Legal Cost Specialists
I recently received a telephone message asking if my firm did pro bono work. (The answer is “no”, by the way.) But this did cause me to pause for thought as it coincided with a report in the Law Society Gazette that: “The value of pro bono work done annually by lawyers has soared to […]
Pro bono legal costs work Read More »
The Law Gazette has reported the case of a Norfolk solicitor who charged clients based on the weight of their files, “by weighing the files in his hand”, and was struck off after a hearing before the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal. You mean there’s another way to cost a file?
The art of good law costs drafting Read More »
A recent article in the Evening Standard (click link) newspaper reported on the spread of the “Jedhead”. This is the sticky-uppy hairstyle sported by Jedward, the twins from the X Factor. The article claimed the “style crosses boundaries of age, gender, sexuality and taste”. I have no problem accepting the first three in the list
Jedhead v Horsehair wigs Read More »
I assume readers are familiar with search engines such as Google and Yahoo. In addition to the ordinary search results they produce, they also also show sponsored links. This works by allowing advertisers to purchase the right to have their advert displayed when certain keywords are typed into the search engine. For example, a business
My intellectual property rights have been infringed Read More »
In the past, when meeting people for the first time, I have always dreaded being asked what it is I do for a living. To a non-lawyer there is no easy way to explain the role of a defendant costs consultant. However, the recent furore over MPs’ expenses has made my task easier. Now, when
And so what do you do? Read More »
The following letter was published in the latest edition of the Law Gazette: “Rhonwen Barraclough’s letter (8 October) complained about Lord Justice Jackson’s recent suggestion of increasing the small claims limit if a deal cannot be done on fixing legal costs in fast-track claims. Among the various reasons put forward as to why this was a bad
Not enough personal injuries occuring Read More »
Most Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA) challenges follow a well-trodden path. However, occasionally a new variation arises where there is no authority directly on all fours. This happened in the recent case of Smith v Carpetright plc, heard by Regional Cost Judge Sparrow in Norwich County Court. The Claimant had entered into a CFA with Godfrey
Successful Conditional Fee Agreement challenge Read More »
Here we are in the middle of August and you find that the rest of the office is away on holiday and it’s too wet to go outside to play. To help pass the time why not play Clay Cost Muppet Shooting (external link) courtesy of Box Legal? Apparently, no cost muppets were harmed or
Clay Cost Muppet Shooting Read More »
Under the, now revoked, CFA Regulations 2000 there was a duty to advise a client whether the legal representative considered that the client was insured under an existing contract of insurance (BTE) before the CFA was entered into (Regulation 4(2)(c)). Failure to do this would render the CFA invalid. Since the Court of Appeal decision
Tranter v Hansons (Wordsley) Ltd – Duty to investigate BTE Read More »
The ingenuity of parties to litigation when it comes to arguments over legal costs knows no limits. The fixed success fee regime which applies to new RTAs allows solicitors a success fee of 12.5% if “the claim concludes before a trial has commenced or the dispute is settled before a claim is issued” or 100%
Costs assessment not a "trial" Read More »