The firm’s principal, Lijo Oommen,  senior solicitors, Siju Kuriakose and Sahabudeen Abdul Hamid, specialise in the field of immigration law, and work together to ensure that all clients in need of assistance with an immigration matter receive the best possible advice and service.  Immigration and family law represents the bulk of the firm’s work with fee earners spending more than half of their time conducting such matters on behalf of clients.

We believe in providing impartial advice and a clear and realistic evaluation of your prospects and circumstances. No matter how complex your case is, they will devise the best possible solution for your case.  Our Solicitors provide tailor-made solutions for your immigration matter, taking any limitations into consideration, including time constraints, your individual circumstances and your available resources.

At Masters Solicitors, we provide practical assistance, sound advice and expert legal representation to guide you through at every stage of the process. Our solicitors are well-versed with immigration legislation and remain abreast of any legal changes or amendments, including immigration procedures and practices.

At Masters Solicitors, our experienced solicitors are often asked to assist in the following:

• Entry clearance applications
• Point-based system (PBS) applications
• Leave to remain/ extension of leave to remain
• Settlement/Indefinite Leave to Remain
• Same Day service/ Premium Service applications at UKVI
• Administrative Review
• Appeals against the decision of UKVI
• Judicial review
• European Economic Area (EEA) applications
• Naturalisation applications
• Asylum applications

What Services are Included?

The indicative fixed fee ranges set out above include all of the following work:

• Discussing your circumstances with you in detail and confirming what is the most appropriate course of action for you and what other options may be available to you;
• Giving you advice about the requirements of the Immigration Rules and whether you meet the criteria;
• Considering the supporting evidence you have provided;
• Where necessary, helping you obtain any further evidence in support of your matter, including taking statements of any witnesses if needed;
• Preparing any documents, including Home Office applications or appeals, and submitting the same on your behalf;
• Where relevant, attendance at a Home Office interview: if the Home Office ask you to attend an interview, we will give you clear advice and, if required, attend with you.
• Giving you advice about the outcome of your matter and any further steps you need to take.

What Services are not Included?

The indicative fixed fee ranges quoted above do not include any advice and assistance in relation to any further appeal or additional work required where the Home Office refuses your application or where your appeal is refused.

Disbursements

The indicative fixed fee ranges quoted above relate solely to the fees of Master Solicitors and do not include any disbursements.

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as court fees, counsel fee, home office fees, immigration health surcharge, any experts’ fees, interpreter’s fees or translation charges. We could handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.

The application fee payable to the Home Office could be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visa-regulations-revised-table/home-office-immigration-and-nationality-fees-9-november-2022

You could find details of immigration health surcharge at : https://www.gov.uk/healthcare-immigration-application

Counsel's fees are estimated to be between £1000 to £2500 per day (depending on the experience of the advocate) for attending a Tribunal or Court Hearing (including preparation).

Interpreters' costs can vary significantly with some clients only needing a couple of hours with an interpreter whilst others may need more hours.  Where the help of an interpreter is needed, you might be able to bring a friend or another community figure to help, if not we can help you find a suitable interpreter. Interprter's costs are estimated to be between £30-£75 per hour.

Disbursements, other than the Court fees and  Home Office fees, will usually attract VAT which is charged at 20%. 

How long will my application take?

It is difficult to estimate the time to get a final decision from the Home Office/Court or Tribunal which depends on various factors involved in the application and the time it would take for the Home Office/Court/Tribunal to consider the applications/appeal. It is likely that in most straight forward cases it would take 3-6 months for the Home Office to provide a decision.

We cannot guarantee how long the Home Office will take to process your application. Read the current processing times here.

We will normally be able to submit your application within 2 weeks of you instructing us provided you give us all relevant information and documentation without delay, but we will let you know at the earliest opportunity if it is likely to take longer than this.

Please note the indicative fixed fee ranges shown above are an estimate. All applications are likely to vary and of course, we can give you a more accurate estimate once we have more information about your specific case.

Our dedicated family law solicitors serve clients in England and Wales, for a wide range of family-related disputes. When your urgent family issue needs a legal resolution, it is imperative to select a proficient solicitor you can trust to handle your case with genuine care. The solicitors at our law firm have an extensive and proven record in resolving the most complex family law disputes.

Family law involves numerous issues besides just divorce. At Masters Solicitors, we are often asked to assist in the following areas which include:

• Divorce
• Contact order
• Occupation order
• Non-molestation order
• Child custody
• Distribution of assets
• Financial settlement

The services of our law firm are not just limited to the abovementioned areas. In fact, Masters Solicitors provides undivided attention and sound legal guidance to clients facing unique, one-of-its-kind family disputes as well. We bring well-sought and purposeful solutions to the table and help you achieve the desired outcome.

The well-knowledgeable team at Masters Solicitors helps property owners and tenants in resolving their crucial legal matters. Our team holds great experience in handling and devising solutions for tenants as well as landlords.

When it comes to your property, we understand your rights. That is why; our team helps tenants and landlords in protecting their rights. Our experienced solicitors put their extensive knowledge to help clients:

• Evictions
• Agreements
• Tenancy deposit disputes
• Possession proceedings
• Rent recovery

Our team provides focused attention and full consideration in discussing the particulars of your case. We handle your legal matters with absolute care.

At Masters Solicitors, our clients’ employment law needs are met by Siju Kuriakose who is devoted to providing a friendly, fast and personalised service to all of his clients.  Siju spends approximately one quarter of his time advising clients on employment law matters under the supervision of the firm’s principal solicitor, Lijo Oommen.  Siju provides employment law services for both employers and employees.

At Masters Solicitors, we understand the stressful conditions that you face at work and the hassle that comes with not understanding your legal employment rights. We value your concerns and our law firm provides assistance in all major areas of employment law which include the following:

• Unfair dismissal
• Settlement agreements
• Unlawful deductions
• Harassment at work/discrimination
• Appeals

For employees, Siju offers advice and guidance on a wide range of legal issues including negotiating, disciplinary hearings and grievances on your behalf as well as representing clients in employment tribunal claims.

For employers, it is imperative to defend themselves once the relationship goes wrong with an employee and when the employee initiates any action against them. Siju helps employers in successfully defending any employment claims made against them and in helping clients to comply with the UK’s employment legislation and creating a positive working environment for their employees.

What Services are Included?

The indicative fixed fee ranges set out above cover all of the work in relation to the following key stages of a claim:

• Taking your initial instructions, reviewing the papers and advising you on merits and likely compensation (this is likely to be revisited throughout the matter and subject to change)
• Entering into pre-claim conciliation where this is mandatory to explore whether a settlement can be reached;
• Preparing claim or response;
• Reviewing and advising on claim or response from other party;
• Exploring settlement and negotiating settlement throughout the process;
• Preparing or considering a schedule of loss;
• Preparing for (and attending) a Preliminary Hearing;
• Exchanging documents with the other party and agreeing a bundle of documents;
• Taking witness statements, drafting statements and agreeing their content with witnesses;
• Preparing bundle of documents;
• Reviewing and advising on the other party's witness statements;
• Agreeing a list of issues, a chronology and/or cast list;
• Preparation and attendance at Final Hearing, including instructions to Counsel;

Some clients wish to handle the claim themselves and only take our advice in relation to some of the stages.  If this approach is of interest to you, please contact Siju Kuriakose who will be pleased to discuss with you how to can assist you and advise of the costs involved.

What Services are not Included?

The indicative fixed fee ranges quoted in our fees page do not include attendance at any Tribunal Hearing.  Where our attendance is deemed necessary, an additional charge of £1600 per day (excluding VAT) will apply. Generally, we would allow 1-3 days for the Tribunal Hearing depending on the complexity of your case.

Disbursements

The indicative fixed fee ranges quoted above relate solely to the fees of Master Solicitors and do not include any disbursements.

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as court fees, counsel fee, experts’ fees and witness expenses. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process. You do not have to pay a fee to make a claim to the Employment Tribunal.

With the exception of Court fees, most disbursements will attract VAT which is charged at 20%.

Counsel's fees are estimated to be between £1500 to £5000 per day (depending on the experience of the advocate) for attending a Tribunal Hearing (including preparation)

How long will my matter take?

The time that it takes from taking your initial instructions to the final resolution of your matter depends largely on the stage at which your case is resolved. If a settlement is reached during pre-claim conciliation, your case is likely to take 1-4 months. If your claim proceeds to a Final Hearing, your case is likely to take 6-14 months. This is just an estimate and we will of course be able to give you a more accurate timescale once we have more information and as the matter progresses.

Our law firm holds great expertise in dispute resolution and civil litigation, involving any claim which is not criminal or familial in nature. We help our clients in civil, business and commercial litigation cases. Our experience and legal expertise ensure that you receive only a well-devised, cost-effective solution for your case.

As you come to Masters Solicitors, our well-knowledgeable team first assesses the strengths of your legal case and highlights the weakness areas that must be accounted for. Before we proceed to legal representation, we provide each client with focused attention, helping them understand the particulars of their case along with factors involved in court proceedings.

Keeping your best interest at heart, Masters Solicitors offers a thorough understanding of the UK’s law and works hard to ensure the success of your case. Our team works dedicatedly and leaves no stone unturned in achieving your desired results. With us, you get the most personalised experience in resolving your legal case. We aim at providing one-on-one legal service and formulate a practical legal strategy in meeting all your requirements.

What services are included?

Taking your instructions and reviewing documentation

Advising on appropriate course of action/arranging for a specialist advice on the merits of the claim

Sending a letter before action/ Responding to letter before action

Preparing and issuing claim/ preparing and defending the claim according to your instructions.

Our law firm holds expertise in intellectual property matters and assists client in UK and abroad  in their intellectual property matters.

Our firm deals with legal issues of clients in UK  and abroad relating  to their ownership of service marks or trademarks, patents, trade secrets, and copyrights. Our experience includes trade mark disputes, IP infringement and confidentiality issues in addition to malicious falsehood and defamation. 

We strive to provide each client with focused attention, helping them understand the particulars of their case along with factors involved in matter.