We understand that If you have a claim which is of relatively low value, you will not wish to incur substantial legal fees and may wish to conduct the claim yourself through the court small claims process. If you require assistance with such claims, we can offer a fixed fee service which can either just involve representation at the hearing or may Involve representation from start to finish. Alternatively, we can also provide assistance on an hourly charge basis.

Small claims can often pose a dilemma for litigants. On the one hand, the cost of instructing counsel can be disproportionate to the value of the claim. On the other, the law and the courts can be confusing and overwhelming to deal with alone. We intend for our service to make a real difference for people who would otherwise have to face what can be a confusing justice system alone.

Even for businesses and solicitors’ firms, small claims can mean unnecessary expense or wasted time. Our competitively priced, client-centred, and specialist service aims to assist and give appropriate advice in regard to your individual case. 

Fixed Fee for Assistance with Small Claims Case in its Entirety

To deal with a small claims case in its entirety (involving taking your instructions, submitting the claim / defence, dealing with your opponent, preparing witness statements and court bundle) prices start at £1,500 plus disbursement costs (such as court fees, Counsel’s fees, travel costs). £1,500 plus VAT will cover a case where there are no more than two witnesses to be called to give evidence, and paperwork is limited, and the Court lists the matter for less than two hours.

You can expect to budget between approximately £3,000 plus VAT if the matter is complicated, or there is a counter-claim involved. Complications can include, but are not limited to, adjournments, applications to Court (such as a request for video-link hearing if a party is abroad), three or more witnesses to give evidence and be cross-examined, case management hearing to decide between small claims or fast track proceedings, requests for any dispute resolution by either party or exploring settlement. We can confirm a figure to you once we have taken your initial instructions. We’ll make it competitive but comparative to the work involved. Often our fixed fees can be structured in stages of the small claims litigation for more complicated small claims.

Fixed fee for Assistance when taking over a matter already listed before the Court

50% of our small claims clients approach us after filing of paperwork when they decide they no longer wish to act for themselves, and need legal assistance. There is often more work to be done to obtain the best result for you than there would have been if we had had conduct of the small claim from the beginning. Think of it like the scenario of asking a builder to rectify the work of another builder, who might not have been as experienced or qualified for the job in hand. As such, our fixed fee quotes for a matter half way through are often the same, or more than if we were dealing with the case in its entirety. We can only give a quote for taking over a small claims matter already in progress once we have seen the papers. As a guide, costs are likely to be the same, or higher, as when we’d taken the matter from the beginning.

Keeping costs down

At Bridge Law customer service is at the heart of what we do, and we know clients wish to keep legal costs to a minimum. We will always explain what you can do to help minimise the financial costs. We are also mindful of the time our clients have to dedicate to the involvement of a small claim and the emotional costs litigation can bring. Communicating with us what you want from the small claims litigation, not only financially, can greatly help obtain the best outcome for you.

If you want to get in touch about your small claims matter, please email us at info@bridgelawsolicitors.co.uk.