Qualified legal representatives will now get expenses but Law Soc says fees ‘still too low’ – Law Society’s Gazette

‘The Law Society has welcomed the announcement that expenses will be added to the qualified legal representative (QLR) scheme in domestic abuse cases, but says fees are still too low.’

Full Story

Law Society's Gazette, 11th December 2023

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Tenants left ‘vulnerable’ over £10k unlawful fees – BBC News

Posted December 6th, 2023 in fees, housing, landlord & tenant, news by sally

‘A tenant said she and her family were left feeling “really vulnerable” after being charged unlawful fees totalling more than £10,000.’

Full Story

BBC News, 6th December 2023

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Severance Denied: Diag Human v Volterra Fietta [; A Potential Public Policy Warning for Litigation Funders – Gatehouse Chambers

Posted November 21st, 2023 in agreements, chambers articles, champerty, enforcement, fees, news, remuneration, solicitors by sally

‘The Court of Appeal has held that the severance of terms rendering a CFA unenforceable was not available to solicitors on public policy grounds and that consequently their clients were entitled to the return of sums paid on account. The decision in Diag Human v Volterra Fietta will ring alarm bells for litigation funders who might be contemplating launching similar arguments as a consequence of the Supreme Court’s decision in R (on the application of PACCAR) v Competition Appeal Tribunal.’

Full Story

Gatehouse Chambers, 10th October 2023

Source: gatehouselaw.co.uk

Diag Human v Volterra Fietta – Hailsham Chambers

Posted November 15th, 2023 in appeals, arbitration, chambers articles, fees, news by sally

‘The Court of Appeal dismisses the solicitors’ appeal in Diag Human v Volterra Fietta. In this note, Jamie Carpenter KC, Counsel for the successful Respondents, analyses the decision and its implications for litigation funding agreements in light of PACCAR.’

Full Story

Hailsham Chambers, 4th October 2023

Source: www.hailshamchambers.com

Court rejects ‘fishing expedition’ for firm’s call recording – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted November 6th, 2023 in costs, disclosure, fees, law firms, news, solicitors, telecommunications by tracey

‘A costs judge has refused a former client’s plea for a recording of the call where they signed up to instruct a law firm. In Turner v Coupland Cavendish, Costs Judge Rowley said the call recording remained the solicitors’ property rather than the client’s and did not need to be disclosed.’

Full Story

Law Society's Gazette, 6th November 2023

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Firm wins challenge to legal aid out of time reduction – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted November 3rd, 2023 in delay, fees, law firms, legal aid, news, solicitors, time limits by tracey

‘A firm has successfully challenged a 20% late-submission penalty to a legal aid settlement.’

Full Story

Law Society's Gazette, 3rd November 2023

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Court transcript costs are exploitative – BBC News

‘Victims of violent and sexual crimes are calling for court transcript costs to be cut after they were quoted “unaffordable” sums for them.’

Full Story

BBC News, 24th October 2023

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Are there any circumstances in which professional indemnity insurers will indemnify insured persons in respect of a loss of fees? – Hailsham Chambers

Posted October 19th, 2023 in chambers articles, fees, indemnities, insurance, news, Northern Ireland, solicitors by sally

‘This was the broad question which confronted the Court of Appeal in RSA v. Tughans [2023] EWCA Civ 999, and the unanimous answer was Yes. The case is of interest both because of the result and because of the importance accorded by the Court to the policy underlying compulsion on professionals to have at least a specified minimum level of professional indemnity insurance.’

Full Story

Hailsham Chambers, 4th September 2023

Source: www.hailshamchambers.com

Thousands more eligible for financial help with court fees – Ministry of Justice

Posted October 16th, 2023 in consultations, fees, legal aid, Ministry of Justice, news by tracey

‘The most vulnerable in society will be better supported to access justice following an expansion of a scheme to help people with court and tribunal fees.’

Full Story

Ministry of Justice, 16th October 2023

Source: www.gov.uk

Barristers lose out in ‘all or nothing’ £150k fee claim – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted October 13th, 2023 in barristers, fees, news by tracey

‘Two barristers, one of them a silk, have lost what was described as an “all or nothing” court case in which they sued a former client for £150,000 in fees.’

Full Story

Law Society's Gazette, 12th October 2023

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Rule committee warned government over clin neg fixed fee timetable – Legal Futures

Posted October 12th, 2023 in civil procedure rules, costs, fees, hospitals, negligence, news by sally

‘The Civil Procedure Rule Committee (CPRC) warned the government in July about the difficulty of meeting the timetable for the new regime of fixed costs in low-value clinical negligence cases, it has emerged.’

Full Story

Legal Futures, 12th October 2023

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Court stops firm using fees generated by claims joint venture – Legal Futures

Posted September 29th, 2023 in fees, joint ventures, law firms, news by tracey

‘The High Court has ordered a law firm not to use fees from a PPI claims joint venture now the subject of a dispute, despite it warning that this could put it out of business.’

Full Story

Legal Futures, 29th September 2023

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

High Court judge: Counsel’s fees should be subject to guideline rates – Legal Futures

Posted September 28th, 2023 in barristers, fees, news, remuneration, solicitors by tracey

‘It is “difficult to see the justification for treating counsel’s fees differently from solicitors’ fees” when it comes to applying guideline hourly rates (GHR), a High Court judge said yesterday.’

Full Story

Legal Futures, 28th September 2023

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Counsel’s fees to be excluded from clin neg fixed fees regime – Legal Futures

Fees for counsel’s advice in lower-value clinical negligence cases will not be recoverable under the fixed recoverable cost (FRC) regime unless a child or protected party is involved, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has proposed.

Full Story

Legal Futures, 20th September 2023

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Clients ordered to pay costs assigned by firm to non-lawyer – Legal Futures

Posted September 15th, 2023 in appeals, assignment, costs, fees, law firms, news, solicitors by tracey

‘A law firm’s former clients have lost their appeal against a decision that they owe outstanding fees to the non-lawyer who took assignment of their retainers.’

Full Story

Legal Futures, 15th September 2023

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Judges criticise Mastercard fees of 70% above guideline rates – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted September 14th, 2023 in class actions, competition, costs, fees, news, solicitors, tribunals by tracey

‘Judges in the Competition Appeal Tribunal have taken a scythe to costs claims where solicitors were charging as much as 70% above the guideline hourly rate in a high profile group action.’

Full Story

Law Society's Gazette, 12th September 2023

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Couple stung by £89 storage fee after spending £4,500 on wills – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted September 8th, 2023 in fees, news, solicitors, wills by tracey

‘A couple were told they would have to pay an annual £49 storage fee after spending £4,500 on their wills – which then increased to £89 a year, a report on the impact of unqualified advisers in the estate planning sector has revealed.’

Full Story

Law Society’s Gazette, 7th September 2023

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Law Society and SRA win approval for 11.5% jump in cost of practising – Legal Futures

Posted September 7th, 2023 in budgets, fees, law firms, news, solicitors, Solicitors Regulation Authority by sally

‘Individual solicitors and their firms will be paying an extra £13.2m to be regulated and represented in the coming year, the Legal Services Board (LSB) has confirmed.’

Full Story

Legal Futures, 7th September 2023

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Firm’s tweet should have mentioned fee deduction, watchdog rules – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted August 31st, 2023 in advertising, airlines, claims management, compensation, delay, fees, news by tracey

‘A flight delay claims firm should have made clear that clients would not receive the full amount of compensation promised, advertising watchdogs have ruled.’

Full Story

Law Society's Gazette, 30th August 2023

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

The Consumer Rights Act 2015 A New Front in Solicitor-Client Assessments? – Hailsham Chambers

Posted August 23rd, 2023 in chambers articles, consumer protection, costs, EC law, fees, news, solicitors by sally

‘Surprisingly, the latest development in solicitor-client costs disputes has not come from the domestic courts, but from the European Court of Justice (ECJ). It has the potential to open up a new line of attack in Solicitors Act detailed assessments if the courts decide to apply it.’

Full Story

Hailsham Chambers, 3rd July 2023

Source: www.hailshamchambers.com