South West -- SRA National 2 band
Solicitor Hourly Rates in Bristol: £140 to £261/hr
Updated May 2026. Published 2026 Civil Justice Council Guideline Hourly Rates for Bristol, with worked examples for conveyancing, divorce, and will writing.
National 2 band per the 2026 GHR. Bristol's commercial-law market is the largest in the South West but is still grouped with the rest of England and Wales outside the South East and London.
Hourly rates in Bristol 2026
The four grades of solicitor under the 2026 Civil Justice Council Guideline Hourly Rates, applied to the SRA National 2 band:
| Grade | Who | £/hr (GHR) |
|---|---|---|
| A | Solicitor with 8+ years post-qualification experience | £261 |
| B | Solicitor with 4-8 years PQE | £218 |
| C | Solicitor with under 4 years PQE | £177 |
| D | Trainee solicitor or paralegal | £140 |
Source: Civil Justice Council Guideline Hourly Rates 2026 (gov.uk). All figures exclude VAT (20%).
What you pay: solicitor time + disbursements
Your invoice is the solicitor's time (hours × hourly rate × 1.20 for VAT) plus disbursements. Disbursements are third-party fees the solicitor pays on your behalf and recharges to you: Land Registry fees, court fees, search fees, expert reports. Many disbursements (court fees, Land Registry fees) carry no VAT. Local-authority searches and other private services usually do. See our disbursements guide for the full breakdown.
Worked example: conveyancing (buyer) in Bristol
A typical residential purchase in Bristol takes around 8 hours of solicitor time, usually handled by a Grade C solicitor under partner supervision.
- Solicitor time: 8 hours × £177/hr = £1,416
- VAT at 20%: £283
- Solicitor fee including VAT: £1,699
- Disbursements (search fees, Land Registry fee, ID checks): approximately £400 to £900
- Stamp Duty Land Tax (separate, paid by you to HMRC): varies by price and first-time-buyer status
Typical total in Bristol: £750 to £1,850 plus VAT, plus disbursements, plus SDLT. The Grade-C worked figure above sits at the lower end of this range; complex transactions (leasehold, new-build, shared ownership) consume more solicitor time.
Worked example: uncontested divorce in Bristol
An uncontested no-fault divorce with no financial dispute typically takes 5 to 8 hours of solicitor time. Family work is usually handled by a Grade B solicitor (4-8 years PQE).
- Solicitor time: 5 hours × £218/hr = £1,090
- VAT at 20%: £218
- HMCTS divorce application fee (no VAT): £593
- Total: £1,901
Typical total in Bristol: £650 to £2,500 plus VAT, plus the £593 court fee. Contested divorces with property, pension, or child arrangements run substantially higher.
Worked example: simple will in Bristol
Simple wills (single beneficiary structure, no trusts, no foreign assets) are usually fixed-fee work rather than billed by the hour. Typical fixed-fee range in Bristol is £160 to £480 plus VAT. Mirror wills (one for each spouse) usually cost 70 to 90 per cent more than a single will. Free options include the Will Aid (November) and Free Wills Month (March, October) schemes for people aged 55+. See will writing cost for the full breakdown.
About the Bristol legal market
Bristol is the South West's largest legal market with major commercial offices (Burges Salmon, TLT, Osborne Clarke, Womble Bond Dickinson). Property prices in Bristol and the surrounding South West are some of the highest outside the South East, which lifts conveyancing solicitor fees above the lower end of the National 2 band.
Use the SRA Find a Solicitor, the official public register of regulated solicitors, to find local providers in Bristol. Filter by area of practice and location, get three written quotes, and ask each firm whether they offer fixed fees.
SRA Find a Solicitor ->FAQ
What is the average solicitor hourly rate in Bristol?
£140/hr (Grade D, trainee or paralegal) to £261/hr (Grade A, 8+ years PQE) under the 2026 Civil Justice Council Guideline Hourly Rates. This is the SRA National 2 band. Private-market rates may exceed these guideline figures, particularly in commercial work.
How much does conveyancing cost in Bristol?
Typical conveyancing solicitor fees in Bristol run from £750 to £1,850 plus VAT, plus disbursements (Land Registry £20 to £1,105, local searches £200 to £350), plus SDLT if applicable. See our conveyancing guide for the full breakdown.
How much do solicitors charge for a will in Bristol?
Simple wills typically cost £160 to £480 plus VAT. Mirror wills add 70 to 90 per cent. Complex wills with trusts or overseas assets run £500 to £2,000+.
How do I find a solicitor in Bristol?
Use the SRA Find a Solicitor at https://solicitors.lawsociety.org.uk. Filter by area of practice and location. We recommend getting three written quotes and asking each firm whether they offer fixed fees.