New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-09-10
EXORBITANT LEGAL FEES.


JUDGE ROBIN sOS's RECENT DECIsioN-iNriANOhSo r
FxTR,y,GANr CHARGES BY LAWYERS.
Iudoc RobinsOn's decision in the matter OF
Tho accounting Of the ASSIGNEE OF KENYON Cox Co mas
been the subject Of much discussion among lawyers
This decision was that receiver. assignee OF trustee
could receive 10 for his extra attention 10 VSt
Than the sta ute aiowed-in any an amount based
on the AL ount Of the fuud OF which he had charge-and
,bat e allowance 10 counsel not to be
measured by the fund involved or by the reputation Oh
the LAWYER but by the value % the services gwen JuAe
Robinson in speaking OF the subject, said tha' 'e H.
crease Of fees seemed to him enormous He remcnorfed
time when leading counsel content Win To TOT
da in corrt and the leading counsel % That day refused
20 take more than $3.50 his services In protracicd
trial In two very important cases. eaoh ocoupNh NM
0obnson the greater part OF two years almost eA
elusiyely involving case, visits to Washington
he and his partner Mr. Van Buren,, taought themselves
well paid with BOO. It true that IN one OF tHem
bebsd Mr. OConor's aid which relic Cd him greatly Of
responsibility and labor. He did not lihe To dSobhge
rspectable counsel but he thought some check shouH
be given to this allowance Of excessive fees
The allowances to lawyers rest ON provision OF 'ho
or,,,,,l cole In an suits in dis State IN Superior
Crt tho law allows certain definite sums 10 the sur
ces,fnl party bu. the old law allowed M ohco' ara
extraordinary cases a furtacr allowance h"' Over
her cent on the amount involved, 10 the c0uh'ei" VIC
successful party. Al first. the judges rea TO maze
stond against general allowance. holding mat lh' case
rr.t he both di cus ana extraordinary TO warrant an
a
ALLOWANCE. Di hc social pressure coupled win Fho po
liucal preasure-they then held tn,iF o"''9 '"r '.S
eight years. when ihey were require" 80 ' "
ordeal Of rcnoll'nal on--aoon S''t' """' -.
top until 30 almost seemed That iEcy hat adopted Ju'o
Raruard's mot" any which s'is toa t"l Is po'h
dIacjr ai N.-aordinary." Tn great iuhcx OF large
corporation suts which % gan IN Ioo' ava ''t' s' ~"
increasing siEce, tended ~ inc same "I'c'"'
new and dn'cui. questions raised 10y TINS ne" cas %
Hesitation. and the heavy amounts involved the p'cn
g. rse ala, Of
REQUIRED u ordinary suits lclto the payment OF ices o'
for. uuinovn in Che Ncw-GoIk Courts ana 10 non "
natural feeling taot where the contestants were susS
ana mere associations, they sh ala lay All expense,
defeated Tits had ils reaction on nc ordinary sn.s'
and allowances have become tAc iuc "-cic h'@ ie''
10 De the cvccpf fan.
cla alios referee % yer saon OF -uch other rec
n tine par.ies may lrcc recent nit against tie
civ has brought p.anu u,lY forward the ia' ha' '''
o. me Ilr.s vino may Doe called, by tic courtesy oi
thIntscut JuG-e saudae referees charge as rue
$40 ssss o. iLc session lin- limlica hj inc "i"Ii
fen law of the DR. fe.i,l TO two hours 9ud haI Inc
f,,~tl,ar rr,rtc, has GROWN no thtt reiere whore
ease Gives o,,runity for aa opinion. cualge abou one
third oil their fees additional fol The opa.ou-a practice
without legal bass bu within proI er BOUNDS no en-
tirev WILTON. intce Tie excess Of allowances at last
produced reaction. Tie allowance in foreclosure sui's
wa. limited In 1876 go $500. The allowances in paru
f,op suit. mad been in five per cent to- Tie
plaintiff and neafy uye per cent more among tho ae
frdarts Tho law of 1876 limits tDe all Iwaucc, ~ AZ
c,.. ro SD 900 aud the Courts have ruled that This
So COO Ii,uttti.n m.an- that only 5000 be ds
trlt, ,,'op tine counsal or the parties 90 the sat
l.t f,r, of hin w licn though small
parntivcIy was really Tie aggregate OF GIeast loss TO
tine commuu ty was he referees fees on sale IN fore
e9.ure suits I,r charge from 500 20 al 900 ID
f-et ALWAYS as icl s the relCree JhD uht he could GET
lecslou that she referee was entitled TO only $50 and
~ cyp-,Ses took the prof .ssion by rise. 10 was
fttrt ti. was ae much too Low o., the wild charges
,,rvius,v had been TOO bieh The Law Of 1876. else
whore rcgeIr,d to- fixes The referees fees at $50 TO
which tbo Courts add actual cxucns,s.
R.vy az. collected several cases g enormous fees
bv t,., v,etsd cr all3vedby tire courts Necessarily
IN o,.st yar, cas-. the -ust Is old. Thou tie damage
f. doeyp tl, appointment, of receiver or referee
made t.. extent OF th. injury only becomes knowu
whom the proceedings are cioscl VINO VIII state the
amount of DR. Jrwct rs fcs as receiver "a the Ere Rail-
WV who ha. two .ai oas moutl passing through S
llnd~ or what are hoe those W M ONeIl. the Re
ccvtr o. thc Continental Life Insurance Comoany, Tie
assets OF which mp a the millions What NJ Grace
raY obtain is not yet hualy settled Ills predecessor
NJ tr,t,r0n r,> heen refused anytilg, account OF
100, 4, ......., - DE-. ,,.,-
ni e0Hn-tio Win 'ie u"u"' 3" u" '"' '''i''''
NJ ON~il win Dee entitled 90 80 least one Der cent on
.,..r. ,... ,r fin. rc,,s.,,y A. IL Do secret tiqt
49,. ........... ..... .... f,..,, ..,,. ~
tfr reci'rf- po til' coihP"hf WIS V'u''i' "'ir VI
tte arest u,uns in tae Judicial p1tron1ee ~ lhe
,r ana THAI The aDpointncut o. sftaH ger cOmVala
. 1T: ....;.. g., Cha ~,
ht'y "'Ahl"h gave "i'"' ''-s ''- " '' w
York Bar. VIII. these eases are unuton' u, thefc are
-, "a. ,lo. .g, ,f him, at Insurance com,
I.''."'' .i '''o' -, -
urs, of olsoliil"ha OF partnerships 'u OBJ ch iH'e
y.rrfnrr ana ipyoimlary ana Of Tcceversils iD SLIP
,,..., 80, ~, ,rl,i.b ria. f..s will De-,
l4'h''it"I' r'''''u''A' '.'" ~ '''-" WV '' ''' "
l.rre. I'm which, judge kohInOn's ita, Ortunta
,n. be d only obtained by the accident Of being con-