Solicitor fees

Allenla

Could anyone help with solicitor fees please. I have been charged in total £86 just for my solicitor writing to me to tell me that they were going on Christmas break. £23 consideration time to send me email. £23 to send email to me. £23 to read my reply of thanks, will catch up in January and a further £23 to consider my reply? I also have an issue that they are increasingly using trainees and my bill is increased due to the time it is taking them to draft an email- I am then being charged by solicitor whilst they read trainees draft and consider it. Is this standard practice I have a bill of £1200 for 18 emails, no meetings, no telephone calls and to add it is not a complex case at all.

DullGreyGuy

What does your contract state? You're normally billed by the hour but there will be a minimum billing unit like 5 or 15 minutes. 

Strictly, if you are exchanging pleasantries it is billable time however depending on the relationship, overall size of the piece of work and such they may waive certain minor elements. Fee earners are targeted on the ratio of billable and unbillable time so whilst its nice to be nice just think if you want it enough to pay for it. 

You wouldn't ordinarily be charged for both a trainee to draft something and a senior to then review it. In our cases, remembering we are spending millions with lawyers, we may invite the Associate to a meeting and their Senior Partner decides to come along to review how the Associate is doing, we only get billed for the Associate even if its the Partner that adds the most value to the meeting. 

phonek

Allenla said:

I have been charged in total £86 just for my solicitor writing to me to tell me that they were going on Christmas break.

That's bollox. That's surely a kind of circular sent to anyone currently being dealt with! 
Change solicitor, maybe. 

Hello, 
Please note I'm on holiday from 15 to 30 December so will not be able to offer direct advice or respond during this time unless previously advised. 

Thank you for your consideration here, but should you have urgent matters my associate {blah blah} will be available to advise. 

Rgds. 

^30secs. 

Hoenir

What are the hourly charge out rates for the solicitors practice you are using?