Legal Cost Specialists
The Law Society Gazette recently had an advice section on CFA precedents for CFAs with counsel which stated: “APIL/PIBA 6 was drafted specifically with PI and clinical negligence proceedings in mind where the solicitor is also working under terms with his client (on the Law Society model agreement). It is an industry-wide agreement and there […]
The Metro newspaper recently reported on the trial of a solicitor who allegedly claimed for 26 hours work in a single day as part of a plot to cheat Legal Aid out of more than £300,000. Also standing trial was a legal executive, with the prosecution claiming: “He attended Leicester crown court from his home
26 hour working day Read More »
The Law Society Gazette recently reported: “NHS lawyers warned the government before it published its bill on legal aid reform that scrapping legal aid for clinical negligence claims would ‘massively’ escalate NHS legal costs, and leave some seriously injured people unable to bring cases. … The body, which is responsible for handling claims against the
NHSLA warning on costs reforms? Read More »
The Legal Services Board is to investigate will writing after the board’s consumer panel found that solicitors and will writers were equally responsible for substandard wills. The LSB will consider whether to make will writing a reserved activity meaning it could be regulated. There can be no doubt that will writing should be regulated but
Regulating legal services Read More »
I don’t want to sound like a stuck record, but the inconsistent, and often incoherent, anti-Jackson rhetoric shows no signs of abating. The Access to Justice Action Group (AJAG) recently issued a press release with the headline “Jackson reforms set to costs NHS £105.55 million”. Now, you’ve never seen such a selective and garbled use
Access to Justice Action Group: clinical negligence claims to increase Read More »
A further definition from The (Alternative) Legal Costs Dictionary: Summary assessment n. similar to detailed assessment but with the advocacy conducted by those with no knowledge of legal costs law and overseen by a judge with even less knowledge of the relevant law and no time to properly perform the task in any event. The
Summary assessment Read More »
Another podcast from the Hailsham Chambers Annual Costs Group Seminar. Here is the Champerty and Contingency Fees session:
Hailsham Chambers Annual Costs Group Seminar 2011 – Champerty and Contingency Fees Read More »
We’ve been exploring some of the problems with the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill and how this may reduce claimants’ damages by rather more than 25% in personal injury cases. The situation becomes even more dire for non-personal injury claims. In relation to a professional negligence claim against, for example, an architect,
No cap in non-PI cases Read More »
Another podcast from the Hailsham Chambers Annual Costs Group Seminar. Here is the Fast Track Costs Issues session:
Hailsham Chambers Annual Costs Group Seminar 2011 – Fast Track Costs Issues Read More »
We looked the other day at the problems that might arise post-Jackson trying to instruct counsel to act under a CFA if there is a 25% damages based cap on the success fee that must be split between the solicitors and counsel. This might create a market for ATE premiums to cover own counsels’ fees
Success fee cap plus uncapped ATE? Read More »