The contract between solicitor and client — how the retainer is formed, how fees are structured and billed, and what happens when the bill is disputed.
Almost every dispute over a solicitor's fees turns on what was agreed at the outset and how the bill was delivered. This chapter begins with the retainer itself — its scope, when a solicitor may cease to act, and the lien over a client's papers — before turning to the client care letter and the ongoing duty to provide costs information. It then sets out the principal fee structures, the publication requirements of the SRA Transparency Rules, and the distinct statutory regimes governing fee agreements for contentious and non-contentious business. Finally, it explains what qualifies a bill as a statute bill, the routes and time limits for challenging one, and the role and remedies of the Legal Ombudsman.
