A pay rise! Good riddance to Latin in judgments! That old tosh about judges being powerless to order ADR sent to recycling! Major Supreme Court guidance handed down about expert evidence (and lay witnesses too). It has all kicked off over the last few weeks. This flurry of late developments is without equal this century.
Guideline hourly rates go up on 1 January. The increases are approximately between 6–7%. How generous are the revised figures? While any enhancement is welcome, there is not much cause for ecstasy.
I sought the views of Andrew McAulay who is top banana in costs at Clarion Solicitors. His firm deals with costs on behalf of over 200 law firms and advises counsel too: ‘The increase doesn’t align with what is happening commercially in law firms. Also, Grade A work (outside of the City) for complex and high value multi track work is often charged at £400 minimum.
