Kerry Underwood assesses guideline hourly rates
- The introduction of costs budgeting in virtually all cases except fixed costs matters, and the problems that that has caused the courts, has led to the rates being regarded as “an extremely useful tool” in relation to detailed assessment and budgeting.
Guideline Hourly Rates (GHR) are meant to be just that – “guidelines and not tramlines” and theoretically have no direct application in relation to anything other than summary assessment and are not supposed to replace the experience or knowledge of those familiar with the local area and the field of law generally—see (1) KMT, (2) KAY, (3) Mey, (4) MJY (Children proceeding by their Litigation Friend the Official Solicitor) v Kent County Council [2012] EWHC 2088 QB, [2012] All ER (D) 245 (Jul).
However the introduction of costs budgeting in virtually all cases except fixed costs matters, and the problems that that has caused the courts, has led to the rates being regarded as “an extremely useful
