The record-union., 1897-09-02
BARRISTERS' FEES.
An Excellent Fee System in Eng
lish Courts.

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 a large prac-
tice showed me his fee book yestef-
day. The largest item was 80 guineas,
which is less than $500 The average
was about 500. Fees are regulated b.
the benchers of the inn according 70
the service performed, and no contin-
gent fees are allowed. A barrister may
accept case for nothing. or return the
fee in cases Of charity, but he cannot
without violating his oath, directly or
indirectly. accept any greater compen-
sation for a legal service than is al
lowed in the regular schedule fixed by
the benchers of his inn. If he does so
he is debarred from practice 1t is a
common custom in America for a law
yer to undertake a suit for the recovery
OF damages or a claim of any kind with
a contract that he shall receive a GER
tain percentage of the amount of mon
| ey recovered. In England such an act
would be considered disreputable 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 amount
of money involved A barrister may
receive a fee of $3.50 in a case involv-
ing only $500, and he may receive a
fee of $50 in a case involving 81, ,000,-
coo.
All legal busines originates with So
licitors. They bring to the barrister's
office a case all prepared after certain
forms, and written in manuscript The
British courts do not permit typewrit-
ing. The solicitor requests the bar
rister to undertake the case and the
fee is marked plainly upon the brief
II the barrister does not care to un-
dertake the labor for the amount Of
money allowed or for any other rea-
son, he advises the solicitor to go else
! Where. If he accepts the response
| bHity, the solicitor leaves the amount
| OF the fee in coin with the brief so
mat the barrister has his pay in ad-
vance. This is the almost invaria be
custom. The only exceptions are in
| cases OF close friendship between the
solicitors and barristers where there is
large amount of litigation, in which
both are involved. Then it is custom
airy for the barrister to make up his
| Dill at the end of the month or the end
| OF the quarter: but the fee in each
case must, nevertheless, be written up
on the brief and recorded in the books
of the court
1t is customary also, for the solicitor
TO leave fee for the barrister's clerk
| at the same time, which must be Il
certain percentage of that paid to the
| barrister. When you dine at hotel
or a restaurant in England, it is Gus
tomary TO tip the waiter an amount
| equal to five per cent of your bill for
the same reason. The waiter receives
no compensation from his employer.
nor does the barrister's clerk. His paw
comes entirely from the clients, and if
! his principal has no clients he gets no
pay. On the other hand, if his prin-
| cipal has a very large and profitable
practice his fees are enormous. They
say that the clerk Of Sir Charles Rus
sell lives in a handsome villa down in
the suburbs, is driven to and from his
office in brougham, and hires a box
at the opera for the season.-London
| Letter in the Chicago Record.