Legal Costs

The solicitors' hourly rate used in assessments of legal costs in Northern Ireland is to be increased by more than 50 per cent to £155 per hour. The new hourly rate, signed off by the Taxing Master on Tuesday, will take effect from 1 June 2025 and will apply until 1 April 2027.

The High Court has opined on the correct method of estimating legal costs in light of the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015. Delivering judgment for the High Court, Mr Justice Michael Twomey highlighted that it was important to clarify that a person can agree to pay their own lawyers whatever amoun

The High Court has granted an order pursuant to s.3 of the Legal Practitioners (Ireland) Act 1876 to James Lucey & Company in respect of outstanding counsels’ fees due to a former client. Delivering judgment for the High Court, Mr Justice Oisin Quinn determined that “there is no clos

Solicitor Barry Magee is to be appointed as the next chief legal costs adjudicator. Mr Magee joined the Office of the Legal Costs Adjudicator in 2020 and will take the reins from Paul Behan upon Mr Behan's retirement next month.

A High Court judge has opined extensively on legal costs in Ireland in a judgment delivered in the course of litigation as between siblings over inherited family property. Delivering judgment for the High Court, Mr Justice Michael Twomey opined that “there was no obligation on her to provide a

The High Court has confirmed that the imposition of District Court scale fees in Circuit Court personal injuries proceedings did not fall foul of the prohibition on scale fees in s.17(4) of the Courts Act 1981. Delivering judgment for the High Court, Mr Justice Anthony Barr considered: “At the

The High Court has determined that it was reasonable for applicants to issue proceedings seeking leave for judicial review where the minister for justice had indicated her intention to deport the infant applicant. Delivering judgment for the High Court, Ms Justice Marguerite Bolger stated that the a

The Court of Appeal has determined that a notice party solicitor was entitled to his costs as against the appellant in proceedings arising from a decision of the legal costs adjudicator. Delivering judgment for the Court of Appeal, Ms Justice Ann Power considered that “it cannot be the case th

RDJ partner Ronan Geary considers a significant consequence of Brexit for UK-based litigants in the Irish courts. A recent High Court decision, delivered by Ms Justice Bolger, in Henderson v Dublin Airport Authority T/A DAA Public Ltd Company & Anor (Approved) [2024] IEHC 29, has strongly sugges

With recent commentary from High Court judges past and present, the issue of legal costs in Ireland has arisen once again. Killian Flood writes on the issue of legal costs from a barrister’s perspective.

The Court of Appeal determined that Lodge Gaven Limited should be restored to the Register of Companies, but varied the order of the High Court to award Circuit Court costs instead of High Court costs. Delivering judgment for the Court of Appeal, Mr Justice Donald Binchy observed that “where a

The Court of Appeal has dismissed the appeal of a solicitor against the High Court's refusal to review a Taxing Master's assessment. Delivering judgment for the Court of Appeal, Mr Justice Maurice Collins found that Mr Justice Donald Binchy “was particularly qualified to carry out such an exer

The Court of Appeal has decided that s.3 of the Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2011 applied to proceedings brought unsuccessfully under s.160 of the Planning and Development Act 2000. Delivering judgment for the Court of Appeal, Mr Justice Séamus Woulfe noted that the requirement

A solicitor was directed to pay €500 to a client who won a payout in a personal injuries case after not adequately explaining the costs involved. The Legal Services Regulatory Authority (LSRA) found that the legal services "were of an inadequate standard because the poor communication from the

Mason Hayes & Curran partners Gerard Kelly and Gearoid Carey explore recent case law on the allocation of costs in civil litigation. The Court of Appeal recently, in Word Perfect Translation Services Ltd v Minster for Public Expenditure and Reform [2023] IECA 189, addressed a costs order made in