Costs
Our Costs
SEN Action operates on a capped fee basis of £5,500 plus VAT.
- You will not be charged more than this for any case you ask SEN Action to support you with.
- This is not a fixed fee. So you could pay less than the capped fee amount.
- Our costs are calculated on the basis of an hourly rate of £120 per hour plus VAT until the capped fee is reached
- Remember to add the VAT & Disbursements (see below) when calculating how much it will cost you.
Capped Fee of £5,500 plus VAT
- If your appeal reaches a Tribunal Hearing then you will be charged the full capped fee.
- If your appeal does not reach a Hearing then our costs are calculated on the basis of an hourly rate of £120 per hour plus VAT until the capped fee is reached.
- Adjourned Hearings are not included within the capped fee.
- Please note: this relates to SEN Action’s fees and not those of any experts you instruct. We will work with you to try to obtain competitive rates with professionals who are assisting you with your case. Please see below for more details.
- Remember to add the VAT & Disbursements (see below) when calculating how much it will cost you.
Fixed fee of £2,000 plus VAT
SEN Action offers a Representation Only service for a fixed fee of £2,000 plus VAT.
- You carry out your own preparation or somebody other than SEN Action does
- But you require representation at the Hearing i.e. maybe your solicitor has advised you that you need to instruct a barrister.
- Then our experienced Specialist SEN Advocate can provide representation for you at a fraction of the cost of a barrister.
- The fee covers a written advice or strategy note (if you require it), review of appeal documentation and preparation, professional consultations and representation at the Hearing
- If the case does not complete on the Hearing day and you require SEN Action’s continued involvement then you will be charged an hourly rate of £120 per hour plus VAT upto a maximum additional cost of £3,500 plus VAT
- Therefore you will never pay more than SEN Action’s capped fee of £5,500 plus VAT.
Remember to add the VAT & Disbursements (see below) when calculating how much it will cost you.
In the unlikely event that your case proceeds to the Upper Tribunal, SEN Action’s costs are as follows:
Existing Clients
- If your SEN Tribunal appeal has been unsuccessful and there is a reasonable basis for an appeal to the Upper Tribunal then SEN Action will offer this service for a capped fee of £2000 plus VAT.
- If your SEN Tribunal appeal has been successful but the Local Authority has appealed to the Upper Tribunal then you still may require specialist support. If such support is required then SEN Action will offer this service for a capped fee of £2000 plus VAT.
- If following the Upper Tribunal Hearing your appeal is to be reconsidered by the SEN Tribunal then SEN Action will offer its services at a reduced capped fee rate of £3500 plus VAT.
- Remember to add the VAT & Disbursements (see below) when calculating how much it will cost you.
New Clients
- If you have previously appealed to the SEN Tribunal without the support from SEN Action and your case is now in the Upper Tribunal then SEN Action will offer its services at its capped fee rate of £5,500 plus VAT.
- If following the Upper Tribunal Hearing your appeal is to be reconsidered by the SEN Tribunal then SEN Action will offer its services at a reduced capped fee of £3,500 plus VAT.
- Remember to add the VAT & Disbursements (see below) when calculating how much it will cost you.
Depending on the issues associated with your appeal you could require the assistance of a number of experts, such as, amongst others; an Educational Psychologist, a Speech and Language Therapist and an Occupational Therapist.
The costs for each professional will vary, however can be costly.
SEN Action will work with you to obtain the most competitive rate possible for expert instruction.
The cost for this service is a capped fee of £2,000 plus VAT.
Please see our detailed FAQs for more information on this process.
Currently, SEN Action is offering its services free of charge to young people in higher education. The only costs that need to be covered will be the disbursements, which will be kept to a minimum.
If you are interested please contact us using the contact details above.
Disbursements are charged in addition to the hourly rates and capped fee. SEN Action will work with you to keep these to a minimum as it remains our objective to provide you with specialist advocacy support at a more affordable price.
It is not possible to list all of the disbursement items that may arise in your case. We have included below disbursements that may occur:
- Photocopying and printing over 50 pages
You will only be charged for the materials used and it is based on a cumulative basis. No add on costs. SEN Action aims to communicate electronically as much as possible, which will help reduce costs.
- Any single postage item over £5.00
SEN Action will only charge you for large postal items. No add on costs. SEN Action aims to communicate electronically as much as possible, which will help reduce costs.
- Courier’s Fees
This is not often needed, however when it is you will be charged for actual courier fee. No add on costs. SEN Action aims to communicate electronically as much as possible, which will help reduce costs.
- Travel Expenses
You will be responsible for covering the travel expenses and accommodation costs of the Specialist SEN Advocate that are incurred during your case. SEN Action will work with you to keep this to a minimum. This could include holding telephone conferences in place of face to face meetings.
For any travel expenses that are incurred the following applies:
By Car: 45p per mile
By Rail: The cost of the train fare
Accommodation: The cost of the accommodation
You will also be charged for SEN Action’s time, however this will be included within the capped fee or fixed fee arrangement.
- Expert’s Fees
You will need to instruct experts to assist you with your appeal. The costs are variable depending on the professional you instruct and what you need them to do. SEN Action will work with you to try to secure a competitive fee.
SEN Action is dedicated to providing its Clients with flexible payment options. You can therefore, decide which of the following two options suits you best:
- Advanced Payment
As you know you will not pay more than SEN Action’s Capped Fees then you can elect to pay the whole fee upfront.
If your case is settled early and the capped fee is not reached then you will receive a refund from SEN Action for the part of the fee that has not been used.
- Instalments
You can elect to pay the fee in instalments and this can be arranged in a way that suits your situation.
If your case is settled early and you have paid more than is owed then you will receive a refund from SEN Action for the part of the fee that has not been used.
Please note: Full and complete payment of the Capped Fee is required within 7 days of the final Hearing / Mediation.
- Disbursements
Disbursements will be billed as and when they occur. Full and complete payment of the disbursement is required within 7 days of the final Hearing / Mediation.
Client
Testimonials
The advice and support given by Sean is absolutely priceless, helping us to remain calm and informed at a time when everything was a constant battle against the system. Having first-hand experience of how LA’s work against parents, he is able to bring a fresh pair of eyes (and ears) to the situation and helped us to get a satisfactory result from our obstinate LA. Thoroughly recommended without any hesitation.
T Shoreman
Very helpful on the phone giving invaluable advice. Personable and empathetic with a clear handle on what needs to be done.
M Millan
Sean represented us at my son’s tribunal to have the mainstream school removed from my sons EHCP. I contacted Sean at very late notice and sent him the bundle. Sean was very knowledgeable about our case and about the law and I felt very reassured to have Sean with us on the day and would recommend him to any family needing help.
Rachel R
I had a phone consultation with Sean who said he would represent us but he felt our case was so strong we didn't need to spend money on representation. He gave us some pointers on what to do which we put into place and then the call came through from the local authority who decided to make a major u-turn and agreed to our wishes without us even having to put in our appeal or use mediators. Massive thank you Sean. Amazing service.
Katie K
We had the honour of working with Sean for our son's tribunal. Thanks to Sean at SEN Action, our whole team of professionals were so well prepared that the Local Authority didn't know how to handle it and now our 'little man' is getting the support he needs. Sean was honest, fair, and is a good human being to boot. Without Sean and his advice, we wouldn't have won. Our advice is, If Sean advises you to do something: DO IT!
Peter
We have been liaising with Sean from SEN Action for the last few months and what a relief it was to find him. He is beyond knowledgeable and equally as helpful. Nothing is too small or large a task. If you ever need someone for any SEN advice or help, I cannot recommend him enough. He has saved us so
much stress and worry that he is priceless!! Thank you Sean, words are not enough to describe how grateful we are!
Holly C
Sean was a Godsend. He supported and guided us through a tribunal after we had previously lost a tribunal and were shattered from the previous experience. We feel forever grateful for all his support and assistance and would recommend SEN Action highly to anyone wanting justice for their child.
Bushra Q
I used Sean for 2 days of tribunals for both my girls and I would highly recommend him without reservation. He was brilliant in the run up to the tribunal, explained everything clearly and told me what to do every step of the way. I am 100% certain that we would not have won at the tribunals without Sean. Now the girls are both in schools they love and have teachers who listen to them and help them. Sean's support has transformed our lives - I am forever in his debt.
Gillian M
My husband and I had a lengthy chat over the phone about our case and we just loved how honest and open Sean was with us. At a time where we were struggling and feeling down, he cheered us up, gave us hope and made us chuckle. I would not think twice about hiring Sean in the future.
Sean is so friendly and we felt reassured by his words, he simply understood everything we were saying to him without us having to go into huge amounts of detail. As a result, we were able to agree on all amendments with the LA via the working document and our tribunal date was vacated. Result!
Sheila R
I would, without hesitation, recommend Sean to any parent/carer of a child with SEN. I cannot fault his service. His previous experience as a LA solicitor in SEN cases are invaluable as he knows how the LA works and is alive to tactics that they employ in cases against parents. He is a pleasure to work with, easy to talk to and is able to explain complex SEN law and procedure in a way which makes sense to parents.
Sean goes above and beyond in terms of responding to emails and phone calls (often out of hours) and checking and drafting documents to ensure a prompt and efficient service, especially as deadlines approach. He is there every step of the way for advice, and the advice he gives is absolutely sound.
I will be forever grateful to Sean for guiding us through this process and doing everything he could to help us achieve the outcome that our son deserves. Thank you, Sean, you are a star!
Sally Hartland
An excellent service I received from both Sean and Danielle which helped us win the 1 to 1 provision we wanted.
Litza Tsamtsakis
“After an initial consultation with Sean, it became clear that our best chance for success was to have him represent us. Sean was with us every step of the way advising us on the evidence we needed, experts and how to navigate the system. His no nonsense approach was exactly what we needed. Thanks to Sean we had a really strong case and the judge agreed; our daughter was awarded the school that we wanted and a package of SALT and OT support. She is now thriving.”
I have recommended Sean to other parents since and they have had the same success. I cannot thank Sean enough for what he has done for our family by getting our daughter the help she deserved and was entitled to.
Emma Wright
“I discovered the SEN Action a few years ago. I have received excellent, practical and relevant advice from Sean a number of times which has helped me to achieve the best fit setting for my child. Both Sean and Danielle are dedicated professionals and act promptly when contacted. Thank you very much.”
RC
“Sean has a deep understanding of how LA personnel think and strategize and nearly all his predictions about the way our tribunal will proceed, happened exactly as he expected them to happen. He held our hand throughout the process.”
At the tribunal, Sean fought for our child’s case with the extreme skill of a master craftsman. He fought for our child like he would fight for one of his own. At no point did I feel him slacking or compromising. It is an experience of it’s own to see him perform his magic in the tribunal. Sean’s final written submissions were a piece of art. I must have re-read them a dozen times because they were just so skilfully worded.
Taimur Khan
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