# Austerity?? Lawyers charging 370 per hour!!



## Protocol (23 Jul 2012)

In the midst of one of the most severe falls in national income any country has experienced since the Great Depression, and even though there are many unemployed legal staff, some lawyers are still charging up to 370 per hour.

See here:

[broken link removed]

A quote:

"According to an Irish Times report of July 7th, those fees were based on hourly rates of €370 per partner, €282 for senior solicitors, €227 for solicitors and €97 for trainee solicitors. Further provision was made for the solicitors to be paid an additional sum up to €150,000 (net of VAT) for further work from this July up to early August.

Two senior counsel were each to be paid a brief fee of €20,000 plus “refreshers” of €4,000 per day.

A junior counsel was to be paid a brief fee of €12,500 with “refreshers” of €2,500 per day."

Clearly the fall in national income is not being felt in all sectors.

The State should refuse to pay such rates.

These sort of legal fees need to drop a lot.  High legal fees add to our overheads and make Ireland less competitive, cauding less output and fewer jobs.

*When will these vested interest be tackled??*


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