Solicitor hourly rates in London: the official guideline rates explained

The official guideline hourly rates for solicitors took effect on 1 January 2026. Courts use them when they assess costs between parties. They are not caps and not market prices, so each firm sets its own rate. Below, you can see the London figures by zone and grade, and learn how to ask for a clear price.

What the guideline rates are

The guideline hourly rates are an official set of figures for solicitors. GOV.UK publishes them, and they took effect on 1 January 2026. Courts use them when they assess costs between parties. That is a different job from setting what a firm charges its own client.

It is easy to read the figures as a price list, because they show an hourly amount for each grade of fee earner. However, the rates guide courts rather than fix fees. They are not caps on what firms charge.

Since the rates exist for courts, think of them as a reference point. For example, they show how the official guidance values an hour of work at different levels of experience. They do not tell you what your own solicitor will charge, so you still need to ask the firm.

The London guideline rates

The guideline rates split London into three zones. London 3 covers the outer London boroughs plus Dartford and Gravesend. London 2 covers the City and central London, meaning postcodes EC1 to EC4, W1, WC1, WC2 and SW1. London 1 is for very heavy commercial and corporate work by centrally based London firms, and it is not limited to postcodes.

The rates below apply from 1 January 2026, in pounds per hour. Each line shows London 1 / London 2 / London 3, in that order.

• Grade A (the top grade, for the most experienced solicitors and legal executives, as the official guideline rates define it): 579 / 422 / 319. - Grade B (the next grade down, for solicitors and legal executives with less experience than Grade A): 393 / 327 / 262. - Grade C (other solicitors or legal executives and equivalent): 305 / 276 / 209. - Grade D (trainee solicitors, paralegals and other fee earners): 210 / 157 / 146.

Because the grades depend on experience, the same hour of work sits at a different rate depending on who does it. Keep that in mind when you read any firm’s own figures.

Why your solicitor’s rate may differ

The guideline rates are not caps, and they are not market prices. Each firm sets its own rates. As a result, the question of how much does a solicitor cost per hour UK readers ask has no single table to answer it. The guideline figures show what courts use, not what every firm charges.

The SRA adds its own price rules. Under the SRA Transparency Rules, firms that publish that they offer certain services to the public must publish prices for them. Those services are listed below.

• Residential conveyancing, meaning freehold or leasehold sales and purchases, mortgages and remortgages.
• Uncontested probate where all assets are in the UK.
• Summary-only motoring offences.
• Employment tribunal claims for unfair or wrongful dismissal.
• Immigration, excluding asylum applications.

Our guide to conveyancing costs in London looks at the conveyancing item in more detail. For other work, ask the firm what it will charge, because this list covers only certain services.

How to ask for a fixed fee or an estimate

Start by asking for a fixed fee or an estimate in writing. Under SRA Rule 1 on costs information, a firm must publish the total cost or, where that is not practicable, the average cost or range. It must also say on what basis it charges, such as hourly rates or fixed fees. Rule 1 does not apply to publicly funded work.

Then ask these questions and note the answers in writing.

• What does the price include, and what are the key stages and likely timescales?
• Does VAT apply to the price?
• Which disbursements are likely, and are they extra?
• Who will do the work, what experience and qualifications do they have, and at which rate?
• How often will the firm bill you?

A written reply helps because you can check it against the bill you receive. It also gives you something to point to if the price changes. Although the questions take a few minutes, they make a quote far easier to judge.

If paying for a solicitor is difficult, read our guide to free legal advice and legal aid in London. Rule 1 does not apply to publicly funded work, so the questions above may differ in that case.

Where the regulator’s costs guidance is

The SRA’s ‘Choosing a solicitor’ page has guidance on comparing costs. It includes price advice and ‘No win, no fee’ agreements. Read it before you decide, because it comes from the regulator and covers the questions above in more general terms.

For wider reading, see our practice areas page, which groups the main kinds of legal work. Then check any firm you are considering. Our check-a-solicitor page shows you how.