When your solicitor’s bill finally comes in, it is important for clients to understand what the costs on the bill relate to. It is essential that clients are aware of costs when they engage the services of professionals for all sorts of often complicated personal matters.
Not all solicitors charge the same rate so clear and precise information about the costs for providing legal services allows clients to ‘shop’ around. That way they can find the service they require at the price they can afford, it allows them to budget accordingly and in the event of confusion as to the final cost of providing the service, makes it possible for the client to challenge the final solicitor’s bill.
Clients place lawyers and solicitors in the same “respected professional” bracket as doctors, e.g. someone that they can go to for highly complex personal matters, place their faith and trust in and do what’s right for them often in circumstances that can have life changing consequences.
A quarter of the total amount of complaints the Legal Ombudsman receives each year are related to legal costs on a solicitor’s bill and the majority of the time these complaints relate to poor service and poor communication from the solicitor.
Solicitors regularly use technical legal jargon that often means nothing to clients. For example, when it comes to viewing the final bill, do you know what ‘disbursements’ are and how they related to the final amount charged?
Legal matters can vary wildly in complexity and it’s important for clients to understand and for solicitors to explain the relative cost of providing these services. Sometimes the answer can’t be a fixed amount due to the complexity and length of time it takes to resolve certain legal issues. The level of experience and expertise of the solicitor dealing with your case may also have a bearing on the final bill.
