We shall do our utmost to be as transparent and as clear as we can in relation to our Charges.

In that regard, where it is possible to provide a quote in advance, for example in relation to the drafting of your Will or for administering an Estate, we shall do so in writing before we take any steps on your behalf and incur any charges that you will have to bear. You will then be given the opportunity to decide whether you wish to pay our charges, or whether you wish to retain other solicitors at that point without incurring a charge to us.

For drafting your Will our usual charge is €100 and that fee is also subject to VAT. If you wish, you can instead make a donation of €100 to our friends at the Cork ARC Cancer Support House which is a virtual oasis for people living with cancer and those who care for them. For better detail of the wonderful work they do then visit their site at www.corkcancersupport.ie

If it is not possible to give you an estimate of our fees, for example in relation to contentious issues including litigation or court work, we shall as required by the Solicitors Acts provide you with confirmation of the basis of our charges in writing. Again we shall provide you with the opportunity to accept the basis of our charges before we take any steps on your behalf. If you do not accept the basis of our charges then you are free to retain other solicitors at that point without incurring any costs.

In relation to *Personal Injury claims if we recover costs from the other party’s insurance company we will not charge you a contingency fee, which is sometimes charged as a percentage of the compensation recovered; we are therefore satisfied to accept the fees paid by the insurance company, provided of course that our fees are actually recovered from the insurance company when the claim is settled. In that regard, it is our practice to ensure at the conclusion of your Personal Injury claim that you sign a written authority confirming in clear terms the amount that you will actually receive.

We are also agreeable to charging you according to the recorded billable time actually spent on your file. Again, we can agree to charge you according to time before we take any steps on your behalf. If that option is not agreeable to you, then before any work is done on your behalf you can retain other solicitors without incurring a fee to us.

We are mindful in these times that we must all budget for outgoings and expenses, including legal costs. Accordingly, if you want us to bill you on a monthly or quarterly basis then let us know. If you want to agree a fee limit with us, we will tell you when we have reached that agreed limit. If you wish to pay us regularly by way of Direct Debit or Standing Order, we can facilitate that too. You can see that we want to match your needs and requirements to your budget.

In summary, it is our intention to be transparent with regard to our charges and the basis upon which we will charge you for the services we provide. We take a long term view of the relationship we have with you, our client, and we aim to provide you with the best service possible in a cost effective manner.

*In contentious business, a solicitor may not calculate fees or charges as a percentage or proportion of any award or settlement.