike and I didn’t bother with one of these.

:woman_shrugging:

2 Likes
#2672

I’d just go back and say you think it’s steep for what it is and ask for a breakdown of how it gets to that (ie find out the fee-earner’s hourly rate and ask them to justify why it’s taking like FOUR HOURS or whatever.)

2 Likes