Disabled woman begins legal action over Hampstead ponds fees – The Guardian

‘A woman who swims regularly in the Hampstead ponds is taking legal action against the City of London Corporation, claiming that the new charging regime discriminates against disabled people.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 1st July 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Medical agency admin fee “not recoverable” as part of fixed costs – Litigation Futures

‘Defendant solicitors have welcomed a ruling that medical agency costs are irrecoverable under the fixed-costs regime.’

Full Story

Litigation Futures, 17th June 2021

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Alastair Richardson: The Legality of Home Office Fees – UK Constitutional Law Association

“Project for the Registration of Children as British Citizens v Secretary of State for the Home Department (PRCBC) concerned a challenge to the lawfulness of fees charged to children applying to be registered as British citizens. The fees have a serious adverse impact on the ability of many children to apply for registration.”

Full Story

UK Constitutional Law Association, 26th May 2021

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

Extortionist visa application fees caused “colossal interference” with Windrush victim’s right to family life – EIN Blog

Posted May 18th, 2021 in families, fees, human rights, immigration, news, visas by sally

‘Mrs Lynda Mahabir came to the UK as a baby aged two months in 1969. She lived in the UK until 1977 but was forcibly removed by her father to Trinidad in 1977. The Home Office’s failure to document her lawful immigration status meant that she was unable to return to the UK for 41 years, when she was finally granted leave to remain pursuant to the Windrush scheme in 2018. However, the Home Office demanded £22,909 in application fees from her husband and five children (including two minors) and refused to consider their entry visa applications under the Windrush scheme. But the family did not have the £22,909 to pay the Home Office. Sitting as a Deputy High Court Judge, Mr Tim Smith held that the SSHD committed “a colossal interference” in Mrs Mahabir’s right to family life because she either had to forego the remedies the executive had put in place with the express intention of remedying the injustice suffered by her and others like her, or else she had to break up the family. Notably, she broke up the family, hoping that it was only temporary, but in the process she suffered the “colossal interference” with her right to family life identified by Lord Wilson in R (Quila) v SSHD [2012] 1 AC 621. The court noted that by 2018 heartbreaking accounts of the Windrush scandal were reported in the media. The plight of Windrush victims was well known indeed, and these events marked a racist epoch in British history.’

Full Story

EIN Blog, 17th May 2021

Source: www.ein.org.uk

High Court upholds judgment on law firms’ unpaid fees – Legal Futures

Posted May 18th, 2021 in default judgments, fees, law firms, news by sally

‘The High Court has rejected a challenge to a judgment in default obtained by two law firms whose retainers were terminated by a Swiss company, leaving Carpmaels & Raynsford with unpaid fees of €201,000 (£172,000) and Collyer Bristow with £320,000.’

Full Story

Legal Futures, 18th May 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Judicial guidance on DBAs – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted May 17th, 2021 in appeals, costs, damages, fees, legal representation, news, solicitors by sally

‘In Zuberi v Lexlaw Ltd [2021] EWCA Civ 16, the Court of Appeal has provided important guidance on the nature of damages-based agreements (DBAs). By way of reminder, a DBA is a funding arrangement between a lawyer and a client whereby the lawyer’s fees are dependent upon the success of the case and are determined as a percentage of the damages received by the client. Under a DBA, a lawyer may not recover costs more than the total amount chargeable to the client under the DBA, and will not receive anything in the event that the case is unsuccessful. It should be noted that regulation 4(1) of the Damages-Based Agreements Regulations 2013 does not permit legal representatives to charge costs and expenses if the client terminates the retainer, whereas regulation 8 (which applies only to employment matters) does. This apparent conflict was considered in Zuberi.’

Full Story

Law Society's Gazette, 17th May 2021

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Apple accused of breaking UK competition law by overcharging for apps – The Guardian

Posted May 12th, 2021 in class actions, compensation, competition, fees, news, telecommunications by sally

‘Apple is facing a demand for billions of pounds of consumer compensation in a British lawsuit that accuses the company of overcharging users by up to 30% on its App Store.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 11th May 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Home Office unlawfully stopped family joining Windrush woman, court rules – The Guardian

‘The Home Office unlawfully prevented the children and husband of a Windrush generation woman from joining her in the UK, separating the family for almost three years in a manner the high court ruled represented “a colossal interference” in her right to family life.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 6th May 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Retaining shares following litigation did not trigger DBA payment – Litigation Futures

Posted May 5th, 2021 in damages, fees, law firms, news, shareholders, solicitors by sally

‘A client who retained shares as part of a settlement but did not recover anything from the other party was not liable to pay his solicitors anything under a damages-based agreement (DBA), the High Court has ruled.’

Full Story

Litigation Futures, 4th May 2021

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Firm’s breach over counterparty’s name caused no loss, rules High Court – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted April 16th, 2021 in compensation, drafting, fees, law firms, negligence, news, solicitors by tracey

‘A firm’s drafting mistake in a standstill agreement was a breach of its duty but caused no loss to the client, a judge has ruled.’

Full Story

Law Society's Gazette, 15th April 2021

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Thousands in UK may have missed out on work rights redress, study finds – The Guardian

Posted April 15th, 2021 in compensation, employment tribunals, fees, news, statistics by sally

‘A four-year policy of charging workers up to £1,200 to take law-breaking bosses to court was based on misleading data, a study has found, meaning thousands of people may have wrongly missed out on redress for breaches of employment rights.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 14th April 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Cost of changing legal gender cut to less than £10 – BBC News

Posted April 8th, 2021 in birth certificates, fees, gender, marriage, news, transgender persons by sally

‘The £140 fee to apply for a gender recognition certificate will be cut to “single figures” from next month, according to government sources.’

Full Story

BBC News, 7th April 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Accepting cap on damages deduction “equals informed consent” – Litigation Futures

Posted March 29th, 2021 in consent, costs, damages, fees, news, solicitors by tracey

‘A solicitor telling a client that they will deduct up to 25% of damages to cover costs not recovered in a low-value personal injury case amounts to informed consent, a regional costs judge has ruled.’

Full Story

Litigation Futures, 29th March 2021

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

‘Informed consent’ fees dispute set for Court of Appeal showdown – Law Society’s Gazette

‘Afees dispute in a personal injury claim with the potential to affect thousands of similar cases is set to be contested in the Court of Appeal.’

Full Story

Law Society's Gazette, 24th March 2021

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

High Court: No duty on barrister not to cause instructing solicitor loss – Legal Futures

Posted March 23rd, 2021 in barristers, fees, negligence, news, set-off, solicitors by sally

‘A barrister was not liable to her instructing solicitors for the fees they claimed they lost out on as a result of her alleged negligence, the High Court has ruled.’

Full Story

Legal Futures, 23rd March 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Pandemic NHS workers should be granted indefinite leave to remain — Aaron Gates-Lincoln – UK Human Rights Blog

‘Migrant workers have been essential to the operations of the NHS ever since its inception in 1948. Over the decades, many programmes have been used to encourage and find overseas workers and help them migrate to the UK to be employed in the healthcare system, demonstrating our governments acknowledgment of how important they are. As early as 1949, campaigns were made by the UK government in the Caribbean to recruit NHS staff, through advertisements in local newspapers.’

Full Story

UK Human Rights Blog, 17th March 2021

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

Government to align online and paper court fees – Litigation Futures

Posted March 10th, 2021 in consultations, courts, fees, internet, Ministry of Justice, news, statistics by sally

‘The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is to press ahead with increasing online court fees in money and possession claims to bring them into line with paper claims in the face of opposition from the legal and credit sectors.’

Full Story

Litigation Futures, 9th March 2021

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Barristers lose £6.9m fees appeal over unenforceable DBA – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted March 5th, 2021 in appeals, arbitration, barristers, damages, fees, news by tracey

‘Two barristers working on a damages-based agreement have failed in their court bid to recoup almost £7m in legal fees.’

Full Story

Law Society's Gazette, 5th March 2021

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Senior barrister rails against ‘direct access discrimination’ – Legal Futures

Posted February 23rd, 2021 in barristers, diversity, fees, law firms, news by tracey

‘Direct access barristers can be looked down on, and ignored by legal directories, because they do not have solicitors or other professional clients singing their praises, a leading family law specialist has argued.’

Full Story

Legal Futures, 23rd February 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Directors’ duties to disclose conflicts of interest: Fairford Water Ski Club v Cohoon & Craig Cohoon Watersports [2021] EWCA Civ 143 – Guildhall Chambers

‘On 9 February 2021, the Court of Appeal unanimously allowed Mr Cohoon and Craig Cohoon Watersports’ (“Watersports”) appeal against the decision of His Honour Judge Russen QC at first instance ([2020] EWHC 290 (Comm)).’

Full Story

Guildhall Chambers, 15th February 2021

Source: www.guildhallchambers.co.uk