Legal Costs

The Telegraph has reported on research showing various poses that can boost your chance of a successful career. Apparently, feet up on the desk with hands behind head is one of the most powerful poses a person can adopt. Research suggests the effect of a strong pose such as this can linger even after a […]

A large number of current CFAs with Counsel in personal injury cases are governed by the APIL/PIBA 6 model agreement. This provides: “If the amount of damages and interest awarded by a court is less than a Part 36 payment into Court or effective Part 36 offer then: 1) if counsel advised its rejection he/she

I’ve just received a request from a costs firm asking for an electronic copy of Points of Dispute to be forwarded to them “pursuant to Costs Practice Direction 35.6”. Now that we are almost a full five months into the new regime I am unsure as to whether: 1. the other side has yet to

Interesting view from the New Law Journal’s team of circuit and district judges: Q When judgment is entered in an unspecified claim why is it in terms that it is for an amount to be decided by the court and costs. What happens if say the claimant is awarded damages of less than the defendant’s

The pre-1/4/13 Costs Practice Direction dealing with the contents of Points of Dispute used to state at CPD 35.3(3) they must: “where practicable suggest a figure to be allowed for each item in respect of which a reduction is sought” This requirement has been dropped from the new Practice Direction to Part 47. I wonder

In what must have been the most widely expected change to the costs rules, the 66th update to the CPR amends the section relating to the maximum costs allowable for matters that proceed to provisional assessment. The current wording of CPR 47.15(5) says: “The court will not award more than £1,500 to any party in

I recently received an Order for costs from Cardiff County Court in costs only proceedings with, what appears to be, standard directions including: “The Claimant do within 21 days of service of the points of dispute, file and serve upon the Defendant replies to the points of dispute.” In so far as replies are optional,

A US lawyer who was paid in oral sex has been suspended for a year. The attorney’s client had been arrested and charged with drink driving. When she informed him she couldn’t afford his $1,000 fee estimate, he proposed an alternative fellatio-based fee arrangement. Unforeseen complications arose and he was therefore compelled to charge her

I note the back of the letterhead for QualitySolicitors in 2011 stated: “QualitySolicitors are different. We promise: … First Consultation Free”. By 2013 this had change to: “QualitySolicitors are different. We promise: … First free advice”. I have no idea what “First free advice” means but rather suspect their website reflects the intention: “Free First

I’ve just received a bill of costs that states: “This Bill has been drawn in multiple parts so as to differentiate between the work done pre and post 1st April 2013 on the basis that the former Lownds proportionality test applies to the pre 1st April 2013 work”. Half correct. It also applies to the