Fees
The acquiring authority pays the professional fees
A Part 1 claim is a statutory entitlement, not litigation you have chosen to bring. Because the authority's scheme created the loss, it is also expected to meet the reasonable professional costs you had to incur to quantify and settle it.
To open your case
£100
A one-off administration fee, agreed in writing when you open your claim file. Nothing is taken at that point — we send a payment link afterwards.
Everything after that
£0
No hourly billing and no success fee — surveyor and legal costs are recovered from the acquiring authority.
How it works in practice
- You agree to a one-off £100 administration fee, then we assess eligibility and register the claim with the compensating authority.
- A RICS surveyor prepares the valuation evidence. Their fee is claimed from the authority as part of the settlement, not from you.
- Legal work on title and the settlement agreement is handled the same way — billed to the authority.
- On settlement, the authority pays your compensation, interest from the first claim day, and the agreed professional fees.
Ryde's Scale — how the amount is fixed
Surveyors' fees on compensation claims are conventionally calculated using Ryde's Scale, a published scale of charges linked to the amount of compensation agreed. Using a recognised scale is what makes the fee “reasonable” in the authority's eyes, so it removes the usual argument about costs and means the fee never comes out of your compensation.
Legal fees are recovered on the same reasonableness principle, supported by a breakdown of the work actually needed for your claim.
What if the authority disputes our costs?
Disputes about fees are handled by us, not by you. If a claim ultimately has to be referred to the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber), costs there follow the Tribunal's own rules and we will explain the position in writing before any referral is made. We will never ask you for money without your written agreement first.
What is not covered
- Fees for work outside the Part 1 claim, such as a sale or remortgage.
- Costs the authority can show were unreasonable — which is why we keep the evidence proportionate to the claim from day one.