Welcome reform to CPR for costs lawyers, chartered legal executives, patent attorneys & trade mark attorneys
The Civil Procedure Rules (CPR) are to be changed to enable costs lawyers, chartered legal executives, patent attorneys and trade mark attorneys to be entered on the court record.
The amendment to Pt 42 comes into force on 6 April, and reflects the fact those categories of lawyer are persons authorised to conduct litigation under the Legal Services Act 2007.
ACL chair Murray Heining says: “This welcome move by the CPR Committee is further recognition of the standing and professionalism of regulated costs lawyers and removes any doubt as to the status of costs lawyers in civil proceedings.
“At a time when the number of litigants in person is rising inexorably, and trends such as unbundling are beginning to take hold, the ability for clients to go directly to a costs lawyer could prove vital in helping them challenge and control their costs liability.”
Heining says the change emphasises the fact clients can now instruct a costs lawyer directly to represent them on a costs matter before the court, without the need to instruct a solicitor first.
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