London -- SRA London 1 band
Solicitor Hourly Rates in London (Central): £215 to £579/hr
Updated May 2026. Published 2026 Civil Justice Council Guideline Hourly Rates for London (Central), with worked examples for conveyancing, divorce, and will writing.
London 1 band: City and West End postcodes (EC, WC, W1, SW1). Includes the Square Mile commercial firms and Mayfair private-client practices, where Grade A solicitor partners charge from £579/hr at the published guideline rate.
Hourly rates in London (Central) 2026
The four grades of solicitor under the 2026 Civil Justice Council Guideline Hourly Rates, applied to the SRA London 1 band:
| Grade | Who | £/hr (GHR) |
|---|---|---|
| A | Solicitor with 8+ years post-qualification experience | £579 |
| B | Solicitor with 4-8 years PQE | £393 |
| C | Solicitor with under 4 years PQE | £296 |
| D | Trainee solicitor or paralegal | £215 |
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 London (Central)
A typical residential purchase in London (Central) takes around 8 hours of solicitor time, usually handled by a Grade C solicitor under partner supervision.
- Solicitor time: 8 hours × £296/hr = £2,368
- VAT at 20%: £474
- Solicitor fee including VAT: £2,842
- 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 London (Central): £1,200 to £4,500 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 London (Central)
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 × £393/hr = £1,965
- VAT at 20%: £393
- HMCTS divorce application fee (no VAT): £593
- Total: £2,951
Typical total in London (Central): £1,500 to £6,000 plus VAT, plus the £593 court fee. Contested divorces with property, pension, or child arrangements run substantially higher.
Worked example: simple will in London (Central)
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 London (Central) is £350 to £1,500 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 London (Central) legal market
Central London is the only UK location where private-market solicitor rates routinely exceed the Guideline Hourly Rates. Magic Circle and silver-circle commercial firms charge partner rates of £750 to £1,500 per hour. High-street central London firms serving private clients typically charge £400 to £700 per hour, still above the published Grade A rate of £579.
Use the SRA Find a Solicitor, the official public register of regulated solicitors, to find local providers in London (Central). 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 London (Central)?
£215/hr (Grade D, trainee or paralegal) to £579/hr (Grade A, 8+ years PQE) under the 2026 Civil Justice Council Guideline Hourly Rates. This is the SRA London 1 band. Private-market rates may exceed these guideline figures, particularly in commercial work.
How much does conveyancing cost in London (Central)?
Typical conveyancing solicitor fees in London (Central) run from £1,200 to £4,500 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 London (Central)?
Simple wills typically cost £350 to £1,500 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 London (Central)?
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.