What is the difference between Circuit Court and District Court in Ireland?

jonnreeks

Hi,

I do not think this is a legal question, but what is the approximate cost for someone involved in the District and the Circuit Courts. I can only presume it depends on the case, but what are the average typical general costs, such as the solicitor fees, barrister fees and any other fees due with an application or court dates?

Hopefully this is a fair enough query to ask.

🤔

Victor

That's a "how long is a piece of string" question.

Circuit Court will typically be more substantially more expensive than District Court.

jonnreeks

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120857129#Comment_120857129

Hi Victor, that s not very helpful unless you just haven't a clue, fair enough. But what are barrister fees, do they go by the hour or is there a set price for them to make an appearance. Are we talking from 7/8/10k?

Peregrinus

It really is as long as a piece of string, and it does very much depend on the nature of the case. Solicitors mostly charge by the hour; the number of hours they spend on a case depends both on the kind of case it is and on the facts and circumstances of the particular case. Plus, hourly chargeout rates vary quite widely; a big commercial firm charges a good deal more than a small suburban practice. Another big factor is how long the case lasts; many cases settle before ever going to trial and, obviously, the costs there are much less than if there is a full trial.

But you're not leaping in completely blind; after an initial consultation a solicitor will give you a costs letter explaining the basis on which he charges. And he should be able to give you an estimate of the likely range of costs for the case, depending on how it plays out.

Barristers mostly charge by the task; so much to draft/settle the claim; so much for each further document drafted in the course of the pleadings; a brief fee if the matter goes to trial; a refresher for each day if the trial goes on for more than one day. Again, different barristers charge different amounts. The more eminent your barrister the more you will pay, but if your case is straightforward you may not need the most eminent barrister to pursue it.

If I could quote typical charges for you I would, but it's years since I actually did any litigation, and none of it was in the Circuit Court. But, again, an average would be little use to you, since the range of fees is very wide, depending on the factors already mentioned.