Costs (English Law) - Solicitor-client Costs

The other type of costs, aside from inter partes costs, is called solicitor-client costs and are usually assessed on the indemnity basis. In general, lawyers in England and Wales are not permitted to work for a share of damages awarded as this would amount to champerty. A client who is unhappy with a lawyer's invoice for services can, in certain jurisdictions, apply to the court for an order or invoke a statutory procedure whereby the costs are assessed for their reasonableness by an officer of the court, for example a judge. This is also called detailed assessment. There are statutory time limits on applying for such a procedure. The frequent result is that the lawyer's invoice is decreased. If the bill is reduced by one fifth or more the solicitor will pay for the process of assessment, but otherwise the client will pay. In some jurisdictions if the client does not pay the lawyer, the lawyer has a cause of action for his own lawsuit if the client does not elect to arbitrate the attorney's bill. The client can alternatively apply to the Law Society for a remuneration certificate in respect of costs arising from other than litigation.