Legal fees (also known as solicitor fees or conveyancing fees) cover the cost of the legal work required to transfer ownership of a property or to set up or transfer a mortgage. A solicitor or licensed conveyancer handles essential tasks including property searches, reviewing the title deeds, exchanging contracts, completing the purchase, and registering the new ownership with the Land Registry.
For a standard purchase, legal fees typically range from £800 to £2,000 plus VAT, depending on the complexity and the property value. Remortgage legal fees are often lower (£300 to £1,000) and are frequently covered by the new lender as an incentive. The legal fee covers the solicitor's professional time, but there are usually additional charges called disbursements on top — these are third-party costs the solicitor pays on your behalf.
It is advisable to get quotes from several solicitors and compare both the fixed fee and the likely disbursements. Some offer a "no completion, no fee" service, meaning you only pay if the transaction completes successfully.
You are buying a £300,000 property. Your solicitor charges £1,200 plus VAT (£1,440). Disbursements include: Land Registry search £3, environmental search £40, local authority search £150, Land Registry registration £270, and bank transfer fee £35 — totalling £498. Your total legal costs are approximately £1,938.
Key Points
- Covers solicitor or conveyancer fees for the legal work
- Typical purchase costs: £800 to £2,000 plus VAT
- Remortgage legal fees are often paid by the new lender
- Disbursements (third-party costs) are charged on top of the legal fee
- Some solicitors offer no completion, no fee arrangements