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03 July 2015 / Clare Arthurs , Richard Marshall
Issue: 7659 / Categories: Features , Profession
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A practical alphabet

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Clare Arthurs & Richard Marshall share an (almost) A-Z guide to pre-action considerations

Alternative dispute resolution

The courts genuinely want and expect parties to settle. Parties will need to prove that they have considered, offered or undertaken a form of ADR.

Be reasonable

The courts will see most of the correspondence, and a measured approach should (in theory) play out better than an unreasonable one.

Costs

Any disproportionate or unnecessary pre-action costs may not be recoverable from the other side.

Documents

What documents might you need to share with the other side at this early stage in order for them to make an informed decision about how to proceed?

Experts

What expert evidence might be needed to support your case or challenge the other side’s? Is it worth getting a preliminary advice to properly assess the strengths and weaknesses of the case?

Funding

Is there an insurance policy in place that might cover the potential litigation? Would ATE insurance be appropriate?

Get specialist advice (if required).

Counsel can prove a useful sounding board

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NEWS
Talk of a reserved ‘Welsh seat’ on the Supreme Court is misplaced. In NLJ this week, Professor Graham Zellick KC explains that the Constitutional Reform Act treats ‘England and Wales’ as one jurisdiction, with no statutory Welsh slot
The government’s plan to curb jury trials has sparked ‘jury furore’. Writing in NLJ this week, David Locke, partner at Hill Dickinson, says the rationale is ‘grossly inadequate’
A year after the $1.5bn Bybit heist, crypto fraud is booming—but so is recovery. Writing in NLJ this week, Neil Holloway, founder and CEO of M2 Recovery, warns that scams hit at least $14bn in 2025, fuelled by ‘pig butchering’ cons and AI deepfakes
After Woodcock confirmed no general duty to warn, debate turns to the criminal law. Writing in NLJ this week, Charles Davey of The Barrister Group urges revival of misprision or a modern equivalent
Family courts are tightening control of expert evidence. Writing in NLJ this week, Dr Chris Pamplin says there is ‘no automatic right’ to call experts; attendance must be ‘necessary in the interests of justice’ under FPR Pt 25
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