Third Party Costs Orders against Solicitors – 4 New Square

Posted July 27th, 2012 in costs, fees, news, solicitors, third parties by sally

“This article discusses the rise in applications against solicitors for third party costs orders, where solicitors have acted on conditional fee agreements and may be said to have funded or controlled litigation.”

Full story (PDF)

4 New Square, 25th July 2012

Source: www.4newsquare.com

ABS offers barristers at £75 an hour – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted July 24th, 2012 in alternative business structures, fees, law firms, news by tracey

“A new law firm which promises clients fixed fees and immediate face-to-face meetings with barristers has become the latest alternative business structure (ABS). Red Bar Law was formed in September last year and applied to the Solicitors Regulation Authority for ABS status in January. Today the SRA confirmed it has become the ninth organisation to be granted a licence, which will be effective from 10 July.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 23rd July 2012

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Draft planning fees regulations laid before Parliament – OUT-LAW.com

Posted July 24th, 2012 in fees, news, planning, regulations by tracey

“Draft regulations which propose to allow local planning authorities to increase the fees they charge for planning applications have been laid before Parliament, but the cap on the maximum fees that can be charged remains the same.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 23rd July 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

Lawyers must do better – The Guardian

Posted July 19th, 2012 in fees, insurance, law firms, legal profession, news by tracey

“Legal insurance and conditional and fixed-fee arrangements aren’t serving people’s best interests.”

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The Guardian, 19th July 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Government confirms “slightly lower than originally proposed” approach to tribunal fees – OUT-LAW.com

Posted July 18th, 2012 in employment tribunals, fees, news by tracey

“The Government is to press ahead with plans to introduce fees for workers wishing to raise a claim with an employment tribunal from the summer of 2013, it has announced. Those on low incomes can apply for exemption from the proposed fees.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 16th July 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

Employment tribunal fees branded a disgrace by unions – The Guardian

Posted July 16th, 2012 in employment tribunals, fees, news, trade unions by sally

“The government announced on Friday the introduction of a fee of up to £1,200 for taking claims to an employment tribunal.”

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The Guardian, 13th July 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Employment tribunal fees set to encourage mediation and arbitration – Ministry of Justice

Posted July 13th, 2012 in dispute resolution, employment tribunals, fees, news by sally

“Employment tribunal fees will be tailored to encourage businesses and workers to mediate or settle a dispute rather than go to a full hearing from summer 2013.”

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Ministry of Justice, 13th July 2012

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

It’s a funny old world – The Bar Council

Posted June 28th, 2012 in advocacy, barristers, fees, legal profession, news by sally

“The plight of the criminal Bar; the independence of the Bar threatened by fee cuts, referral fees and price competitive tendering; and such developments under scrutiny from the rest of the common law world.”

Full story (PDF)

The Bar Council, July 2012

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

The quality of advocacy – BBC Law in Action

Posted June 20th, 2012 in advocacy, fees, legal profession, news, quality assurance by sally

“As the lines blur between the work of solicitors and barristers , Joshua Rozenberg asks whether a cheaper service provides better value for money or is it leading to poor representation in court and ultimately miscarriages of justice? He discusses the issues with Baroness Deech of the Bar Standards Board, a solicitor advocate Sundeep Bhatia and Elisabeth Davies, Chair of the Consumer panel at the Legal Services Board. He also speaks to senior appeal court judge Lord Justice Moses and asks about the best way to assess quality and what dangers lie ahead if suffers.”

Listen

BBC Law in Action, 19th June 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Sticking to our principles – The Bar Council

Posted June 6th, 2012 in fees, legal profession, Legal Services Board, news, quality assurance by sally

“Examining the LSB’s commitment to standards and to quality; the LSB decision to continue to permit referral fees; and a meeting with the new Chief Executive of the Legal Services Commission.”

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The Bar Council, June 2012

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Barristers may strike over legal aid reforms and fees – The Guardian

Posted May 18th, 2012 in barristers, budgets, fees, industrial action, legal aid, news by sally

“The head of the Criminal Bar Association is to raise the spectre of strike action by criminal barristers across England and Wales in protest at cuts in fees and legal aid reforms.”

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The Guardian, 18th May 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Association of Costs Lawyers’ Annual Conference 2012 – Speech by Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury, Master of the Rolls

Posted May 14th, 2012 in costs, fees, judges, solicitors, speeches by sally

Association of Costs Lawyers’ Annual Conference 2012 (PDF)

Speech by Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury, Master of the Rolls

Judiciary of England and Wales, 11th May 2012

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

Hourly billing for lawyers should end, says top judge – Daily Telegraph

Posted May 14th, 2012 in costs, fees, judges, news, solicitors by sally

“The practice of huge hourly rates charged by solicitors should end because they reward inefficiency, the country’s second most senior judge said.”

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Daily Telegraph, 12th May 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Phone hacking: Andy Coulson wins leave to appeal over ruling on legal fees – The Guardian

Posted May 8th, 2012 in appeals, fees, interception, news, telecommunications by sally

“Former News of the World editor Andy Coulson has won permission to appeal against a high court ruling that News International is not liable to pay his potential legal fees over the phone-hacking scandal.”

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The Guardian,

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Djanogly: Justice supports business – Ministry of Justice

“Justice Minister Jonathan Djanogly met today with business leaders to launch ‘Justice for Business: Supporting Business and Promoting Growth,’ a new paper outlining how the Government’s ambitious reform programme is making the justice system more effective, less costly and better for business.”

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Ministry of Justice, 8th May 2012

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Appeal court backs law firm in ‘you’re fired’ retainer row – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted May 3rd, 2012 in appeals, contracts, costs, fees, news, solicitors by sally

“Solicitors are entitled to suspend work for clients who have not paid their bill in accordance with the contractual term of business agreed, the Court of Appeal has ruled in a key case on retainers.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 2nd May 2012

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Will the legal aid bill be the end of the ambulance-chasing lawyer? – The Guardian

Posted April 26th, 2012 in bills, fees, news, personal injuries by sally

“For all the scaremongering about a compensation culture, ignorance of rights causes more harm than the bringing of unmeritorious legal claims.”

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The Guardian, 25th April 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Still suffering from an accident for which you weren’t to blame? – The Guardian

Posted April 18th, 2012 in fees, insurance, legal aid, news, personal injuries by sally

“To nobody’s surprise, the government last night rejected arguments on behalf of mesothelioma sufferers and overturned a Lords amendment that would have exempted them from the effects of Part 2 of the legal aid bill (known as the Jackson reforms).”

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The Guardian, 18th April 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Withers’ bid to take client money dispute to Supreme Court rejected – The Lawyer

Posted April 13th, 2012 in appeals, client accounts, fees, law firms, news, Supreme Court by tracey

“Withers has been refused permission to appeal to the Supreme Court a dispute brought against it over client money.”

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The Lawyer, 11th April 2012

Source: www.thelawyer.com

Watchdog plans hefty rise in compensation maximum – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted March 26th, 2012 in compensation, complaints, fees, legal ombudsman, news, time limits by sally

“The Legal Ombudsman is planning a 66% rise – to £50,000 – in the maximum amount of compensation it can force lawyers to pay clients who receive poor service.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 26th March 2012

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk