Government urged not to resurrect fees for UK employment tribunals – The Guardian

‘Unions and workers’ rights groups are urging the government to reconsider plans to reintroduce fees for employment tribunals amid fears it will encourage exploitation.’

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The Guardian, 26th February 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Civil case over £237m collapse of London Capital & Finance opens – with counsel leaving – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted February 20th, 2024 in barristers, fees, insolvency, legal representation, news, unfair commercial practices by tracey

‘Counsel for a defendant in a civil case concerning the £237m collapse of mini bond issuer London Capital & Finance excused themselves from court on the first hearing day this morning – stating that there was no prospect of their fees being paid.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 19th February 2024

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Barrister and part-time judge convicted of legal aid fraud – Legal Futures

Posted February 16th, 2024 in barristers, costs, fees, fraud, imprisonment, law firms, legal aid, news, sentencing, solicitors by sally

‘A barrister and part-time immigration tribunal judge has become the last of a group of lawyers found guilty of defrauding the Legal Aid Agency by falsely claiming defence legal costs.’

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Legal Futures, 16th February 2024

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Legal action launched against ‘rip-off’ secret commissions on UK firms’ energy bills – The Guardian

Posted February 1st, 2024 in class actions, energy, fees, news, small businesses, third parties by sally

‘Businesses across the UK have been forced to pay an extra 10% on average for their gas and electricity because suppliers routinely add third-party broker commissions to their bills, according to a leading litigation law firm.’

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The Guardian, 31st January 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Government resurrects employment tribunal fees – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted January 30th, 2024 in employment tribunals, fees, news by tracey

‘The government is proposing to reintroduce fees for employment tribunal claims, nearly seven years after the Supreme Court quashed the previous charging regime as unlawful.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 29th January 2024

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Council told to deduct £11k from outstanding care home fees after delays in carrying out financial assessment – Local Government Lawyer

Posted January 9th, 2024 in care homes, elderly, fees, local government, news, ombudsmen by tracey

‘The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has found fault in the way that Essex County Council carried out a financial assessment and a deferred payment process for an elderly man with dementia.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 8th January 2024

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Qualified legal representatives will now get expenses but Law Soc says fees ‘still too low’ – Law Society’s Gazette

‘The Law Society has welcomed the announcement that expenses will be added to the qualified legal representative (QLR) scheme in domestic abuse cases, but says fees are still too low.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 11th December 2023

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Tenants left ‘vulnerable’ over £10k unlawful fees – BBC News

Posted December 6th, 2023 in fees, housing, landlord & tenant, news by sally

‘A tenant said she and her family were left feeling “really vulnerable” after being charged unlawful fees totalling more than £10,000.’

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BBC News, 6th December 2023

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Severance Denied: Diag Human v Volterra Fietta [; A Potential Public Policy Warning for Litigation Funders – Gatehouse Chambers

Posted November 21st, 2023 in agreements, chambers articles, champerty, enforcement, fees, news, remuneration, solicitors by sally

‘The Court of Appeal has held that the severance of terms rendering a CFA unenforceable was not available to solicitors on public policy grounds and that consequently their clients were entitled to the return of sums paid on account. The decision in Diag Human v Volterra Fietta will ring alarm bells for litigation funders who might be contemplating launching similar arguments as a consequence of the Supreme Court’s decision in R (on the application of PACCAR) v Competition Appeal Tribunal.’

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Gatehouse Chambers, 10th October 2023

Source: gatehouselaw.co.uk

Diag Human v Volterra Fietta – Hailsham Chambers

Posted November 15th, 2023 in appeals, arbitration, chambers articles, fees, news by sally

‘The Court of Appeal dismisses the solicitors’ appeal in Diag Human v Volterra Fietta. In this note, Jamie Carpenter KC, Counsel for the successful Respondents, analyses the decision and its implications for litigation funding agreements in light of PACCAR.’

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Hailsham Chambers, 4th October 2023

Source: www.hailshamchambers.com

Court rejects ‘fishing expedition’ for firm’s call recording – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted November 6th, 2023 in costs, disclosure, fees, law firms, news, solicitors, telecommunications by tracey

‘A costs judge has refused a former client’s plea for a recording of the call where they signed up to instruct a law firm. In Turner v Coupland Cavendish, Costs Judge Rowley said the call recording remained the solicitors’ property rather than the client’s and did not need to be disclosed.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 6th November 2023

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Firm wins challenge to legal aid out of time reduction – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted November 3rd, 2023 in delay, fees, law firms, legal aid, news, solicitors, time limits by tracey

‘A firm has successfully challenged a 20% late-submission penalty to a legal aid settlement.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 3rd November 2023

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Court transcript costs are exploitative – BBC News

‘Victims of violent and sexual crimes are calling for court transcript costs to be cut after they were quoted “unaffordable” sums for them.’

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BBC News, 24th October 2023

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Are there any circumstances in which professional indemnity insurers will indemnify insured persons in respect of a loss of fees? – Hailsham Chambers

Posted October 19th, 2023 in chambers articles, fees, indemnities, insurance, news, Northern Ireland, solicitors by sally

‘This was the broad question which confronted the Court of Appeal in RSA v. Tughans [2023] EWCA Civ 999, and the unanimous answer was Yes. The case is of interest both because of the result and because of the importance accorded by the Court to the policy underlying compulsion on professionals to have at least a specified minimum level of professional indemnity insurance.’

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Hailsham Chambers, 4th September 2023

Source: www.hailshamchambers.com

Thousands more eligible for financial help with court fees – Ministry of Justice

Posted October 16th, 2023 in consultations, fees, legal aid, Ministry of Justice, news by tracey

‘The most vulnerable in society will be better supported to access justice following an expansion of a scheme to help people with court and tribunal fees.’

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Ministry of Justice, 16th October 2023

Source: www.gov.uk

Barristers lose out in ‘all or nothing’ £150k fee claim – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted October 13th, 2023 in barristers, fees, news by tracey

‘Two barristers, one of them a silk, have lost what was described as an “all or nothing” court case in which they sued a former client for £150,000 in fees.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 12th October 2023

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Rule committee warned government over clin neg fixed fee timetable – Legal Futures

Posted October 12th, 2023 in civil procedure rules, costs, fees, hospitals, negligence, news by sally

‘The Civil Procedure Rule Committee (CPRC) warned the government in July about the difficulty of meeting the timetable for the new regime of fixed costs in low-value clinical negligence cases, it has emerged.’

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Legal Futures, 12th October 2023

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Court stops firm using fees generated by claims joint venture – Legal Futures

Posted September 29th, 2023 in fees, joint ventures, law firms, news by tracey

‘The High Court has ordered a law firm not to use fees from a PPI claims joint venture now the subject of a dispute, despite it warning that this could put it out of business.’

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Legal Futures, 29th September 2023

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

High Court judge: Counsel’s fees should be subject to guideline rates – Legal Futures

Posted September 28th, 2023 in barristers, fees, news, remuneration, solicitors by tracey

‘It is “difficult to see the justification for treating counsel’s fees differently from solicitors’ fees” when it comes to applying guideline hourly rates (GHR), a High Court judge said yesterday.’

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Legal Futures, 28th September 2023

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Counsel’s fees to be excluded from clin neg fixed fees regime – Legal Futures

Fees for counsel’s advice in lower-value clinical negligence cases will not be recoverable under the fixed recoverable cost (FRC) regime unless a child or protected party is involved, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has proposed.

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Legal Futures, 20th September 2023

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk