Mental capacity ruling over retainer – Law Society’s Gazette

‘The High Court has ruled that the loss of a client’s mental capacity should not automatically terminate the solicitor’s retainer.’

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 10th February 2014

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Claimant faces record costs after tribunal – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted February 10th, 2014 in costs, disclosure, employment tribunals, equality, local government, news by tracey

‘An employment tribunal has ordered a claimant who unsuccessfully took a local authority to tribunal to pay record costs for an individual.’

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 10th February 2014

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Criminals to pay towards cost of running courts – Ministry of Justice

Posted February 7th, 2014 in bills, costs, courts, criminal justice, press releases by tracey

‘Criminals will be made to pay towards the cost of their court case under legislation introduced to Parliament today by Justice Secretary Chris Grayling.’

Full press release

Ministry of Justice, 5th February 2014

Source: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice

Government JR reforms ‘take a sledgehammer to the rule of law’ – LegalVoice

Posted February 7th, 2014 in consultations, judicial review, legal aid, news, protective costs orders by tracey

‘Controversial proposals to restrict judicial review will go ahead by way of a “a tough package of reform”, the government confirmed yesterday. Publishing its response to the consultation, Judicial Review: Proposals for further reform, the justice secretary, Chris Grayling, said: “I believe in protecting judicial review as a check on unlawful executive action, but I am equally clear that it should not be abused, to act as a brake on growth.”

Full story

LegalVoice, 6th February 2014

Source: www.legalvoice.org.uk

New duty will require judges to report lawyers subject to wasted costs orders to regulators – Litigation Futures

‘Judges making wasted costs orders (WCOs) are to be placed under a duty to report the lawyers involved to their regulator in a bid to make them “consider more carefully the decisions they make in handling a case”, the government has decided.’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 6th February 2014

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Court fees could exceed legal costs under government plans, lawyers warn – Litigation Futures

Posted February 5th, 2014 in costs, courts, fees, news by sally

‘The government’s proposals to increase court fees for commercial cases could lead to claimants facing a fee demand greater than their legal costs, litigators have warned.’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 5th February 2014

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

High Court refuses permission to appeal QASA ruling and makes maximum costs order – Legal Futures

Posted February 4th, 2014 in appeals, barristers, costs, news, quality assurance by sally

‘The High Court has today refused permission to appeal against the recent ruling on the Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates (QASA).’

Full story

Legal Futures, 4th February 2014

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Can a solicitor be personally liable to pay costs? – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted February 3rd, 2014 in Administrative Court, appeals, costs, fraud, news, solicitors, witnesses by tracey

‘The possibility that a firm of litigation solicitors, despite acting properly for a client in advancing their interests, could nonetheless end up being held liable to pay a huge costs order, is unsurprisingly something that would sound alarm bells across the profession. This is a possibility that was raised in DLA Piper UK LLP v BDO LLP (the major firm of City solicitors versus a major firm of accountants).’

Full story

Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 31st January 2014

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

VHCC cases jeopardised by fee cuts – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted February 3rd, 2014 in barristers, budgets, costs, fees, fraud, legal aid, news, solicitor advocates, trials by tracey

‘Multi-million-pound fraud trials are being put in jeopardy by the Ministry of Justice’s cuts to advocates’ fees, the Gazette has learned.’

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 3rd February 2014

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

RSPCA risks losing power to prosecute – Daily Telegraph

‘The RSPCA’s role in prosecuting cases of animal cruelty could be overhauled to restore public confidence.’

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Daily Telegraph, 1st February 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Premier League live football: Pub landlord broke copyright law – BBC News

Posted January 31st, 2014 in copyright, costs, licensed premises, media, news, sport by sally

‘A pub landlord has to pay £65,000 in legal costs for breaching the Premier League’s copyright by showing football matches using a foreign satellite card authorised only for private use.’

Full story

BBC News, 30th January 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Judge backs claim by grandmother for financial support from council – Local Government Lawyer

Posted January 30th, 2014 in costs, families, fostering, grandparents, local government, news, social services by sally

‘A grandmother has won a High Court battle with a council over the financial support she claimed she should have received to care for her 11-year-old granddaughter.’

Full story

Local Government Lawyer, 29th January 2014

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer

Escalating legal fees – why family judges need to “get a grip” – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted January 28th, 2014 in case management, civil procedure rules, costs, family courts, fees, news by sally

‘Legal fees in family proceedings hit the headlines with Young v Young – the now infamous seven year divorce case which saw £6.5m spent on one side’s legal costs alone.’

Full story

Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 27th January 2014

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Judge pleads for warring family to end £1m legal dispute – Daily Telegraph

Posted January 27th, 2014 in children, costs, divorce, fees, financial dispute resolution, judges, news by sally

‘Judge Nicholas Francis QC says “untold misery” has resulted from the courtroom battle between Susan and Richard Shield and their children over who owns shares in the family’s RA Shield Holdings company’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 24th January 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

QASA given green light by High Court as JR fails – Legal Futures

‘A judicial review of the Legal Services Board’s approval of the Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocacy (QASA) has today been comprehensively rejected by the High Court.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 20th January 2014

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Costs judge grants relief over failure to serve N251 – yes, really! – Litigation Futures

Posted January 20th, 2014 in appeals, costs, fees, news, solicitors by sally

‘A costs judge has granted relief from sanctions in a case where the failure to serve notice of funding occurred some 15 months before the introduction of the Jackson reforms.’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 20th January 2014

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

High Court stiffens penalties against solicitors over “opaque” conveyancing quotes – Legal Futures

‘A law firm whose clients were unaware of the true cost of their conveyancing after being reeled in with low quotes did not take unfair advantage of them, the High Court has ruled.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 20th January 2014

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Stewart and Natasha Sutherland fined for term-time holiday – BBC News

Posted January 16th, 2014 in costs, crime, education, fines, news, school children by tracey

‘A couple who took their children on a week-long holiday during school term time have been ordered by magistrates to pay £1,000 in costs and fines.’

Full story

BBC News, 15th January 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Costs judge refuses relief despite “qualms” over sanction – Litigation Futures

Posted January 15th, 2014 in appeals, costs, news, penalties, practice directions by tracey

‘A costs judge has refused relief from sanctions despite his “qualms” at the nature of the penalty for the breach involved.’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 14th January 2014

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Mitchell solicitor rules out Supreme Court appeal – Law Society’s Gazette

‘The solicitor for MP Andrew Mitchell has confirmed that the costs appeal case is unlikely to go to the Supreme Court. Graham Atkins, founding partner at London firm Atkins Thomson, told the Gazette he had looked to have the case heard at the higher court but was advised it would not be successful.’

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 14th January 2014

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk