Court of Appeal rules third-party capture insurer still has to pay solicitors’ costs – Litigation Futures

Posted December 3rd, 2015 in appeals, costs, fees, insurance, news, solicitors, third parties by sally

‘The Court of Appeal has made a major strike against the practice of third-party capture by ordering an insurance company that settled personal injury claims directly with the clients of a law firm to pay the solicitors the costs they would have earned.’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 3rd December 2015

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Judge questions ‘astonishing’ £1.3m for consultancy fees – Law Society’s Gazette

‘The High Court has sent a strong signal to law firms ‘sub-contracting’ disclosure work to third parties.’

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 2nd December 2015

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Bar Council urges outright ban on all inducements beyond ‘kickbacks’ – The Bar Council

Posted December 1st, 2015 in advocacy, barristers, consultations, fees, press releases by sally

‘The Bar Council has urged all inducements, not just referral fees, between advocates and litigators be outlawed in its response to the Ministry of Justice’s consultation Preserving and Enhancing the Quality of Criminal Advocacy.’

Full press release

The Bar Council, 27th November 2015

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Spending Review 2015 – Bar Council response – The Bar Council

Posted November 26th, 2015 in barristers, budgets, civil justice, courts, criminal justice, fees, press releases by sally

‘Chairman of the Bar Council Alistair MacDonald QC said: “Investment to modernise courts and tribunals is vital to the successful reform of our criminal justice system and today’s Ministry of Justice settlement safeguards the £700 million announced earlier this year.”‘

Full press release

The Bar Council, 26th November 2015

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

City watchdog probes new ‘bank account’ pensions for rip-off fees – Daily Telegraph

Posted November 26th, 2015 in fees, financial regulation, news, pensions by sally

‘The City watchdog has begun its first official probe into rip-off charges on new flexible “bank account” pensions over fears they are depriving pensioners of hundreds of pounds a year.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 26th November 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Legal profession welcomes unbundling decision – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted November 25th, 2015 in appeals, budgets, duty of care, fees, legal aid, negligence, news, personal injuries, solicitors by sally

‘Court of Appeal ruling that solicitors may offer ‘unbundled’ services without being held liable for matters beyond those in their client retainer has been widely welcomed by the profession. ‘

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 23rd November 2015

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Bar Council and ABI join calls for permanent exemption from LASPO for insolvency cases – Litigation Futures

Posted November 24th, 2015 in barristers, fees, insolvency, insurance, news by sally

‘The Bar Council and the Association of British Insurers (ABI) have added their voices to calls from business organisations for a permanent exemption for insolvency cases from the provisions of LASPO.’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 23rd November 2015

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Government delays clinical negligence fixed costs consultation – Litigation Futures

Posted November 19th, 2015 in consultations, costs, delay, fees, negligence, news by sally

‘The government has delayed launch of its consultation on introducing fixed recoverable costs in low-value clinical negligence claims.’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 19th November 2015

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Transcript of the Lord Chief Justice’s Annual Press Conference 2015 – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary

‘The Lord Chief Justice, Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd, held his annual press conference on Tuesday, 17 November, 2015, at the Royal Courts of Justice.’

Full transcript

Courts and Tribunals Judiciary, 17th November 2015

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

Probate manager who admitted 140 “improper withdrawals” from client accounts blamed pressure of work – Legal Futures

‘A probate manager who admitting making 140 “improper withdrawals” over a period of 11 years, resulting in a client account shortage of £730,000, has been banned from working for law firms.

Full story

Legal Futures, 17th November 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Barristers “under pressure” to agree not to act against big clients if they want their work – Legal Futures

‘Barristers need to resist pressure from big clients and government departments to agree not to act against them in the future if they want instructions, the Bar Council has said.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 11th November 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Employment tribunal fees ‘may put off claimants’ – BBC News

‘The father of three sisters who brought employment claims against an award-winning chef has said tribunal fees could put people off filing a dispute.’

Full story

BBC News, 9th November 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

The chips are down for Barry Beavis – but what does it mean for the penalty rule? – Technology Law Update

Posted November 9th, 2015 in appeals, consumer protection, contracts, fees, news, parking, penalties, Supreme Court by sally

‘This week the UK Supreme Court gave a single decision on a pair of wildly different cases. They involved a chip shop owner overstaying in a retail car park and the heavily negotiated sale of a substantial Middle Eastern advertising group. (Cavendish Square v El Makdessi and ParkingEye v Beavis) Why? Because they both concerned the idea of a penalty clause – very roughly, a clause that is unenforceable because it imposes an exorbitant obligation to pay on a party that breaches a contract.’

Full story

Technology Law Update, 6th November 2015

Source: www.technology-law-blog.co.uk

“Typical claimant” is male, self-employed, Asian and aged over 45, major MoJ survey finds – Litigation Futures

Posted November 3rd, 2015 in civil justice, courts, fees, news, reports, statistics by sally

‘The “typical claimant” in a civil court case is male, self-employed, Asian, healthy and aged over 45, a major survey for the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has found.’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 2nd November 2015

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

IPs hit back at Jackson: ending LASPO exemption would create ‘windfall’ for third-party funders – Litigation Futures

Posted October 30th, 2015 in company directors, costs, fees, insolvency, insurance, news, third parties by sally

‘Abolishing the exemption from LASPO for insolvency cases would create a “windfall” for third-party funders, insolvency trade body R3 has argued.’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 29th October 2015

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Protecting retirement flat owners from hidden fees – a consultation – Law Commission

Posted October 29th, 2015 in consultations, fees, housing, Law Commission, leases, news, retirement by sally

‘In a consultation opening today we look at what can be done to protect owners of retirement flats and their families from unexpected charges hidden in leases.’

Full story

Law Commission, 29th October 2015

Source: www.lawcom.gov.uk

Three in four universities ‘breach law on website information’ – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 23rd, 2015 in consumer protection, fees, internet, news, universities by sally

‘Three quarters of universities are breaching consumer law by failing to tell students what their fees will buy them.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 22nd October 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Courts charge leaves victims waiting for justice, says former Solicitor General – The Independent

Posted October 22nd, 2015 in courts, criminal courts charge, criminal justice, delay, fees, news, recidivists, victims by sally

‘The Government’s controversial courts charge is causing major delays and leaving victims waiting for justice, a former Solicitor General has said.’

Full story

The Independent, 21st October 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Lady Hale joins chorus of concerns over criminal courts charge – The Guardian

Posted October 20th, 2015 in courts, criminal courts charge, fees, guilty pleas, judges, news, speeches by sally

‘The deputy president of the supreme court, Lady Hale, has become the latest judge to question whether the newly imposed criminal courts charge encourages defendants to plead guilty.’

Full story

The Guardian, 20th October 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Criminal Courts Charge and the magistrates’ revolt – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

‘Any person over the age of 18 who is convicted of a criminal offence after 15 April 2015 will find that they have to pay “relevant court costs” (or criminal courts charge) in addition to a number of other payments.’

Full story

Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 14th October 2015

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk