Payment surcharge ban should apply to all businesses, says OFT – OUT-LAW.com

Posted November 12th, 2012 in consumer protection, fees, news by sally

“A ban on payment surcharges above the cost of processing a transaction should apply to all businesses, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has said.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 9th November 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

Regulation fees paid by claims management companies – Ministry of Justice

Posted November 9th, 2012 in claims management, complaints, consultations, fees, legal ombudsman by sally

“This consultation invites views on the fees for applications for authorisation and annual fees for the regulation year 1 April 2013 to 31 March 2014 and initial views on a fees framework for complaints handling by the Legal Ombudsman.

This consultation is primarily aimed at persons authorised to provide regulated claims management services in England & Wales under the Compensation Act 2006 and those businesses and individuals contemplating making an application for authorisation.”

Full consultation

Ministry of Justice, 9th November 2012

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Phone hacking: Andy Coulson fights high court ruling over legal fees – The Guardian

Posted November 9th, 2012 in contract of employment, fees, interception, media, news by sally

“Former News of the World editor Andy Coulson has challenged a high court ruling that News International is not liable to pay his legal fees over the phone-hacking scandal. Lawyers for Coulson told the court of appeal in London on Thursday that criminal charges relating to his time as editor of the Sunday tabloid were ‘absolutely essential’ to the meaning of a key clause in his contract with News International.”

Full story

The Guardian, 8th November 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Daily Telegraph access

Posted November 7th, 2012 in fees, media, news by sally

The Daily Telegraph have recently introduced a limited paywall for readers overseas. Users outside the UK will be permitted to view 20 Daily Telegraph articles per month for free, after which they will need to pay a subscription fee to access content.

Prior Authority For ‘Unusually Large’ Amount Of Hours Requested By An Expert – Garden Court Family Law Blog

Posted November 1st, 2012 in expert witnesses, fees, legal services, news by sally

“Since 1st October 2012, the LSC has been refusing applications for prior authority for experts if their fees are set within the codified rate [ as per the Community Legal Service (Funding) (Ammendment No.2) Order 2011]. However there is an exception – that is if the hours requested by the expert are ‘unusually large’. So the question for practioners is what constitutes an ‘unusually large’ amount of hours ? The odds are that if, for instance, you are instructing a psychologist for a bog standard cognitive assessment of a parent, then the hours are likely to be very much the same across the board. But as soon as any form of complexity creeps in, then how long the assessment / report takes to complete begins to vary. And when you get to Independent Social Workers, what is the ‘norm’ for the LSC and the ‘norm’ for the Independent Social Worker seem continents apart.”

Full story

Garden Court Family Law Blog, 31st October 2012

Source: www.gcfamily.wordpress.com

Practising Certificate Fee (PCF) Consultation – The Bar Council

Posted October 30th, 2012 in barristers, consultations, fees, news by sally

“Update for the profession: the Bar Council has launched a consultation for the profession on the practising certificate fee (PCF).”

Full story

The Bar Council, 30th October 2012

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Litigators: Survive & Thrive – Speech by Lord Dyson, Master of the Rolls

Posted October 19th, 2012 in costs, fees, legal aid, legal profession, speeches by sally

Litigators: Survive & Thrive (PDF)

Speech by Lord Dyson, Master of the Rolls

Civil Justice Section Conference, 18th October 2012

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

Brace yourself for unprecedented change, says master of rolls – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted October 19th, 2012 in costs, fees, legal aid, legal profession, news by sally

“Implementing the Jackson costs reforms will inevitably lead to satellite litigation, the master of the rolls has warned. He urged courts and lawyers to ‘do what they can’ to minimise it.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 19th October 2012

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Value proposition – The Lawyer

Posted October 8th, 2012 in barristers, contracts, fees, news, solicitors by sally

“The bar is struggling with the concept of solicitor contracts despite almost a decade of negotiations.”

Full story

The Lawyer, 8th October 2012

Source: www.thelawyer.com

Criminal bar chief: unity can help resist ‘extinction’ – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted September 13th, 2012 in barristers, fees, legal profession, news, solicitors by sally

“Criminal solicitors and barristers should stand ‘shoulder to shoulder’ to oppose further fee cuts or risk ‘virtual extinction’ within five years, the new chair of the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) has warned.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 13th September 2012

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Late LSC fees ‘drive barristers out of practice’ – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted September 13th, 2012 in barristers, fees, legal aid, news by sally

“Late payment of fees by the Legal Services Commission (LSC) is driving barristers out of private practice, it has been alleged.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 13th September 2012

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Serious Fraud Office investigating Barclays payments to Qatar – The Guardian

Posted August 31st, 2012 in banking, fees, financial regulation, fraud, news by sally

“The Serious Fraud Office has launched an investigation into payments made after Barclays tapped Middle Eastern investors for emergency funds in 2008.”

Full story

The Guardian, 30th August 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Welfare Benefits: in scope or not? – LegalVoice

Posted August 6th, 2012 in benefits, fees, legal aid, news by sally

“The Legal Services Commission’s contract managers have been conducting informal assessments of files and I have been receiving a number of queries from not-for-profit (NfP) agencies because cases advising on entitlement to benefits appear to be disallowed on a fairly regular basis, writes Vicky Ling. It is clear that the goalposts have moved since the introduction of fixed fees in 2007, and cases that would previously passed audit are now been nil assessed.”

Full story

LegalVoice, 3rd August 2012

Source: www.legalvoice.org.uk

Personal injury referral-fee ban may not work, warns Solicitors Regulation Authority – Daily Telegraph

“A ban on the referral fees blamed for creating a ‘compensation culture’ will be difficult to police and may not even be effective, regulators have warned.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 29th July 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Third Party Costs Orders against Solicitors – 4 New Square

Posted July 27th, 2012 in costs, fees, news, solicitors, third parties by sally

“This article discusses the rise in applications against solicitors for third party costs orders, where solicitors have acted on conditional fee agreements and may be said to have funded or controlled litigation.”

Full story (PDF)

4 New Square, 25th July 2012

Source: www.4newsquare.com

ABS offers barristers at £75 an hour – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted July 24th, 2012 in alternative business structures, fees, law firms, news by sally

“A new law firm which promises clients fixed fees and immediate face-to-face meetings with barristers has become the latest alternative business structure (ABS). Red Bar Law was formed in September last year and applied to the Solicitors Regulation Authority for ABS status in January. Today the SRA confirmed it has become the ninth organisation to be granted a licence, which will be effective from 10 July.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 23rd July 2012

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Draft planning fees regulations laid before Parliament – OUT-LAW.com

Posted July 24th, 2012 in fees, news, planning, regulations by sally

“Draft regulations which propose to allow local planning authorities to increase the fees they charge for planning applications have been laid before Parliament, but the cap on the maximum fees that can be charged remains the same.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 23rd July 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

Lawyers must do better – The Guardian

Posted July 19th, 2012 in fees, insurance, law firms, legal profession, news by sally

“Legal insurance and conditional and fixed-fee arrangements aren’t serving people’s best interests.”

Full story

The Guardian, 19th July 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Government confirms “slightly lower than originally proposed” approach to tribunal fees – OUT-LAW.com

Posted July 18th, 2012 in employment tribunals, fees, news by sally

“The Government is to press ahead with plans to introduce fees for workers wishing to raise a claim with an employment tribunal from the summer of 2013, it has announced. Those on low incomes can apply for exemption from the proposed fees.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 16th July 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

Employment tribunal fees branded a disgrace by unions – The Guardian

Posted July 16th, 2012 in employment tribunals, fees, news, trade unions by sally

“The government announced on Friday the introduction of a fee of up to £1,200 for taking claims to an employment tribunal.”

Full story

The Guardian, 13th July 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk