# Taxing Master cuts 'grossly excessive' legal bill in case against PIAB by 82%



## Brendan Burgess (1 Jul 2010)

From today's[broken link removed]



> A TAXING Master who granted only €393,472 of a €2.143 million legal  bill expressed his “disgust and bewilderment” at the level of costs  claimed.
> Taxing Master Charles Moran made his comments in a recent  ruling where he granted only 18 per cent of the amount sought. He  described the costs claimed as “revolting in the extreme”.
> ...
> “I can hardly find  the words strong enough to describe my disgust and bewilderment at the  level of these costs being claimed.”
> ...



Further information: 

[broken link removed]


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## Neg Covenant (1 Jul 2010)

This is startling stuff.   It will be interesting to know how the fees were assessed.   Were they time recorded?   Was there a legal cost accountant involved?  Hopefully the appeal will tell all.


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## dewdrop (1 Jul 2010)

Do Solicitors/Barristers who charge excessive fees incur any penalty or sanction. What is the difference between this and say TDs who claim excessive mileage payments?


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## Purple (1 Jul 2010)

dewdrop said:


> Do Solicitors/Barristers who charge excessive fees incur any penalty or sanction. What is the difference between this and say TDs who claim excessive mileage payments?



TD's make the laws, Lawyers tell them what they mean. 

Pat Rabbitt spoke very well about this on the radio this morning on NewsTalk. He pointed out that the protected sector of the private sector was still living in dreamland charging grossly inflated fees. Lawyers, Doctors, Dentists etc.


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## Kate10 (2 Jul 2010)

Oh please Purple. Say that to all the solicitors' practices closing and solicitors losing their jobs all over the country.  Most private practice is extremely competitive.  I don't do conveyancing because fees have dropped so low that it costs me to do the work - my insurance premium is loaded for 6 years after I do the work.  It is just not worth it.  This is an example of one solicitor's practice overcharging and again everyone is tarred with the same brush.  Solicitors are such an easy target.


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## JoeB (2 Jul 2010)

Well, there's always an impression of being overcharged. My mechanic quoted 85 Euro an hour to diagnose a problem.. that's very excessive in my view and he won't be getting the work, I feel that price is unjustifiable.


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## redbhoy (2 Jul 2010)

Purple said:


> TD's make the laws, Lawyers tell them what they mean.


 
How many TDs are involved in the Dáil? Im beginning to think that the Law Society is a Secret Cult that has taken over this country.


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## TheRed (3 Jul 2010)

I was charged over €400/hr by a small Dublin practice and then charged €5K for a SC opinion (1.5 pages long). To me, legal fees are exorbitant and it means that most people don't have access to justice for civil cases.


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## Brendan Burgess (4 Jul 2010)

The solicitors involved are appealing the Taxing Master's decision, but the barristers are accepting it

[broken link removed]


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## onq (17 Aug 2010)

No surprises there.

Anyone know what the outcome of this was?

ONQ.


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## runner (17 Aug 2010)

As far as I know it I think it was in IT last friday that the Sols had dropped their appeal ( suprise!) and accepted the verdict.


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## Green (17 Aug 2010)

redbhoy said:


> How many TDs are involved in the Dáil?


 
Very few are involved in the real business of the dail, i.e. legislation. The rest of them just push around a vast amount of poor quality social work which masquerades as democracy...


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## Brendan Burgess (17 Aug 2010)

[broken link removed]




> A TAXING Master’s decision to cut the legal bill in a case by 82 per  cent has been confirmed after the solicitors involved in the case  withdrew their objection.
> 
> “Patrick V Boland and Son took this decision reluctantly. It acted in  good faith throughout this process, and submitted its bill of costs  through normal channels to an established taxing process,” the statement  said.
> “Due to the level of commentary which prevailed from the  preliminary findings, we felt the interests of our clients were best  served by focusing on our work rather than on a distracting appeal  process.” The firm said it acted responsibly and professionally at all  times in a case of national importance, which had secured the rights of  citizens to legal representation before the courts in their dealings  with the Piab.


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