A specialist costs judge has ruled that charging for routine work in 10-minute units is ‘unusual’ in litigation and clients should be warned that they are unlikely to recover such fees in full from their opponents.

Master Rowley in the Senior Courts Costs Office ordered that the 10-minute units charged by the solicitors be reduced at detailed assessment to the usual one-tenth of an hour, or six minutes.

He ruled: “Given that this is an uncommon practice, it seems to me that the express agreement of the claimants in terms of the client care letter is not the end of the matter. The claimants needed to be told that routine items claimed at 10 minutes were unlikely to be recovered on that basis.”

(Source – Law Society Gazette)