Lawyers the only winners in “nihilistic” divorce dispute, says judge – Legal Futures

Posted October 29th, 2021 in costs, divorce, families, fees, judges, news, solicitors by sally

‘The lawyers are the only beneficiaries of a “nihilistic” divorce dispute that has cost £2.3m in legal fees, with the couple’s children the main losers, a High Court judge has ruled.’

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Legal Futures, 29th October 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Qualified one-way costs shifting – Law Society’s Gazette

‘In Ho v Adelekun [2021] UKSC 43, the Supreme Court considered the mechanics of qualified one-way costs shifting (QOCS). The claimant was injured in a road traffic accident in 2012. In 2017, she was offered £30,000 by the defendant in settlement of her claim in what was described as a “Part 36 offer letter”. In that letter, the defendant offered to pay the claimant’s costs “in accordance with Part 36 rule 13”, such costs to be subject to detailed assessment if not agreed, if the offer was accepted within 21 days. The claimant decided to accept the offer and a Tomlin order was subsequently made by consent. However, the defendant then argued that the claimant’s costs were limited to the fixed costs recoverable in accordance with the terms of Part 45 Section IIIA of the Civil Procedure Rules.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 25th October 2021

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Costs Order against Dental Expert who Showed a Flagrant, Reckless Disregard for his Duties to the Court – Ropewalk Clinical Negligence Blog

Posted October 25th, 2021 in chambers articles, costs, dentists, expert witnesses, negligence, news, third parties by sally

‘Having blanked his screen and left the ongoing court proceedings to pick up his son from school, the Claimant’s expert witness in Robinson v (1) Liverpool University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (2) Mercier (County Court at Liverpool, 9 September 2021), Dr Mercier, was initially oblivious of the court’s direction that the Defendant trust would have 21 days to consider whether to pursue a third-party costs order (“TCPO”) against the expert.’

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Ropewalk Clinical Negligence Blog, 19th October 2021

Source: www.ropewalk.co.uk

CFA costs payable as part of maintenance award, CoA rules – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted October 18th, 2021 in appeals, costs, debts, fees, news, trusts, wills by sally

‘The Court of Appeal has ruled that a judge was correct to include some costs in a maintenance-based award, after the claimant had successfully secured part of her father’s estate.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 15th October 2021

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Court throws out wasted costs order bid against Baker McKenzie – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted October 13th, 2021 in costs, law firms, news, professional conduct, wasted costs orders by sally

‘A High Court judge has opted against making a wasted costs order against global firm Baker McKenzie following an application from their litigation opponents.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 12th October 2021

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Supreme Court backs claimants in QOCS set-off ruling – Legal Futures

‘The Supreme Court has held that defendants cannot set off opposing costs orders in cases covered by qualified one-way costs shifting (QOCS), in what has been hailed as a significant win for claimants.’

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Legal Futures, 6th October 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Housing disrepair claims and costs – Local Government Lawyer

Posted September 20th, 2021 in costs, housing, landlord & tenant, local government, news, repairs by sally

‘Social landlords who do not challenge costs are potentially overpaying by tens of thousands of pounds in some of these matters. Alex Bagnall explains how they can secure significant reductions.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 17th September 2021

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Court rejects Slater and Gordon bid to end costs recovery cases – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted September 17th, 2021 in costs, damages, law firms, news, personal injuries, stay of proceedings by sally

‘Lawyers chasing personal injury firms over the deductions from former clients’ damages have been handed a huge twin boost by the court.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 17th September 2021

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Plans to extend fixed costs are ‘fraught with danger’ – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted September 13th, 2021 in costs, Ministry of Justice, news by sally

‘Fixed recoverable costs are being expanded – and despite opposition from lawyers who accuse the government of “shoe-horning” cases into a simpler system, the government appears unlikely to budge.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 13th September 2021

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Ministry of Justice to press ahead with fixed costs expansion – Legal Futures

‘The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) yesterday confirmed that it will implement Sir Rupert Jackson’s blueprint for fixed recoverable costs (FRC) across the fast-track and in most money cases worth up to £100,000.’

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Legal Futures, 7th September 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Late service charge demands and the importance of contemplating forfeiture for recovering legal costs – Nearly Legal

Posted September 6th, 2021 in appeals, costs, housing, landlord & tenant, leases, news, service charges by sally

‘This was a second appeal to the Court of Appeal from the Upper Tribunal on two issues arising from long running litigation between the freeholder, West India Quay and the head lessee, East Tower Apartments (ETAL) on the arrangements for and charging for utilities for the residential parts of the building (a 33 storey tower, including a hotel). The initial proceedings brought by ETAL had gone through the FTT and the Upper Tribunal and had resulted in a significant reduction in charges. For our purposes, the relevant part of these decisions where that ‘Switch 2) – the utility provider – had levied “standing charges” (actually costs for reading meters and preparing bills) from 2008 onwards. The freeholder had included these charges in the utility charge to the lessee. The FTT had found that they were not recoverable, as there had never been “a contractually valid demand for them as service charges, and it was not open to the Landlord to “re-allocate” them as general service charge.”’

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Nearly Legal, 5th September 2021

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Litigation Friend appointments and costs – Local Government Lawyer

Posted August 27th, 2021 in costs, litigation friends, local government, news by sally

‘The High Court has ordered that a Defendant is not liable for costs incurred arising from a dispute over who the Litigation Friend should be. Sean Linley reports.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 27th August 2021

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Private Prosecution Stayed as an Abuse of Process: Costs Recovered – 25 Bedford Row

‘The issue of recovering legal costs for a defendant who successfully applied to stay a private prosecution, on grounds of abuse of process, was considered and decided upon by the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) in Muhammed Asif v Adil Iqbal Ditta and Noreen Riaz [2021] EWCA Crim 1091 (judgment 15th July 2021).’

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25 Bedford Row, 9th August 2021

Source: www.25bedfordrow.com

Claimant ‘unreasonable’ for not using portal on overvalued case – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted August 24th, 2021 in costs, electronic filing, news, personal injuries, valuation by sally

‘A costs judge has ruled that a claimant acted unreasonably in not using the portal for a claim that proved to be vastly overvalued.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 23rd August 2021

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

High Court uses new guideline rates ahead of formal introduction – Legal Futures

Posted August 24th, 2021 in civil justice, Civil Justice Council, costs, fees, news, solicitors by sally

‘The new guideline hourly rates (GHR) will not formally come into force until 1 October but the High Court yesterday took them into account when dealing with a summary assessment.’

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Legal Futures, 24th August 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Costs judge rejects “regrettable” overcharging allegations – Legal Futures

Posted August 23rd, 2021 in asylum, costs, fees, immigration, law firms, news, professional conduct, solicitors by sally

‘A judge has rejected claims by the wife of a convicted Kazakh businessman that she was overcharged by a London law firm for her asylum application and described the allegations of misconduct she levelled as “regrettable”.’

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Legal Futures, 23rd August 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Judge right to consider “mystery” of who was funding law firm – Legal Futures

Posted August 19th, 2021 in contracts, costs, law firms, news by sally

‘A judge who had “no information at all” as to how the defence of a dormant law firm was being funded was right not to ignore the issue, appeal judges have ruled.’

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Legal Futures, 18th August 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Landlord ordered to pay more than £21,000 after council prosecutes him for unlicensed house in multiple occupation – Local Government Lawyer

Posted August 11th, 2021 in costs, fines, housing, landlord & tenant, licensing, local government, news by sally

‘A private landlord operating an unlicensed and overcrowded property in Kensal Green has been told to pay more than £21,000 in fines and costs by Willesden Magistrates’ Court.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 10th August 2021

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

DON’T LOOK NOW: Non-party costs orders and Goknur Gida Maddeleri Enerji Imalet Ithalat Ihracat Ticaret Ve Sanayi AS v Aytacli [2021] EWCA Civ 1037 – 3PB

Posted August 6th, 2021 in appeals, chambers articles, costs, news by sally

‘As Lord Justice Coulson warned at the start of his judgment in the recent Court of Appeal decision in Goknur Gida Maddeleri Enerji Imalet Ithalat Ihracat Ticaret Ve Sanayi AS v Aytacli [2021] EWCA Civ 1037:

“For those who believe that most civil litigation does not end up being about the costs that were incurred in pursuing that same litigation in the first place, look away now.”’

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3PB, 30th July 2021

Source: www.3pb.co.uk

High Court judge orders Liverpool City Council to reconsider refusal of indemnity for former elected mayor – Local Government Lawyer

Posted August 4th, 2021 in bribery, costs, indemnities, intimidation, local government, news, witnesses by sally

‘A High Court judge has told Liverpool City Council to revisit whether it should grant an indemnity to its former elected mayor Joe Anderson to defend criminal allegations.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 3rd August 2021

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk