Can you really divorce online for £37? – Daily Telegraph
‘Filing the papers can be cheap, but to ensure you get the outcome you want you will probably have to spend more.’
Daily Telegraph, 3rd June 2014
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Category: fees
Transport for London seeks legal ruling on Uber car-hire software – The Guardian
‘Transport for London (TfL) has begun to apply for a high court ruling on whether Uber, the car-booking software, illegally encroaches on black-cab drivers’ exclusive right to charge metered fares.’
The Guardian, 2nd June 2014
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Uber app taxi row referred to London’s High Court – BBC News
‘London’s transport authority has announced it does not believe Uber’s car service is breaking the law by using an app to determine charges.’
BBC News, 29th May 2014
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Legal Aid Agency may have to bear cost of expert fees – New Law Journal
‘The Legal Aid Agency—formally known as the Legal Service Commission (LSC) —was wrong to refuse to pay the full cost of an expert witness report ordered for a child by the family court.’
New Law Journal, 28th May 2014
Source: www.newlawjournal.co.uk
Letting agents ‘will have to publish their fees in full’ – BBC News
‘The government has said letting agents in England face a new obligation to display full details of their fees both on their websites and in their offices.’
BBC News, 14th May 2014
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
University tuition fees and discretionary leave to remain – Hardwicke Chambers
‘Recent press coverage1 has highlighted a black hole in the government’s finances concerning student debt. A mis-calculation in the number of graduates who will earn enough to repay their loans has meant that, should the number pass the 48% mark (which appears likely – it is currently at 45%, having already been raised from an initial figure of 28%) the government would have been better off keeping to the £3,000 a year tuition fees regime. Little comfort to those students subject to the £9,000 a year rate of fees, but there is another group of people who view students with access to university loans on any terms as the lucky ones: those with discretionary leave to remain (“DLR”).’
Hardwicke Chambers, 8th April 2014
Source: www.hardwicke.co.uk
Rise in rogue lawyers pocketing stamp duty payments – Daily Telegraph
‘The Legal Ombudsman has seen a spike in complaints about sloppy legal work around house purchases.’
Daily Telegraph, 8th May 2014
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Legal Ombudsman and complaints about claims management companies – consultation on the fees framework – Ministry of Justice
‘In August 2012 the Government announced its intention for customers’ complaints about poor service provided by authorised claims management companies to be dealt with by the Legal Ombudsman. The Legal Ombudsman will provide a new avenue of redress for clients of claims management companies and will assist the Claims Management Regulator in driving out poor standards and practices in the market.
This paper sets out for consultation proposals as to how the costs the Legal Ombudsman will incur in dealing with complaints about authorised claims management companies may be recovered from the authorised claims management industry.’
Ministry of Justice, 7th May 2014
Source: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice
Serious fraud trial abandoned because of cuts to legal aid for defence representation – UK Human Rights Blog
‘A judge has halted a serious fraud trial after defendants claimed they could not get adequate representation because cuts to legal aid, and as a result they would not get a fair trial under common law or Article 6 of the Convention. This case could be the first of a number of reversals following the government’s legal aid reforms with seven further trials due to start before September 2015 involving 28 defendants in similar positions.’
UK Human Rights Blog, 6th May 2014
Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com
New APIL president blames non-legally qualified lord chancellor for harsh reforms – Litigation Futures
‘A legally qualified Lord Chancellor would not have put in place the recent personal injury changes and court fee reform proposals, the new president of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) has claimed.’
Litigation Futures, 6th May 2014
Source: www.litigationfutures.com
Operation Cotton – what next? – Halsbury’s Law Exchange
‘When does the same Government that decides to prosecute someone have an obligation to ensure that that individual has representation? That was the question that HHJ Leonard had to answer at Southwark Crown Court on 1 May 2014. The case is called “Operation Cotton” and, as the argument proceeded, featured five legally aided defendants. The argument got more media attention this week than it perhaps otherwise would because the legally aided defendants were represented by Alexander Cameron QC, who happens to be the brother of the Prime Minister (Cameron QC was acting for free, which his brother would surely applaud as an example of the “Big Society” in action).’
Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 1st May 2014
Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk
Not in our name: Parliamentary committee rejects Government’s case for Judicial Review reform – UK Human Rights Blog
‘Angela Patrick, Director of Human Rights Policy at JUSTICE, summarises the important Joint Committee on Human Rights report “The implications for access to justice of the Government’s proposals to reform judicial review”.’
UK Human Rights Blog, 30th April 2014
Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com
High Court overturns “unlawful” Legal Ombudsman decision to cut firm’s fees – Legal Futures
‘The High Court has struck down an “unlawful and irrational” Legal Ombudsman (LeO) decision to reduce a law firm’s fee and compensate its client for distress and inconvenience.’
Legal Futures, 22nd April 2014
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
‘Culture change’ needed to embrace fee-charging McKenzie friends – Law Society’s Gazette
‘Fee-charging McKenzie friends increase access to justice and make up a “legitimate feature of the modern legal market”, according to a report published today by watchdog the Legal Services Consumer Panel. The president of the Law Society described the panel’s findings as “worrying”.’
Law Society’s Gazette, 17th April 2014
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
Claimant groups: 85% of injured workers not compensated – Law Society’s Gazette
‘More than 85% of people injured or made ill at work do not recover any compensation, a new report has stated.’
Law Society’s Gazette, 16th April 2014
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
