Claim of £25,000 for instructing leading counsel disallowed

June 13, 2023

A Costs Judge disallowed £25,000 claimed for instructing leading counsel saying that the addition of a KC was neither reasonable nor proportionate and warned that parties cannot expect to recover “unlimited” costs. The claimant’s solicitors appointed leading counsel and junior counsel in the industrial disease case, the judge disallowed leading counsel’s fees altogether and reduced the fees of junior counsel. To read the full article click here https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/court-disallows-25000-claimed-for-instructing-leading-counsel/5116181.article?

Costs bills based on estimated times found to be “intentionally misleading”

June 13, 2023

A Senior Costs Judge ruled that virtually all the times claimed in each of nine bills had been estimated with no evidence in the files that the work had been done. The judge concluded that in signing the bills the solicitor had acted both unreasonably and improperly. It was ordered that the claimant’s total costs be reduced by 40% and that they were to pay 75% of the defendant’s costs of the detailed assessment proceedings. For more information click here https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/costs-bills-based-entirely-on-estimates-intentionally-misleading/5115964.article?

Costing Tip of the Month

April 13, 2023

Keep an eye on the costs limitation. Remember when monitoring costs to consider Counsel’s fees, FAS, Expert’s fees, disbursements, enhancement and costs drafting fees.

 Challenge to legal costs fails due to lack of detail

April 13, 2023

A claimant failed in proceedings to reclaim costs from solicitors who had acted for him in a personal injury case. The High Court judge found that his challenge to his former solicitors’ costs should have been dismissed as he had failed to set out exactly which items were in dispute. For more information see the full story at https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/legal-costs-challenge-fails-over-lack-of-detail-in-disputed-items/5115404.article

New civil justice guideline rates effective from 1 October

September 28, 2021

The MoR has given the go-ahead to proposed changes to the guideline hourly rates which will be effective from 1 October. For more information click on the link https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/practice/new-guideline-rates-from-1-october-as-mor-gives-go-ahead/5109546.article