NEWS: MOJ INCREASES SOLICITOR RATES
- Jan 2
- 3 min read
FOR THE THIRD CONSECUTIVE YEAR THE MOJ HAS INCREASED THE GUIDELINE HOURLY RATES FOR SOLICITORS IN ENGLAND & WALES
From 1st January 2026 the Solicitors’ Guideline Hourly Rates (GHR) have again been updated in line with the Services Producer Price Index (SPPI).
EXCLUSIONS:
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HMCTS SOLICITOR GUIDELINE RATES FOR 2026
Guideline Hour Rates 2026 (with previous years in brackets).
GRADE: | LONDON Band 1: | LONDON Band 2: | LONDON Band 3: | NATIONAL Band 1: | NATIONAL Band 2: | |
A: | Solicitors >8 years litigation exp. | £579 (£566) | £422 (£413) | £319 (£312) | £295 (£288) | £288 (£282) |
B: | Solicitors >4 years exp. | £393 (£385) | £327 (£319) | £262 (£256) | £247 (£242) | £247 (242) |
C: | Other Solicitors with less experience | £305 (£299) | £276 (£269) | £209 (£204) | £201 (£197) | £200 (£196) |
D: | Trainee Solicitors & Paralegals: | £210 (£205) | £157 (£153) | £146 (£143) | £142 (£139) | £142 (£139) |
LEGAL EXECUTIVES: Graded in the same way as solicitors. The term was admitted above simply due to formatting restrictions meant writing it after solicitor corrupted the table.
WARNING: The above rates do not apply to barristers. Should your barrister’s fees seem excessive, speak to a Solicitor-Advocate. You can find our contact details on the homepage.
BANDING EXPLAINED
Do not be afraid, there still only is still only 1 London town.
LONDON
To reflect the varying real cost/expense of operating an office in London the HMCTS divides the UK Capital into 3 ‘Bands’ roughly corresponding with the post codes.
London Band 1: This covers very heavy commercial and corporate work by centrally based London Firm. It is not restricted by postcode.
London Band 2: City and Central London. Postcodes EC1, EC2, EC3, EC4, W1, WC1, WC2 and SW1
London Band 3: Outer London. All other London boroughs plus Dartford and Gravesend.
NATIONAL BAND 1:
This covers the counties of: Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Dorset, Essex, Hampshire (and Isle of Wight), Kent, Middlesex, Oxfordshire, Suffolk, Surrey, Sussex, Wiltshire
And: Birkenhead, Birmingham (Inner), Bristol, Cambridge, Cardiff (Inner), Leeds (Inner), Liverpool, Manchester (Central), Newcastle City, Norwich City and Watford.
NATIONAL BAND 2:
This covers all places not included in London 1 - 3 and National 1.
SCOTLAND & NORTHERN IRELAND:
Scotland & Northern Ireland have their own legal jurisdictions. Should you require services there you speak to a legally qualified practitioner accordingly.
COMMENT
The Master of the Roles Sir Geoffrey Vos has approved the recommendations from he Civil Justice Council in 2023 for hourly rates to be subject to yearly reviews linked to the general SPPI. These reviews are expected to take place each year 1st January and continue until 2028-29.
While the GHRs have increased, these will be of little comfort to those operating under the Fixed Recoverable Costs regime although a ‘review’ of the FRC is expected in 2026.
For practitioners operating outside the FRC regime, the increase in rates are useful tool during cost negotiations and for multi track budgeting.
HOW WE CAN HELP
Gavin Renwick is Grade A Solicitor-Advocate of the Senior Courts of England & Wales. He has over >16 years litigation experience having worked for international and national legal practices in a range of construction, commercial and insurance areas.
Since qualifying in 2011 as a solicitor, he has held Higher-Rights of Audience since 2016 as Solicitor-Adovcate and from 2021 onwards has operated his own legal office. He appears almost daily in the courts across the land on instruction from individual, corporate and legal entities to argue liability, quantum and perhaps most importantly of all, the legal costs.
Should you require legal advice and/or representation in any of these areas, please see the contact form below.
