Guideline Hourly Rates & Maximising Costs Recovery

Introduction

Hourly rates remain the backbone of solicitors’ charging and the Guideline Hourly Rates published by HMCTS within the Guidance to the Summary Assessment of Costs are the yardstick by which all hourly rates are measured.

These rates were not updated for almost eleven years, until new rates were published in October 2021.

This webinar will focus on detail of the new rates, how they were arrived at and how the courts have been approaching hourly rates now these new rates have been set.

What You Will Learn

This webinar will cover the following:

• Brief background to the guideline hourly rates and the historic approach to how hourly rates are addressed by the court
• Whether contentious or non-contentious matters makes a difference to the rates you choose
• How the new guideline hourly rates were arrived
• What the court’s view has been in applying the new rates
• Are these rates retrospective and how you should calculate and justify rates higher than the guidelines to both your client and a paying party
• Current case law addressing hourly rates
• Top tips for hourly rate management and profitability

This webinar was recorded on 7th February 2023