Transparent scoping
Digital Forensic Fees and Estimates
Initial consultation and conflict check free. Examination and reporting are quoted against an agreed scope, with costs explained before you proceed.
Direct access to Alistair Ewing · Free initial consultation · Written estimate before work
Website guide prices
Digital forensic fees at a glance
Guide prices help you plan. Your written estimate will reflect the question, available material and work agreed.
| Service | Website guide price |
|---|---|
| Initial consultation/conflict check | Free |
| Private forensic examination | From £125/hour |
| Expert-witness examination and reporting | From £150/hour |
| Mobile phone extraction and targeted analysis | From £1,500 |
| Computer forensic examination | From £1,500 |
| Court attendance | From £1,250/day, plus travel |
| Urgent/out-of-hours work | Quoted separately |
| Legal Aid matters | Accepted at authorised LAA rates |
For the current public framework, see the Legal Aid Agency guidance for expert witnesses.
Every matter is scoped individually. Following a conflict check and initial review, you will receive an itemised estimate identifying the anticipated hours, deliverables and any likely additional costs. Fixed or capped fees may be available for clearly defined instructions.
The free initial consultation is limited to conflict, suitability and high-level scoping. Evidence review and case-specific technical opinion begin only after a written instruction and agreed fee basis.
Before you approve: the written estimate and terms specify the VAT treatment, payment dates, any funds on account, travel and other expenses, and arrangements for reserved court dates. Ask for these to be confirmed with the estimate.
Know what is included before examination begins
Digital-forensic fees depend on the question and the condition, format and volume of the material rather than simply the number of devices. A focused review of defined messages may require less work than a broad examination of one encrypted handset; a collection can be affected by access, export format and data volume.
The estimate separates preparation, evidence receipt, processing, analysis, reporting, conference and attendance as needed. It states the information relied on, what is excluded and the circumstances that would require approval for additional work.
Private, insurer-funded and Legal Aid instructions can be considered. Work begins only after the scope, instruction and fee basis have been agreed in writing.
Common cost drivers
- Number and type of devices, images, extractions, accounts, mailboxes or files.
- Data volume, encryption, damage, access constraints and processing requirements.
- Breadth of the questions, date range, participants and search criteria.
- Quality of existing acquisition notes, reports, indexes and prior work.
- Urgency, staged delivery, conference, expert discussion and attendance requirements.
How scope is kept proportionate
- Begin with the question the technical evidence needs to address.
- Use a defined date range, participant set or artefact group where appropriate.
- Review existing reports and indexes before repeating acquisition or processing.
- Separate essential work from optional follow-on questions.
- Require written approval before a material scope or fee change.
What an estimate cannot guarantee
- An estimate based on incomplete information must contain assumptions.
- Locked, damaged, unexpectedly large or materially different evidence can change the work required.
- No result is promised as a condition of the fee.
- Technical review and advice provided during substantive conferences are part of paid casework, not the initial conflict enquiry.
Information needed for an itemised estimate
- Party and entity names, supplied before any evidence, for the conflict check.
- The proposed questions and the case, investigation or proceeding they relate to.
- Device, extraction, account or file descriptions and approximate volumes.
- Report, hearing and other immovable dates.
- Funding route, authority status and preferred staged priorities.
Please do not attach evidence, passwords or confidential case papers to the public enquiry. A secure route is agreed only after the conflict check.
Frequently asked questions
Is the first enquiry a technical opinion?
No. The initial exchange establishes conflicts, suitability, scope and the information needed to estimate. Evidence review and case-specific opinion begin only under an agreed instruction.
Can work be divided into stages?
Yes. A preliminary document or extraction review can sometimes define whether further examination is proportionate, with each later stage approved separately.
Read all questions about fees, timing, evidence and instructing Alistair
Initial enquiry
Request an itemised estimate
Send party names, the evidence question, a high-level description of the material, deadlines and funding route. The estimate will identify anticipated work, deliverables, assumptions and likely additional costs.