27 January 2020
Solicitor members required
THE SOLICITORS REMUNERATION ORDER (NI) 1977
The Law Society are looking to recruit additional members for the Remuneration Panel. Existing members of the Panel are not required to reapply.
Under the Solicitors Remuneration Order (N.I.) 1977, clients have a right to ask their solicitor to apply to the Law Society for a certificate which certifies whether the professional fees charged by their solicitor are fair and reasonable for the work done and if not, what lower amount of professional fees would be fair and reasonable.
The certificate is known as a “remuneration certificate” or a “certificate of reasonableness” and it applies to “non-contentious” business only.
The Role
This is an interesting opportunity for an experienced Solicitor. You will be required to attend the Law Society two to three times per year to participate on the panel, which consists of three panel members.
Your role is to assess the application and determine the reasonableness of the professional fee charged. If the Panel agree to reduce the professional fee you will decide how much that lower fee should be; whichever sum you certify will be the sum payable by the client. The Panel are not permitted to increase the bill.
The Candidate – Criteria
o You must be a qualified solicitor with 7 years plus PQE
o You must be a practising solicitor and hold a current practising certificate
o Candidates must possess sound judgement with the ability to assess files with impartiality
o Candidates must demonstrate experience of analysing complex issues before arriving at clear assessments
o Candidates must have extensive experience in preparing Bills of Costs and practising in at least one of the following areas of practice:
• Administration of Estates/ Probate;
• Conveyancing;
• Pre-proceedings Litigation;
• Pre-proceedings Matrimonial;
Members of the panel are unremunerated.
How to apply
Please forward a cover letter by email setting out how you meet the above criteria to
Rebecca.jaffrey@lawsoc-ni.org
It would be helpful if you could set out the particular areas of law that you would prefer to adjudicate upon as a panel member.
Letters setting out how you meet the criteria must be received via email by 4.00pm on Friday 14th February 2020. Correspondence received after the deadline will not be considered. Only the cover letter and the information contained therein will be considered when assessing whether an applicant meets the criteria. It is matter for the applicant to demonstrate how they meet each of the criteria.