Challenge your solicitor's bill

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1. Overview

You can challenge your solicitor바카라 사이트™s bill if you think you바카라 사이트™ve been charged too much.

Ask the Senior Courts Costs Office to make a 바카라 사이트˜detailed assessment바카라 사이트™ of your bill. They can reduce your bill if they agree it바카라 사이트™s too expensive.

There바카라 사이트™s a different process if you want to complain about your solicitor바카라 사이트™s behaviour.

Before you apply

Try to solve the problem with your solicitor before contacting the court.

You can complain to your solicitor directly by following their complaints procedure.

You can also get free legal help and advice from:

  • your local
  • your local
  • the

When to apply

You must apply to the court before asking for a detailed assessment. You must do this within one month of getting your solicitor바카라 사이트™s bill.

If you do not, you can still apply within a year of getting the bill, but the court might ask you to pay part or all of what you owe upfront. You바카라 사이트™ll get back what you바카라 사이트™ve overpaid if the judge agrees you바카라 사이트™ve been charged too much.

You might also be able to apply if you바카라 사이트™ve already paid your solicitor바카라 사이트™s bill or it바카라 사이트™s been over a year since you got it. You can only do this in special circumstances - you must explain what these are when you apply.

2. How to apply

Download and fill in 3 copies of Part 8 claim form (N208). You must pay £67.

Send a cheque made payable to 바카라 사이트˜HMCTS바카라 사이트™ with all 3 copies of your completed form and a copy of your solicitor바카라 사이트™s bill to:

Senior Courts Costs Office
TM 7.12
Royal Courts of Justice
London
WC2A 2LL

You can apply to your local District Registry (a court that deals with certain High Court cases) instead if you live outside of London.

Apply to your nearest if the original case was dealt with by a county court and your solicitor바카라 사이트™s bill is for £5,000 or less.

What happens next

The court will keep one copy of your claim form. The other copies will be sent to you and your solicitor and stamped with an issue date.

You바카라 사이트™ll then get an 바카라 사이트˜acknowledgement of service바카라 사이트™ from your solicitor confirming they바카라 사이트™ve seen your application.

You바카라 사이트™ll be asked to attend a hearing if your solicitor does not think you should have a detailed assessment. You바카라 사이트™ll get a 바카라 사이트˜notice of hearing바카라 사이트™ from the court saying when and where the hearing will take place.

You바카라 사이트™ll get a letter from your solicitor if they agree to a detailed assessment. Send a copy of this letter to the court.

If your solicitor does not challenge your application, you can ask them to give their consent. If they agree then the court might decide neither of you will need to go to the hearing.

If you have a hearing

Both you and the other side will present your case to a Costs Judge (or a District Judge if the hearing is held outside London).

You must bring with you copies of any documents you바카라 사이트™ve sent to the court as part of your application.

The court will decide whether to order a detailed assessment. You바카라 사이트™ll get the decision then or by post within a few days of the hearing.

If you disagree with the decision

You can make an appeal if you disagree with the court바카라 사이트™s decision.

You must get permission before you appeal - you can ask the Costs Judge at the hearing.

You can ask the appeal court for permission if you바카라 사이트™re refused or do not ask for it at the hearing. Read leaflet EX340 for more information.

3. Get a detailed assessment

You바카라 사이트™ll be given a court order after the hearing that says whether you can have a detailed assessment.

The detailed assessment will take place at another hearing.

Download and fill in request form (N258C). You must also pay a court fee. How much you pay will depend on the size of your solicitor바카라 사이트™s bill.

Amount on your solicitor바카라 사이트™s bill Fee
£15,000 or less £335
£15,000.01 to £50,000 £675
£50,000.01 to £100,000 £1,005
£100,000.01 to £150,000 £1,345
£150,000.01 to £200,000 £1,680
£200,000.01 to £300,000 £2,520
£300,000.01 to £500,000 £4,200
£500,000.01 or more £5,600

Other fees

You must pay your own costs and the other party바카라 사이트™s reasonable costs of the detailed assessment, unless:

  • the judge reduces your solicitor바카라 사이트™s bill by 20% or more
  • there are special circumstances, for example you originally offered to settle the bill for an amount more than the final amount fixed by the court

How much you pay will depend on how much time your solicitor has spent in court - this is usually worked out from their hourly rate.