The Legal Costs Blog                            

12 March 2010

Detailed Assessment

A further definition from The (Alternative) Legal Costs Dictionary:

Detailed assessment n.  a process whereby a receiving party seeks to recover the cost of work that was not actually performed and the cost of work that was performed but for which there was no need.  In turn, the paying party seeks to argue that the case should have been conducted in half the time, at quarter the cost and by the office cat, if at all.  The process is usually overseen by a court official with no interest in the outcome and no understanding of the rules.  An entirely arbitrary process elevated to a cornerstone of the English legal system.


Labels:

posted by Simon Gibbs at 6:01 AM

5 Comments:

  • This also applies when a Defendant seeks assessment of their bill of costs.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, At 12 March, 2010 11:48  

  • ooh, anyone know a good libel lawyer (10% uplift of course!!)!!!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, At 12 March, 2010 20:47  

  • another definition for you Simon

    estimation - the claiming of work with little or no basis in fact, recommended by a draftsman with no knowledge of the work involved, and accepted by a solicitor whom has no idea what the work is and has never checked the bill anyway

    By Anonymous Anonymous, At 12 March, 2010 20:50  

  • You might have said that not only will much of the work not have been performed, but that everyone will know that it hasn't been performed, but that all three parties (receiving party, paying party and judge) will nevertheless fall over themselves to say "of course there is no doubt that the work claimed was actually done.' This ritualistic statement of something that all concerned know to false merits study by anthropologists. It's akin to those authoritarian states that are labelled "the Democratic Republic' or to those medieval tyrants that nevertheless liked people to address them as "the merciful".

    By Anonymous Jacques Hughes, At 14 March, 2010 10:43  

  • I've passed this thread to Dickie (Sir Richard to you, luvvie), and he's very excited. He believes this whole new sub-species, with it's own anthropology, needs to be fully documented.
    He has said however the term "cost muppets" may need to be redefined, as he does not wish to upset the estate of the late Mr Henson

    By Anonymous Anonymous, At 15 March, 2010 21:08  

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]



<< Home