Are you in dispute with your solicitor? How to challenge your solicitor’s invoices

At the outset of your case, your solicitor should have provided you with an engagement letter along with a copy of their terms of business. Together these documents form the legal contact (or “Retainer”) between you and your solicitor, setting out the basis on which your solicitor agreed to provide legal services to you.

Solicitors usually charge by reference to an hourly rate (broken down into units of 6 minutes each), and will deliver invoices (also referred to as “bills”) at intervals as your  case progresses. Particularly where court proceedings are involved, legal costs can mount up quickly and sometimes unexpectedly.

If your solicitor did not give you clear information about the legal costs that you were likely to be charged at the outset of your case, or failed to keep you informed about your rising legal costs as your case progressed, then you can ask the court to review your solicitors invoices under section 70 of the Solicitors Act 1974. This is known as a Solicitors Act assessment. The court will then decide what amount you should pay. Bear in mind that strict time limits apply when asking the court to review your solicitor’s invoices. If you miss these deadlines then obtaining an assessment can be more difficult.

Often the best approach is to explain to your solicitor why you are unhappy with their invoices, and to try to reach an amicable agreement as to what you should pay.

If, however, you have been unable to come to an agreement with your solicitor with regard to payment of their invoices, then it is likely that your solicitor will issue proceedings against you seeking a court judgment. If such a claim is threatened or commenced you should seek legal advice as soon as possible.