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09 October 2015 / Dominic Regan
Issue: 7671 / Categories: Features , Profession , Costs
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Costs capers

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Dominic Regan conducts a costs poll around the country

Now that the nation can no longer reel back in shock at the result of Labour leadership polls I decided to conduct my own poll into a topic of equal concern—costs!! Since, in a typical talking week, I will find myself in five cities in as many days I was able to speak to numerous practitioners about their experiences. I was appalled at some of the antics which some members of the judiciary have got up to. The plea from Jackson for a consistent approach and better training is unanswered.

Proportionate cost?

Take the case where a fee-earner in the north east was directed by central London to personally attend the case and costs management conference (CCMC). The return train journey cost £276, took six hours and that excludes the time and cost of reaching the station and the court respectively. A quiet read of CPR 1.1 which requires the court to deal with cases

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Bellevue Law—Lianne Craig

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NEWS
A High Court ruling involving the Longleat estate has exposed the fault line between modern family building and historic trust drafting. Writing in NLJ this week, Charlotte Coyle, director and family law expert at Freeths, examines Cator v Thynn [2026] EWHC 209 (Ch), where trustees sought approval to modernise trusts that retain pre-1970 definitions of ‘child’, ‘grandchild’ and ‘issue’
Fresh proposals to criminalise ‘nudification’ apps, prioritise cyberflashing and non-consensual intimate images, and even ban under-16s from social media have reignited debate over whether the Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA 2023) is fit for purpose. Writing in NLJ this week, Alexander Brown, head of technology, media and telecommunications, and Alexandra Webster, managing associate, Simmons & Simmons, caution against reactive law-making that could undermine the Act’s ‘risk-based and outcomes-focused’ design
Recent allegations surrounding Peter Mandelson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor have reignited scrutiny of the ancient common law offence of misconduct in public office. Writing in NLJ this week, Simon Parsons, teaching fellow at Bath Spa University, asks whether their conduct could clear a notoriously high legal hurdle
A landmark ruling has reshaped child clinical negligence claims. Writing in NLJ this week, Jodi Newton, head of birth and paediatric negligence at Osbornes Law, explains how the Supreme Court in CCC v Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust [2026] UKSC 5 has overturned Croke v Wiseman, ending the long-standing bar on children recovering ‘lost years’ earnings
A Court of Appeal ruling has drawn a firm line under party autonomy in arbitration. Writing in NLJ this week, Masood Ahmed, associate professor at the University of Leicester, analyses Gluck v Endzweig [2026] EWCA Civ 145, where a clause allowing arbitrators to amend an award ‘at any time’ was held incompatible with the Arbitration Act 1996
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