Author name: Simon Gibbs

Following on from the news about the planned extension of fixed fees across the fast-track is the survey for Resolution that found the planned cuts to legal aid will reduce family clients by 75%. Although accurate figures are hard to come by, some statistics suggest that 20% of costs work is legal aid. Whether they

At the time of filing a pre-trial check list (listing questionnaire) or where the court fixes the trial date or trial week without the need for a pre-trial check list, in addition to the listing fee (currently £110) it is necessary to pay a hearing fee (currently £1,090 for a multi-track matter and £545 for

Those holding their breath for the Court of Appeal to rule on the date from which interest runs, in the case of Motto v Trafigura, needn’t have bothered. The parties have compromised the case and the appeal will not go ahead. However, all is not lost. The Court was due to hear another case on

The missing piece of the Jackson legal costs reforms is about to be slotted into place. Jackson proposed fixed fees across the fast-track and, although other areas of his recommendations seem certain to be implemented, this was the one glaring omission from the concrete proposals. David Cameron has now announced the firm intention of the

The White Paper Conference Company has lined up another cracking legal costs conference on Costs, Funding, CFAs and Jackson for 8 February 2012. The speakers include: Ben Williams (39 Essex Street), Gordon Wignall (No 5 Chambers), Andrew Post (Hailsham Chambers), Roger Mallalieu (4 New Square), Michael Napier (Irwin Mitchell), David Marshall (Anthony Gold Solicitors), Kerry

Nice quote from Christian Stuerwald and Leslie Perrin in a recent edition of Litigation Funding: “the only certainty in litigation is that the costs will be high, impossible to predict and difficult to manage”  

One of the constant problems defendants face in low value RTA claims is claimant solicitors issuing proceedings at the earliest opportunity to avoid fixed costs. The case of Javed v British Telecommunications plc [2011] EWHC 90212 (Costs) is an interesting example of claimant solicitors being penalised for issuing proceedings unnecessarily and prematurely. Costs Judge Master

I’ve been using Twitter for some time now. I’m not yet 100% convinced that this is the future, particularly for promoting law firms to the wider public. And who are those APIL tweets congratulating such-and-such for becoming an APIL senior litigator aimed at? However, it can be a useful way of providing quick links to