Yorkshire and the Humber -- SRA National 2 band
Solicitor Hourly Rates in Leeds: £140 to £261/hr
Updated May 2026. Published 2026 Civil Justice Council Guideline Hourly Rates for Leeds, with worked examples for conveyancing, divorce, and will writing.
National 2 band per the 2026 GHR. Leeds is one of the UK's top three commercial-law centres outside London, but the GHR does not separate it from the rest of England and Wales.
Hourly rates in Leeds 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 Leeds
A typical residential purchase in Leeds 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 Leeds: £700 to £1,750 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 Leeds
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 Leeds: £600 to £2,400 plus VAT, plus the £593 court fee. Contested divorces with property, pension, or child arrangements run substantially higher.
Worked example: simple will in Leeds
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 Leeds is £150 to £450 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 Leeds legal market
Leeds hosts major commercial offices for Addleshaw Goddard, DLA Piper, and Squire Patton Boggs alongside a deep regional firm base (Walker Morris, Schofield Sweeney, Gordons). High-street family and conveyancing work sits broadly in line with the GHR figures.
Use the SRA Find a Solicitor, the official public register of regulated solicitors, to find local providers in Leeds. 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 Leeds?
£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 Leeds?
Typical conveyancing solicitor fees in Leeds run from £700 to £1,750 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 Leeds?
Simple wills typically cost £150 to £450 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 Leeds?
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.