How can solicitors and barristers charge so much and get away with it?

This is a good question they cannot, there are quite properly mechanisms and procedures that stop abuse of legal costs as explained below.

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If you have concerns about the risk of litigation and the reasonableness of legal costs your being charged by your legal team?read this then contact Avail Ashley and she will help you avoid paying more than you have to.?

Do not think that because your solicitors say you owe them X, that you cannot challenge the costs irrespective of the T&C you may have signed because,?you can and?your solicitors should tell that you can.

See below how successful this can be,

In two Court Cases,?the first is of course Patel and Patel v Conway, Conway, Levy et al the Patel's legal costs were ￡104,000.?

Dr Levy and the respondents were aghast at this and asked for Philip Antino’s advice. Philip immediately referred him to Mrs Avril Ashley who is an expert on legal costs.?She successfully argued that the?￡104,000 (give or take some small change) was reduced by approximately?40%.

A.J.A LEGAL SERVICES LTD??Costs Lawyer & Mediator

26 Midfield Way,?Orpington,?Kent BR5 2QJ,?DX 59507 Chislehurst,??Tel: 020 8302 2467,?Fax: 020 8302 0130?e-mail [email protected]

In ?2017 and the Mohammed v Antino and Stevens Case, Mohammed sought to get an injunction to prevent the appointed surveyors from dealing with their ?costs under 10(13). There was a 1 day hearing and 1/2 day on costs.

Mohammed’s legal team presented a cost schedule of ￡86,000??(nice work if you can get it). HHJ Bailey Penalized (quite rightly)?Mohammed for not mediating and ordered that costs after assessment?should?be reduced by 10%.

Philip Antino referred the costs to Avril as above.

Avril’s skilful independent assessment of the costs destroyed the Mohammed’s claim for costs. An independent Costs?judge, AGREED, and after deducting the 10% penalty imposed by HHJ Bailey (now retired)?Mohammed received a costs order of?￡39,000?

Therefore, Mohammed was ￡55,000 to the poorer, perhaps with?hindsight?not such a good idea after all, but heh who said litigation is not risky business.

OOOPPPS Nearly forgot Mohammed ?did not beat the part 36 offer therefore he had to pay Philip Antino and Ray Stevens costs for?instructing?Avril destroying the Mohammed’s legal which?were clearly unwarranted and excessive.