Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1897-10-14
ENGLISH LAWYERS.
The Small Fees That Are Received by the
London Barristers.


The Small Fees That Are Received by the
London Barrlsters.
A barrister's fees are small, and they
are always paid in advance, and the
sum is recorded under the title of the
brief. A friend who has large practice
showed me his feebook yesterday. The
largest item was 38 guineas. which is
less than 5000 The average was about
$50. Fees are regulated by the benchers
Of the inn according to the service per-
formed, and no contingent fees are al
lowed. A barrister may accept case
for nothing or return the fee in cases Of
charity, but he cannot without violat-
ing his oath, directly or indirectly, ac-
cept any greater compensation for a
legal service than is allowed in the
regular schedule fixed by the benchers
of his inn. If he does SO, he is debarred
from practice
It is a common custom in America
for lawyer to undertake suit for the
recovery of damages or claim of any
kind with contract that he shall re
ceive certain percentage of the amount
of money recovered. In England such
an act would be considered disreputa-
BILE, and any barrister found guilty
would be expelled from his inn. The
fees are regulated by the amount of
time and labor required. and not by the
amountAof money involved. A barrister
may receive fee of $3.50 in a case in
volying only $500, and he may receive
fee of $40 in case involving 81, 600, :
600.
All legal business originates with So
licitors. They bring to the barrister's s
Office a case all prepared after certain
forms and written in manuscripts. The
British courts do not permit typewrit-
ing. The solicitor requests the barrister
to undertake the case, and the fee is
marked plainly upon the brief. If the
barrister does not care to undertake the
labor for the amount of money allowed
or for any other reason, he advises the
solicitor to 60 elsewhere. If he accepts
the responsibility. the solicitor leaves
the amount of the fee in coin with the
brief, so that the barrister has his pay
in advance. This is the almost invaria-
bic custom. The only exceptions are in
cases of close friendship between the
solicitors and barristers and where there
is large amount of litigation in
which both are involved. Then it is
customary for the barrister to make up
his bill at the end of the month or the
end of the quarter, but the fee in each
case must nevertheless be written upon
the brief and recorded in the books of
the court.
1t is customary, also, for the solicitor
to leave fee for the barrister's g clerk
at the same time, which must be a GER
tain percentage of that paid to the bar
rister. When you dine at hotel or a
restaurant in England, it is customary
to tip the waiter an amount equal to 3
per cent OF your bill for the same rea-
son. The waiter receives no compensa-
tion from his employer, nor does the
barrister's clerk. His pay comes entire
ly from the clients, and if his princi-
pal has no clients he gets no pay. On
the other hand, if his principal has a
very large and profitable practice his
fees are enormous. They say that the
clerk of Sii Charles Russell lives in a
handsome villa down in the suburbs, is
driven to and from his office in brough-
am and hires box at the opera for the
season. Chicago Record.