Monthly Roundup – Costs and Budgeting – Zenith PI

‘April has seen a great deal of discussion on costs and budgeting. Here is a review of what else we have been writing about this month.’

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Zenith PI, 6th May 2015

Source: www.zenithpi.wordpress.com

High Court refuses 100% success fee because trial had not started – Litigation Futures

‘The High Court has refused to allow a personal injury claimant a 100% success fee on the grounds that a trial had not started before the case was settled, even though a hearing had begun.’

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Litigation Futures, 8th May 2015

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

BPTC fees rise as Inns of Court estimate students waste £5m on the course every year – The Lawyer

Posted May 7th, 2015 in fees, inns of court, legal education, news, universities by sally

‘Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) fees have risen by 9 per cent in three years nationwide, while fees in the capital have been hiked by 12 per cent in the same period.’

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The Lawyer, 30th April 2015

Source: www.lawyer.com

News focus: law and justice pledges – Law Society’s Gazette

‘The general election manifestos are in – here’s our quick-fire summary of their headline pledges on law and justice.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 20th April 2015

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Searching questions in the CJEU: the East Sussex County Council case – Panopticon

Posted April 20th, 2015 in EC law, fees, freedom of information, housing, local government, news by sally

‘When local authorities provide property search information, can they charge for doing so? On what legal basis? How should such charges be calculated?’

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Panopticon, 17th April 2015

Source: www.panopticonblog.com

The Criminal Courts Charge: a “tax on the poor” or making criminals “pay their way”? – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

‘Much has been written about the criminal courts charge – a new mandatory financial charge incurred by convicted defendants (after a trial or entering a guilty plea) and unsuccessful appellants. I wrote a short “explainer” piece setting out the key provisions for UK Criminal Law Blog here. In essence, the charge accounts for a contribution to the costs of running the courts – making criminals “pay their way”, Justice Secretary Chris Grayling said.’

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Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 15th April 2015

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Law Society drops plan to bring JR over court fee rises – Litigtation Futures

Posted April 10th, 2015 in fees, judicial review, Law Society, news by tracey

‘The Law Society has rowed back from seeking a judicial review of the recent court fee increases, citing counsel’s opinion.’

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Litigation Futures, 9th April 2015

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Well I wouldn’t start from here – Nearly Legal

‘A cautionary tale on how, when things go badly wrong, it is, by and large, better not to take active steps to make them worse.’

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Nearly Legal, 8th April 2015

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

PART 36 of the CPR – Offers are changing – Park Square Barristers

‘Part 36 of the Civil Procedure Rules encourages parties to settle their disputes. It does this by imposing sanctions if one party turns down an offer to settle but then doesn’t get a better result at trial. The rules are complex, so Andrew Mitchell takes a closer look at the latest changes to Part 36.’

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Park Square Barristers, 1st April 2015

Source: www.parksquarebarristers.co.uk

‘Uncertainty’ over second 8.75% legal aid fee cut – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted April 7th, 2015 in fees, legal aid, news, solicitors by sally

‘Criminal practitioners are demanding answers from the Legal Aid Agency over what they say is uncertainty regarding proposed cuts in fees.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 3rd April 2015

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

The Rivlin Report – the Bar talking to itself? – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted April 7th, 2015 in barristers, case management, fees, guilty pleas, legal education, news, reports, trials by sally

‘The last of the three “state of the Bar” reports, the “Criminal Justice, Advocacy and the Bar” Report by the Criminal Justice Reform Group (generally known as the Rivlin Report) was released shortly before Easter. Unlike Leveson and Jeffrey’s, the MoJ did not commit to consider this report before deciding on the future of legal aid provision. As this was a report commissioned by the Bar Council (the report itself acknowledges “we should stress that the substance of this Report, and the recommendations which accompany it, are independent and made on behalf of the Bar”), this may not have been a bad call by the MoJ.’

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Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 7th April 2015

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

McKenzie friends could drive ‘bulldozer’ through Legal Services Act – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted April 2nd, 2015 in criminal justice, fees, legal services, McKenzie friends, news, reports by sally

‘Giving McKenzie friends permission to speak in court would drive a bulldozer through the Legal Services Act, which was intended to regulate reserved activities, criminal barristers have said.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 1st April 2015

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Society outrage at ‘back door’ criminal court fees – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted March 31st, 2015 in courts, criminal courts charge, criminal justice, fees, news, trials by sally

‘Suspects pleading not guilty in the Crown court will risk paying a court fee of £1,200 if convicted under guidelines slipped into legislation without debate in the final days of the current parliament.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 27th March 2015

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Dalton and others v British Telecommunications plc – WLR Daily

Posted March 20th, 2015 in costs, fees, law reports, news, noise, personal injuries by tracey

Dalton and others v British Telecommunications plc; [2015] EWHC 616 (QB); [2015] WLR (D) 125

‘The term “disease” in section V of the former CPR Pt 45 included any illness (whether physical or physiological), disorder, ailment, affliction, complaint, malady or derangement other than a physical or physiological injury solely caused by an accident or other similar single event.’

WLR Daily, 13th March 2015

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

The Costs of Complexity (Revisited): A Practical View From the Bar – Littleton Chambers

Posted March 17th, 2015 in appeals, civil procedure rules, courts, fees, human rights, news, Supreme Court by sally

‘In his monthly column, originally published by PLC, James Bickford Smith considers again the Supreme Court’s judgment in Coventry v Lawrence (No 2) [2014] UKSC 46, the adjourned hearing of which has been listed for 9-11 February 2015. James assesses some of the key issues which have been debated since his initial analysis of the decision in October 2014, including the potential uncertainty for current funding arrangements that are not dependent on the Access to Justice Act 1999.’

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Littleton Chambers, 5th February 2015

Source: www.littletonchambers.com

Judge criticises insurer bid to cut costs by reclassifying noise-induced hearing loss – Litigation Futures

‘A High Court judge has criticised the insurance industry over a failed attempt to have noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) reclassified as an injury rather than a disease, in a bid to reduce the level of pre-Jackson success fees defendants would have to pay.’

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Litigation Futures, 16th March 2015

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Noise-induced hearing loss a disease, High Court rules – Law Society’s Gazette

The High Court has ruled that noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) should be treated as a disease rather than an injury for the purpose of claims – and therefore be subject to higher success fees.

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Law Society’s Gazette, 17th March 2015

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

£1,200 tribunal fee prompts 40 per cent fall in pregnancy-discrimination claims – The Independent

Posted March 16th, 2015 in employment tribunals, fees, news, pregnancy, sex discrimination, statistics by sally

‘The number of women lodging pregnancy-discrimination claims has fallen by 40 per cent since the Government introduced fees of £1,200 to go to a tribunal, new figures have revealed.’

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The Independent, 15th March 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Bar Council in deal with credit specialist to finance fees – Legal Futures

Posted March 10th, 2015 in barristers, consumer credit, fees, news by tracey

‘The Bar Council has joined forces with a legal credit finance specialist to enable direct access barristers to offer payment plans to their clients.’

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Legal Futures, 10th March 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Disabled adult wins High Court battle with council over charges for services – Local Government Lawyer

‘A disabled adult has successfully challenged in the High Court aspects of a county council’s policy on charging for adult non-accommodation services.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 5th March 2015

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk