Solicitors hand back £1.5m to miners under voluntary scheme – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted September 11th, 2009 in case management, compensation, fees, industrial injuries, miners, news, solicitors by sally

“Solicitors have handed back more than £1.5m to injured former miners under a new voluntary repayment scheme after wrongly deducting fees from miners’ government compensation awards – and this figure could rise further as the project rolls on, the Gazette can reveal.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 10th September 2009

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Barristers’ fees slashed in Government squeeze on legal aid bill – The Times

Posted August 21st, 2009 in barristers, fees, legal aid, news by sally

“Defence barristers face swingeing cuts of up to 25 per cent in their fees under government moves to freeze the £2 billion annual legal aid bill. Payments for some expert witnesses giving their opinions in cases will also fall by up to 20 per cent in an attempt to reduce a £192 million-a-year bill.”

Full story

The Times, 21st August 2009

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Solicitors and barristers in deal on advocacy pay – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted July 24th, 2009 in barristers, family courts, fees, news, solicitors by sally

“Solicitors and barristers reached an agreement this week that would see both sides of the profession paid the same amount for advocacy work in family cases.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 23rd July 2009

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Seaga v Harper (No 2) – Times Law Reports

Posted July 10th, 2009 in costs, fees, insurance, Jamaica, law reports, Privy Council by sally

Seaga v Harper (No 2)

Privy Council

“After-the-event insurance premiums and success fees under conditional fee agreements entered into with English counsel and solicitors were not recoverable as costs by a successful party in an appeal to the Privy Council from Jamaica whose domestic law did not permit conditional fee agreements or allow for a successful party’s expenditure on after-the-event premiums to be an allowable disbursement.”

The Times, 10th July 2009

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Regulating Damages Based Agreements – consultation – Ministry of Justice

Posted July 6th, 2009 in consumer protection, damages, fees, press releases by sally

“This consultation paper seeks views on the proposals to regulate damages based agreements, a type of no win no fee, which is commonly used in Employment Tribunals in England and Wales.”

Full press release

Ministry of Justice, 1st July 2009

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Seaga v Harper (No 2) – WLR Daily

Posted June 30th, 2009 in costs, fees, insurance, Jamaica, law reports, Privy Council by sally

Seaga v Harper (No 2) [2009] UKPC 26; [2009] WLR (D) 212

“Success fees under conditional fee agreements, and premiums paid on ‘after the event’ (‘ATE’) insurance cover were not recoverable as costs by a successful party in an appeal to the Privy Council from Jamaica whose domestic law did not allow conditional fee agreements or permit expenditure on ATE premiums to be an allowable disbursement.”

WLR Daily, 29th June 2009

Source: www.lawreports.co.uk

Please note once a case has been fully reported in one of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed.

Court fee changes mean taxpayers only shoulder costs for the poorest – Ministry of Justice

Posted June 19th, 2009 in costs, fees, news by sally

“Changes to fees in the civil courts are to be introduced in order to target taxpayers’ money more effectively while helping those in financial difficulty, Justice Minister Bridget Prentice announced today (18 June).”

Full story

Ministry of Justice, 18th June 2009

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Proposals to regulate damages based agreements – Ministry of Justice

Posted May 20th, 2009 in damages, fees, news by sally

“The Ministry of Justice has announced plans to clamp down on ‘no-win no-fee’ lawyers who are exploiting vulnerable clients by taking a large proportion of the damages they are awarded as payment for excessive legal fees.”

Full story

Ministry of Justice, 19th May 2009

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

It is time to scrap lawyers’ success fees? – The Times

Posted April 23rd, 2009 in costs, fees, legal profession, news by sally

“Next week Lord Justice Jackson, the Court of Appeal judge, will outline provisional proposals of his review on the costs of litigation. Among other things he is likely to urge a look at a new way to fund civil cases that could substantially replace no-win, no-fee cases for a large range of civil actions.”

Full story

The Times, 23rd April 2009

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Access to civil justice is failing, says Association of District Judges president – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted April 3rd, 2009 in fees, legal aid, news by sally

“Access to justice in the civil courts is worse than it was a decade ago and is set to decline further, according to the new president of the Association of District Judges.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette. 2nd April 2009

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Powers of Attorney cost reduction takes effect – Ministry of Justice

Posted April 2nd, 2009 in fees, news, powers of attorney by sally

“The cost of registering Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs) forms will be cheaper from today following recent public consultation.”

Full story

Ministry of Justice, 1st April 2009

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Revealed: law firms costing NHS millions – The Times

Posted March 30th, 2009 in fees, law firms, news by sally

“The law firm Irwin Mitchell has topped a league table of clinical negligence lawyers paid the most by the NHS, picking up almost £11m in fees and costs last year from compensation claims by patients.”

Full story

The Times, 29th March 2009

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Hammonds lawyer accused of taking ‘secret payments’ – The Times

Posted March 12th, 2009 in fees, fraud, misrepresentation, news, solicitors by sally

“A consultant at law firm Hammonds advised a businessman on a $14 million company purchase while simultaneously receiving secret payments to work for the seller, a court heard today.”

Full story

The Times, 11th March 2009

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Truex v Toll – WLR Daily

Posted March 11th, 2009 in bankruptcy, debts, fees, law reports, solicitors by sally

Truex v Toll [2009] EWHC 396 (Ch); [2009] WLR (D) 85

“In respect of fees owed to a solicitor by a client, an unliquidated sum did not become liquidated by a mere admission unsupported by consideration.”

WLR Daily, 9th March 2009

Source: www.lawreports.co.uk

Please note that once a case has been fully reported in one of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed.

UK trade mark fees will fall, says IPO – OUT-LAW.com

Posted March 11th, 2009 in fees, news, trade marks by sally

“The cost of registering trade marks in the UK will fall under plans proposed by the Intellectual Property Office (IPO). The move is a response to reduced EU trade mark prices and to falling demand for marks.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 10th March 2009

Source: www.out-law.com

Law schools to increase fees despite downturn – Legal Week

Posted February 26th, 2009 in fees, legal education, news by sally

“Three of London’s law schools have considerably increased their Legal Practice Course (LPC), despite the widespread cost-cutting measures currently being implemented across the profession.”

Full story

Legal Week, 26th February 2009

Source: www.legalweek.com

Fees in the United Kingdom Supreme Court – Ministry of Justice

Posted February 11th, 2009 in fees, news, Supreme Court by sally

“A consultation on the system of fees and concessions for civil and devolution cases in the Supreme Court, after it becomes operational in October 2009.”

Full story

Ministry of Justice, 10th February 2009

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Frozen overdraft claims revealed – BBC News

Posted February 11th, 2009 in banking, fees, news by sally

“It has been revealed that at least 65,000 people have had their claims for the return of overdraft charges frozen in the court system.”

Full story

BBC News, 11th February 2009

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

VAT – The Bar Council

Posted January 27th, 2009 in fees, legal profession, news, VAT by sally

“Letter received from the Legal Services Commission regarding VAT on Advocates’ Graduated Fee Scheme and Solicitor Standard Fee Claims.”

Full letter

The Bar Council, 27th January 2009

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Jones v Attrill – Times Law Reports

Posted January 16th, 2009 in costs, fees, law reports, personal injuries, solicitors by sally

Jones v Attrill

Court of Appeal

“A solicitor was required to notify his client if he had an interest in recommending a particular insurance policy covering conditional fee agreements, if a reasonable person, knowing the relevant facts, would think that that interest might affect the advice the solicitor gave to his client.”

The Times, 16th January 2009

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Please note the Times Law Reports are only available free on Times Online for 21 days from the date of publication.