Regulation fees paid by claims management companies – Ministry of Justice

Posted November 15th, 2013 in claims management, consultations, fees by tracey

“This consultation invites views on the fees for applications for authorisation and annual fees for the regulation year 1 April 2014 to 31 March 2015 for claims management companies.”

Full press release

Ministry of Justice, 15th November 2013

Source: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice

Pay a fee to skip the passport queue, under new Home Office plans – Daily Telegraph

Posted November 13th, 2013 in airports, consultations, fees, immigration, news, passports, pilot schemes by tracey

” British holidaymakers and business travellers who pay an extra fee to the Home Office will be allowed to skip the passport queue at the airport, under new plans outlined by the Home Office on Tuesday. A consultation paper said ministers were drawing up plans to extend ‘premium fast-track processing’ which is currently only available to some first and business class passengers at Heathrow. The proposal is one of a number of new ideas being floated to cover more of the immigration service’s costs by raising more revenue from passengers.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 12th November 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Targeted consultation on immigration and visa charging principles – Home Office

Posted November 12th, 2013 in consultations, fees, immigration, visas by tracey

“Targeted consultation on immigration and visa charging principles.”

Full consultation

Home Office, 12th November 2013

Source: www.gov.uk/home-office

Transforming Legal Aid: Next Steps – Consultation Response by Garden Court Chambers – Garden Court Chambers Blog

Posted November 7th, 2013 in barristers, consultations, criminal justice, fees, law firms, legal aid, news, solicitors by tracey

“Garden Court Chambers have formulated the below response to the Ministry of Justice consultation document ‘Transforming Legal Aid: Next Steps.’ The response reiterates Chambers’ strong opposition to the cuts to legal aid.”

Full story

Garden Court Chambers Blog, 1st November 2013

Source: www.gclaw.wordpress.com

A proud profession – The Bar Council

“Addressing lazy journalism; recognising what really motivates members of the Bar; looking at the pro bono work carried out on all fronts by so many; and the need for wider understanding of this contribution by all, especially the Government.”

Full story (PDF)

The Bar Council, October 2013

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

The Bar in society: A vital force for good – Speech by Maura McGowan QC, Chairman of the Bar

The Bar in society: A vital force for good (PDF)

Speech by Maura McGowan QC, Chairman of the Bar

Annual Bar Conference, 2nd November 2013

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Lawyers to earn higher legal aid fees for early guilty pleas – The Guardian

Posted November 1st, 2013 in criminal justice, fees, guilty pleas, legal aid, news by sally

“Lawyers will be given financial incentives to encourage clients to plead guilty early under government reforms to legal aid but will lose money if cases go to trial, according to solicitors in London.”

Full story

The Guardian, 1st November 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

‘Family Law Reform: Some Missing Views’ by Rebekah Wilson – Garden Court Family Law Blog

“It is with interest, as a barrister committed to representation of parties in care proceedings that I read the monthly, View from the President’s Chambers (available online). And more recently an interview with the President himself in Counsel Magazine (Justic Delayed is Justice Denied, Chris McWatters talks to Sir James Munby, Counsel October 2013).”

Full story

Garden Court Family Law Blog, 25th October 2013

Source: www.gcfamily.wordpress.com

Ministry stands by Grayling evidence after bar chief challenge – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted October 23rd, 2013 in barristers, budgets, costs, fees, Ministry of Justice, news, select committees by tracey

“Evidence given to MPs by Chris Grayling has sparked a spat between the Bar Council and Ministry of Justice.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 22nd October 2013

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Unison to challenge employment tribunal fees in High Court – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 22nd, 2013 in employment tribunals, fees, human rights, news, trade unions, tribunals by tracey

“The union is bringing a legal challenge over the introduction of fees for employment tribunals to the High Court tomorrow.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 21st October 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

High Court refuses to delay high street court battle with MasterCard – The Lawyer

“An attempt by MasterCard to avoid a multi-billion damages claim from a dozen retailers because the monthly due diligence costs charged by its lawyers at Jones Day could be as much as £700,000 has been rejected by the High Court.”

Full story

The Lawyer, 16th October 2013

Source: www.thelawyer.com

Aarhus, A-G Kokott’s opinion, and the PCO reciprocal cap – UK Human Rights Blog

“Forgive me for returning to this case, but it raises all sorts of questions. On the face of it, it concerns 2 specific environmental directives, but it has implications for costs generally in environmental cases.”

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 15th October 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Experts acclimatise to tougher post-Jackson life – Litigation Futures

Posted September 25th, 2013 in appeals, evidence, expert witnesses, fees, news, proportionality by sally

“The post-Jackson climate for expert witnesses is ‘leaner and meaner’, according to a leading observer of their work.”

Full story

Litigation Futures, 25th September 2013

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

It cost you how much? – NearlyLegal

Posted September 24th, 2013 in costs, fees, housing, news, tribunals, valuation by sally

“Law can be expensive.

This is particularly so in relation to the process of law, i.e. the costs of going to the law. By this I mean things such as the court or tribunal fees, but particularly the costs of the lawyers. If you lose in civil litigation, the normal rule is that you’ve got to pay not just for your own lawyers, but for the other side’s too. Due to the way that costs are assessed and recovered, even the winner often has to foot the bill for some their own lawyers’ fees. It is fair to say that the general public doesn’t think too highly of the fees charged by lawyers. Now, a lot of the criticism is unfair (‘If you think a professional is expensive, wait ’til you try an amateur’) and based on misinformation and misunderstanding. Nonetheless, there is force in some of the criticism.”

Full story

NearlyLegal, 24th September 2013

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

Master more than halves £1m budget – Litigation Futures

Posted September 12th, 2013 in budgets, costs, damages, fees, judges, news by tracey

“A High Court master last week more than halved a proposed budget in a quantum-only cerebral palsey case, it has emerged. Leading costs lawyer Matthew Harman told this week’s PI Futures seminar in Manchester that the master also refused to hear any argument on hourly rates.”

Full story

Litigation Futures, 12th September 2013

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Claimants’ ability to pay tribunal fees will be based on combination of income and savings, Government confirms – OUT-LAW.com

Posted September 11th, 2013 in consultations, fees, news, remuneration, tribunals by tracey

“A single system of fee remission, based on a combination of claimants’ income and ‘disposable capital’, will be introduced across all courts and tribunals, including employment tribunals, the Government has announced.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 10th September 2013

Source: www.out-law.com

When can CFAs replace legal aid? – Legal Aid Handbook

Posted September 5th, 2013 in fees, legal aid, news by sally

“Many practitioners are concerned about the implications of recent delays in granting legal aid whilst the LAA is making detailed investigations about whether CFAs are available – even in cases where they clearly are not.”

Full story

Legal Aid Handbook, 4th September 2013

Source: www.legalaidhandbook.com

More couples opt for DIY divorce as legal fees rise – LegalVoice

Posted August 21st, 2013 in arbitration, budgets, divorce, expenses, family courts, fees, news by sally

“With the legal fees for a ‘simple’ divorce in London now at £2,500, DIY divorce websites are reporting a sharp rise in the number of couples using their services.”

Full story

LegalVoice, 19th August 2013

Source: www.legalvoice.org.uk

FOI reforms: dataset information could be disclosed in re-usable format even though copyright restrictions may still apply – OUT-LAW.com

Posted August 13th, 2013 in copyright, disclosure, fees, freedom of information, news, regulations by sally

“Public authorities could be required to make copyrighted information contained in datasets available in a re-usable format under changes to freedom of information (FOI) laws even if they are not in a position to sanction re-use.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 12th August 2013

Source: www.out-law.com

High Court caps ‘plebgate’ libel budget to court fees for Andrew Mitchell MP – The Lawyer

Posted August 8th, 2013 in budgets, case management, costs, defamation, fees, news by sally

“The High Court has told the former chief whip Andrew Mitchell MP that the cost of his libel action against The Sun will be restricted to the cost of the court fees for the claim.”

Full story

The Lawyer, 7th August 2013

Source: www.thelawyer.com