Commencement of new legal costs provisions

The new legal costs arrangements under sections 149 - 161 of the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015 commenced on 7 October 2019. These provisions replace solicitors’ obligations under Section 68 of the Solicitors (Amendment) Act 1994 and put greater responsibilities on both solicitors and barristers to make and keep clients aware of their legal costs by providing written notices.

The profession will also see the introduction of new obligations regarding bills of costs and procedures for the resolution of disputes, as well as periods of suspension of services after a notice has been issued to a client.    

As a consequence the Society, through its LSRA Legal Costs Working Group, has drafted a guide and precedents and recommends that members of the profession make themselves aware in advance of its impending commencement.

See no.12 on the Solicitors' Precedents page:

• Download guidance and precedents for the new legal costs arrangements

More information

See the President's Bulletin on Legal Costs, Complaints and LLPS of 8 October 2019.

Working Group

The Society would like to thank those from the LSRA Legal Costs Working Group who drafted the guide and precedent for the profession.

• Keith Walsh [Chair]
• Therese Clarke  
• Paul Keane
• Michael Quinlan
• Stuart Gilhooly
• Ken Murphy
• John Elliot
• Elizabeth Fitzgerald
• Stephen Fitzpatrick
• Colette Reid
• Fergal Mawe