Pre-action protocol stage
Covers initial merits work and one pre-action letter in a standard matter.
- Professional fee
- £2,500 to £4,000
- VAT at 20%
- £500 to £800
- Total incl. VAT
- £3,000 to £4,800
Public law challenge
Immigration judicial review
Advice on challenging an unlawful immigration decision or failure where no adequate alternative remedy is available.
The legal issue
Start with the risk, not the form.
Judicial review examines lawfulness, not whether the judge would have made a different decision. Strict time limits, procedure and costs risk require early, realistic advice.
This service is designed for
- Applicants facing an arguably unlawful Home Office decision
- People affected by delay or failure to act
- Clients who may need urgent interim relief
Work included
- Merits, remedy and time-limit assessment
- Review of the decision and core evidence
- Pre-action protocol letter where appropriate
- Claim preparation through the agreed permission stage
- Instructions to counsel and procedural case management where included
Not included
- Counsel, court, expert and transcript fees
- Substantive hearing work beyond the agreed stage
- Appeal or fresh application work
- Adverse costs payable to another party
How the work proceeds
A defined scope from instruction to decision.
01
Merits review
We assess lawfulness, urgency, time limits and alternative remedies.
02
Pre-action stage
Where appropriate, we send a focused letter before claim and consider the response.
03
Permission stage
If advised, we prepare the claim, grounds and evidence with counsel where needed.
04
Next stage
We advise on settlement, renewal or a substantive hearing under a fresh costs estimate.
Pricing and scope
Fees you can assess before instruction.
These are London professional fee ranges. Your client care letter will confirm the fixed fee or estimate, VAT, assumptions and payment stages before work begins.
Issue and written permission stage
Quoted after the pre-action response and document review. Later stages are costed separately.
- Professional fee
- £6,000 to £10,000
- VAT at 20%
- £1,200 to £2,000
- Total incl. VAT
- £7,200 to £12,000
Likely third-party costs
- Court or Upper Tribunal filing fees at the rate in force when the claim is issued
- Counsel: commonly £2,000 to £7,500 plus VAT for advice and permission work, depending on urgency and complexity
- Expert, interpreter, translation and transcript fees where required
- Potential liability for another party's costs, explained before issue
Government and provider charges can change. We confirm the current amount before payment and do not add a mark-up to a true disbursement.
Typical timing
A claim must be brought promptly and usually no later than 3 months after the grounds first arose. Some immigration decisions have shorter practical deadlines. Urgent relief requires immediate instructions.
Request a written quoteQuestions clients ask
Before you instruct.
Is judicial review another appeal?
No. It is a review of whether a public body's decision or conduct was lawful. An available appeal or review may need to be used first.
Why is the work priced in stages?
A pre-action response can change the case. Staged pricing lets you decide whether to issue with current advice on merits and costs risk.
Can I recover my costs?
Costs depend on outcome, conduct and any order or settlement. Recovery is never guaranteed and may be less than the amount paid.
Page responsibility
Written by Sajjad Hussain, Solicitor. Legally reviewed by Sajjad Hussain, Solicitor. Last reviewed 16 August 2026.
Legal work is undertaken through Farani Taylor Solicitors under a separate client care letter. Prices depend on the facts and scope accepted in writing.