Solicitor's charge - is this normal?
Discussion
I've just been charged by my solicitor to get an estimate for a barrister to prepare the claim for my case. They've charged me to send an email to the clerk's office and then send an email back to me telling me of the estimate.
Whilst the solicitor's invoice is only about £70, my gripe is the barrister's clerk wouldn't deal with me direct so I have to go through the solicitor.
Before I go back and question the charge, I'd like to know if this is how it's normally done. If the solicitor doesn't get a referral fee, then fair enough. But if they do it seems a bit off.
Whilst the solicitor's invoice is only about £70, my gripe is the barrister's clerk wouldn't deal with me direct so I have to go through the solicitor.
Before I go back and question the charge, I'd like to know if this is how it's normally done. If the solicitor doesn't get a referral fee, then fair enough. But if they do it seems a bit off.
uknick said:
Before I go back and question the charge, I'd like to know if this is how it's normally done. If the solicitor doesn't get a referral fee, then fair enough. But if they do it seems a bit off.
I don't know if this charge is normal, but the barristers wouldn't be allowed to pay a referral fee.Barristers can t pay referral fees.
Your GP gets paid for referring you to a consultant.
The only difference here (beyond it being a legal rather than medical matter) is that you are going private as I very much doubt this is legal aid hence you have to pay.
In order to obtain a fee estimate your solicitor will have had to do some work to explain the case.
Your GP gets paid for referring you to a consultant.
The only difference here (beyond it being a legal rather than medical matter) is that you are going private as I very much doubt this is legal aid hence you have to pay.
In order to obtain a fee estimate your solicitor will have had to do some work to explain the case.
Edited by Miserablegit on Monday 30th June 11:28
It's normal. Asking questions on your behalf is chargeable work, as is preparing your bill.
If you want to deal directly with a barrister and cut out the solicitor you need to use a "direct access" barrister.
https://www.directaccessportal.co.uk/
If the barrister charges you £500 an hour for doing preparation work that would have cost £300 an hour done by the solicitor then you won't necessarily get an end result that's cheaper overall.
If you want to deal directly with a barrister and cut out the solicitor you need to use a "direct access" barrister.
https://www.directaccessportal.co.uk/
If the barrister charges you £500 an hour for doing preparation work that would have cost £300 an hour done by the solicitor then you won't necessarily get an end result that's cheaper overall.
Shnozz said:
If they spend time undertaking a task, is it that odd or unreasonable to be paid for that time?
If it was a plumber or an IT consultant or any other profession isn t it the same?
Do people expect these sort of tasks to be done for nothing?
Not odd or unreasonable at all and they are obviously in business. If it was a plumber or an IT consultant or any other profession isn t it the same?
Do people expect these sort of tasks to be done for nothing?
I think it’s more a case of their minimum hourly charge being applied irrespective of how many minutes within that hour are actually taken is where it gets “ irritating “.
alscar said:
Solicitors seem to charge for even responding to a questioning email where there is no update or progress.
I think I ve learned that in email s to them I will ask them not to reply if there is no progress.
Wait until you get the Barristers quote - £70 will be so insignificant then.
I've had the estimate, and it's roughly what I expected. And, as you suggest, slightly more than £70 I think I ve learned that in email s to them I will ask them not to reply if there is no progress.
Wait until you get the Barristers quote - £70 will be so insignificant then.
.
Shnozz said:
If they spend time undertaking a task, is it that odd or unreasonable to be paid for that time?
If it was a plumber or an IT consultant or any other profession isn t it the same?
Do people expect these sort of tasks to be done for nothing?
As you mentioned them, Plumbers generally give a free estimate - generally including a free visit to look at the work if it's a big job, they don't charge for their bills eitherIf it was a plumber or an IT consultant or any other profession isn t it the same?
Do people expect these sort of tasks to be done for nothing?
KTMsm said:
Plumbers generally give a free estimate
Solicitors give free estimates. The plumber will charge you for running to Screwfix to buy parts he could have already have had on the van.We often have people on PH complaining garages charge for diagnosis when it's "just plugging in the laptop".
Panamax said:
KTMsm said:
Plumbers generally give a free estimate
Solicitors give free estimates. The plumber will charge you for running to Screwfix to buy parts he could have already have had on the van.We often have people on PH complaining garages charge for diagnosis when it's "just plugging in the laptop".
As for the diagnostic comparison, I remember a non-client (I thankfully ditched them first) handing me 2 lever arch files to read to respond to a letter they had received threatening litigation. I quoted her for responding and they were aghast as they wanted it to be the time to write the letter. The fact I’d have to read 2 lever arch files to meaningfully prepare a response was completely overlooked.
uknick said:
I've just been charged by my solicitor to get an estimate for a barrister to prepare the claim for my case. They've charged me to send an email to the clerk's office and then send an email back to me telling me of the estimate.
Whilst the solicitor's invoice is only about £70, my gripe is the barrister's clerk wouldn't deal with me direct so I have to go through the solicitor.
Before I go back and question the charge, I'd like to know if this is how it's normally done. If the solicitor doesn't get a referral fee, then fair enough. But if they do it seems a bit off.
Solicitors normally charge by the hour, and their standard terms of business say that routine phone calls and emails (i.e. ones that don't take more than 6 minutes) will be charged at one tenth of the hourly rate.Whilst the solicitor's invoice is only about £70, my gripe is the barrister's clerk wouldn't deal with me direct so I have to go through the solicitor.
Before I go back and question the charge, I'd like to know if this is how it's normally done. If the solicitor doesn't get a referral fee, then fair enough. But if they do it seems a bit off.
£300 an hour + VAT is a fairly standard rate for a reasonably experienced solicitor outside Central London, so two emails @ £30 + VAT = £72.
However, very few solicitors would send an invoice for such a pathetic amount - they'd normally wait until it was at least a few hundred quid, as it's really not worth the effort to send such piddling invoices. Perhaps yours has cash flow problems!
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