LEXLAW Solicitors & Barristers
All solicitors have a duty to advise their clients about alternative dispute resolution (ADR), including mediation. Along with the ADR requirements in the pre-action protocols, the CPR and court schemes, overall, mediation is an option that must be considered by parties both before and during litigation (and a failure to do so can lead to costs penalties).
In Iwuanyawu v Ratcliffes Solicitors, the SCCO granted an application for detailed assessment of fourteen invoices delivered by her former family solicitors, many of which were out of the twelve month time period for assessment on the basis that they did not contain sufficient information to enable the Claimant to know what she was being charged for.
The High Court has struck out a LIBOR fraud claim brought by a property investment firm against two renowned banks Natwest and RBS, two weeks after the publication of FCA’s findings against the banks, concluding that it was time barred.
On 9 June 2020, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) filed its Claim Form and Particulars of Claim in its High Court test case on business interruption (BI) insurance policies. The court action is aimed at providing clarity and certainty for everyone involved in Business Interruption insurance disputes, policyholder and insurer alike.
The Court of Appeal considered the rules regarding Norwich Pharmacal applications for non-party disclosure and the costs of the same. The decision concerning Natwest bank and a limited company, provides helpful guidance to parties when making applications for third party disclosure and understanding the importance of pre-action correspondence which will impact any order for costs.
Once proceedings have started, it is not correct to assume that all bets are off and it is too late to accept an offer (in all circumstances). In fact, offers that are not time-limited, not withdrawn, and not a Part 36 offer are open for acceptance during a hearing (and therefore capable of acceptance when a party is in the best possible position to know what a judge will order).
The Government is strongly encouraging all individuals, businesses (including funders) and public authorities to act
responsibly and fairly in the national interest in performing and enforcing their contracts, to support the response to Covid-19 and to protect jobs and the economy.
The Court of Appeal has held that the automatic stay on possession proceedings imposed by Practice Direction 51Z also applies to appeals against possession orders.
In these uncertain times, with many, including legal representatives working from home and the courts operating with limited resources, the judiciary is making it easier for parties to agree or apply for extensions of time.
A litigation court order for indemnity costs means the party that lost has been ordered to pay a higher costs contribution to the winner than is standard. Judges…