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Price of solicitor

  • 30-05-2011 1:56am
    #1
    aN.Droid
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,911 ✭✭✭


    Hey there,

    I recently hired a solicitor as regards a RTA claim, after a few sessions with him he gave me his per hour rate which is €350 per hour. I don't know if this is the norm, it very well might be. I know he gave me some literature that states I can "appeal" the bill to a third party.

    This is the first time I have used a solicitor and am just wondering if this is right? If it is then I am happy to pay it, but I also do not want to be played as I have never had to use a solicitor before.

    If it is gonna be 350 euro an hour its gonna take a hefty chunk of my award. Anyone out there that has claimed before tell me a ball park on the solicitor bill at the end?

    Thanks for any info you can give me!


Comments

  • #2
    blueythebear
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,074 ✭✭✭blueythebear


    Limericks wrote: »
    Hey there,

    I recently hired a solicitor as regards a RTA claim, after a few sessions with him he gave me his per hour rate which is €350 per hour. I don't know if this is the norm, it very well might be. I know he gave me some literature that states I can "appeal" the bill to a third party.

    This is the first time I have used a solicitor and am just wondering if this is right? If it is then I am happy to pay it, but I also do not want to be played as I have never had to use a solicitor before.

    If it is gonna be 350 euro an hour its gonna take a hefty chunk of my award. Anyone out there that has claimed before tell me a ball park on the solicitor bill at the end?

    Thanks for any info you can give me!

    €350 per hour would be standard for a partner in a firm but this doesn't mean he's going to charge you this much for every hour. You requested a ball park figure for solicitors fees at the end. Unfortunately it's impossible to say as you have not indictaed if you're going to the High Court or Circuit Court etc.

    In general, a solicitor will quote you €350 per hour to comply with S68 of the Solicitors Acts that say that a solicitor must give an indication of fees before commencing with a case. In a complex PI case, it's almost impossible to give an accurate total estimate as there are so many variables so a solicitor will give an hourly rate estimate. This unfortunately does not really help you in seeking a total cost aspect.

    It should be noted that if you win the case, most of your costs will be covered by a costs order anyway which will leave most of your award untouched. i.e. if you won and received 100k plus costs, you would get most if not all of your 100k.


  • #3
    aN.Droid
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,911 ✭✭✭aN.Droid


    Thank you so much for your great reply. All I really wanted to know in the end of the day was that the solicitor wasn't trying a fast one on the newbie to the legal system.

    Again, thanks so much for your reply!


  • #4
    calerbass
    Closed Accounts Posts: 303 ✭✭calerbass


    Limericks wrote: »
    Hey there,

    I recently hired a solicitor as regards a RTA claim, after a few sessions with him he gave me his per hour rate which is €350 per hour. I don't know if this is the norm, it very well might be. I know he gave me some literature that states I can "appeal" the bill to a third party.

    This is the first time I have used a solicitor and am just wondering if this is right? If it is then I am happy to pay it, but I also do not want to be played as I have never had to use a solicitor before.

    If it is gonna be 350 euro an hour its gonna take a hefty chunk of my award. Anyone out there that has claimed before tell me a ball park on the solicitor bill at the end?

    Thanks for any info you can give me!

    A solicitor by law is required to give you their charges in writing after the first consultation and not after several consultations which has already built up a bill.


  • #5
    blueythebear
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,074 ✭✭✭blueythebear


    calerbass wrote: »
    A solicitor by law is required to give you their charges in writing after the first consultation and not after several consultations which has already built up a bill.


    Actually, S68 of the Solicitors Acts requires that the actual charges/estimate/basis on which the charges will be made is supplied when the solicitor takes instructions or "as soon as is practicable thereafter".

    It therefore does not have to be after the first meeting, which would be extremely impracticable anyway.


  • #6
    calerbass
    Closed Accounts Posts: 303 ✭✭calerbass


    blueythebear wrote: »
    Actually, S68 of the Solicitors Acts requires that the actual charges/estimate/basis on which the charges will be made is supplied when the solicitor takes instructions or "as soon as is practicable thereafter".

    It therefore does not have to be after the first meeting, which would be extremely impracticable anyway.


    Unfortunately it's very impracticable to build up a series of consultations with a client and then tell them what they re charging etc, they knowingly do it build up a file and then when you tell them they broke the law they wont release the file until you pay them but their always the Law Society to turn too.:D


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  • #7
    blueythebear
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,074 ✭✭✭blueythebear


    calerbass wrote: »
    Unfortunately it's very impracticable to build up a series of consultations with a client and then tell them what they re charging etc, they knowingly do it build up a file and then when you tell them they broke the law they wont release the file until you pay them but their always the Law Society to turn too.:D

    Well I think you'll find that the Law Society will be siding with the solicitor on the basis of the wording of S68 as it's often not practicable to ascertain whether you have a case, even with several meetings. I guess it boils down to whether you trust your solicitor to do the right thing. If you don't trust them, then you should be getting another solicitor.


  • #8
    littlemac1980
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,073 ✭✭✭littlemac1980


    calerbass wrote: »
    Unfortunately it's very impracticable to build up a series of consultations with a client and then tell them what they re charging etc, they knowingly do it build up a file and then when you tell them they broke the law they wont release the file until you pay them but their always the Law Society to turn too.:D

    Its worth noting that failure to send a s68 letter doesn't mean you don't have to pay the Solicitor, they are still entitled to get paid, it just means they may be disciplined and/or fined by the Law Society.

    In relation to the solicitor holding a file until they have been paid (for the work done to that point) AFAIK the solicitor has a lien over a clients file (arising from the same legislation as the s68 letter) which entitles them to do this.

    It makes perfect sense really, they should be paid for the work they've done on a case to date, and also it prevent someone demanding the file after all the hard work and graft has been done, and passing it another solicitor, or seeing it to completion themselves.


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