Are you confident that lawyer-client cost obligations are being met?

The relationship between a lawyer and client is a fiduciary relationship, where the client places his or her trust in the lawyer. That is why we can’t neglect the importance of compliance advice.

Legal practitioners have obligations they must uphold. These include acting in the best interests of the client, maintaining confidentiality and not profiting from the position of trust at the expense of the client. Lawyers also have specific obligations concerning legal costs.

At Blue Ribbon Lawyers, we provide compliance advice to ensure lawyers are complying with the obligations regarding costs agreements and disclosure.

Lawyers have an obligation to a client to:

  • Charge costs that are fair and reasonable
  • Provide the client with a costs agreement
  • Advise the client of their rights to negotiate the costs agreement and challenge costs in the event of a dispute
  • Disclose the basis on which their fees will be charged (hourly rate/fixed fee/other basis)
  • Provide an estimate of the total legal costs (including solicitor’s fees, expenses, and barrister’s fees) likely to be associated with the matter
  • Inform the client of any significant changes in the estimated costs as they occur
  • Advise the client of the right to seek independent advice if the costs agreement is a ‘no win, no fee’ agreement
  • Disclose that the fees charged may exceed regulated fees in certain types of matters (eg. workers compensation claims and motor accident claims)

If any of these areas concern you as a legal practitioner or client, it’s important to seek expert assistance.

Speak to the experts at Blue Ribbon Legal for compliance advice

For general or specific compliance advice from Blue Ribbon Legal, please get in touch with our team here or call on (02) 8599 3100 OR (03) 9969 3100 .

What Is the Difference Between Party Party Costs and Solicitor Client Costs?

If you have received a costs order after a court case or a bill from your own lawyer, you may have come across two confusing terms: party party costs and solicitor client costs. The short answer is that they describe two different relationships. Party party costs are what one party…

How Do You Challenge Legal Costs Charged by a Lawyer in NSW?

If you believe your lawyer has charged legal costs that are not fair and reasonable, you are not without options. In New South Wales, a client who is unhappy with a legal bill can ask for a detailed breakdown or apply to have the costs assessed by an independent assessor….

LIV Accredited Specialists in Costs Law

On 1 November, our principal Sharon Drew and special counsel Gareth Jones were confirmed as Accredited Specialists in Costs Law by the Law Institute of Victoria. LIV Accredited Specialisation recognises expertise and experience in specific areas of law. It provides practitioners with a mark of excellence for peers and clients….

Celebrating 10 years!

This week marks 10 years in business for Blue Ribbon Legal. Thank you to all of our clients, colleagues, staff and supporters. We could not do what we do, without you.   Logo icons PNG Designed By DigitAm from here

What are Legal Costs?

Amounts paid to a law practice for the provision of legal services. One of the overriding principles of the Legal Profession Uniform Law is to “promote the administration of justice and an efficient and effective Australian legal profession” by “empowering clients of law practices to make informed choices about the…

How Are Costs Disputed in Victoria?

The Costs Court is a division of the Supreme Court of Victoria that deals with legal costs disputes. Legal costs disputes can be either: Lawyer-Client Dispute: A dispute between a client and their lawyer over the amount charged for legal services Party-Party Dispute: A dispute over the legal costs a…

Legal Costs Victoria – Melbourne Office Opening

New Office for Victoria We are excited to announce that from Monday 24 July 2023, Blue Ribbon Legal will provide our full range of high quality services in the area of legal costs in Victoria.  Our solicitors are available for all work in the Costs Court, as well as registries…

What is a Costs Agreement

A costs agreement is a contract between a lawyer and another person (usually a client).  The lawyer agrees to provide legal services to the client, and the client agrees to pay for those services. A costs agreement must be written, or evidenced in writing (for example, an email setting out…

Disputing Costs

The Benefit of Well-Prepared Objections Blue Ribbon Legal recently acted for a defendant in District Court proceedings in NSW and VIC. The court ordered the defendant to pay costs. The plaintiff served an application for assessment of costs. The claim was approximately $200,000 in legal costs plus interest. The plaintiff…

Is it too late to recover costs?

The costs recovery process is influenced by several factors, including whether you have completed formal costs assessment. If you have unpaid invoices or other costs you want to recover, you may not know if it is too late to act. Read on to learn more about recovering costs and how…

Resolving a costs dispute out of court – how to avoid further litigation

The vast majority of costs disputes involve parties who have already been through time-consuming and costly court proceedings. As a result, few people want to embark on another round of combat to resolve a costs dispute. Blue Ribbon Legal’s out of court settlement services in Australia can help resolve your…

What is a bill of costs?

A bill of costs sets out the details of professional fees and disbursements charged by lawyers. A bill of costs provides a detailed itemisation of fees charged by lawyers for work performed and disbursements incurred in relation to that work. When you seek legal advice, you need to know the…

How to appoint a cost assessor

A costs assessor is appointed by the Chief Justice in New South Wales. If you need legal representation for costs assessment and taxation proceedings, you can engage a costs assessor. At Blue Ribbon Legal, we can assist you throughout the process. How is a costs assessor appointed? In New South…

Tyler Everingham Bathurst 1000 debut

Congratulations to Tyler Everingham on his Bathurst 1000 debut Blue Ribbon Legal celebrates Tyler Everingham’s Bathurst 1000 debut drive. Starting from 24th on the grid, the Garry Rogers Motorsport wildcard entry climbed steadily through the field maintaining pace until lap 103 when co-driver Jayden Ojeda found the wall. The GRM…

How to calculate an accurate legal costs estimate

Under the Legal Profession Uniform Law, a lawyer must provide an estimate of total legal costs to a client when instructions are initially given, or when there is a significant change. It is important to provide an accurate, transparent and predictable estimate. Clients expect certainty. If estimates are too high,…

Ask a Question or Book an Appointment

Do you need assistance with a legal costing issue? Speak to the expert costing lawyers at Blue Ribbon Legal for help.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.