The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1897-09-23
ENGLISH LAWYERS.
The Small Fees That Are Received by tn
London Barristers.


London Barristers.
A balrister's fees are small, and they
are always paid in advance, and the
sum is recorded under the title of thu
brief A friend who has a large practice
showed me his Textbook yesterday. The
largest item was 3S guineas, which Is
less than $500. The average was about
500. Fees are regulated by the benchers
Of the inn according to the service Fer
formed, and no contingent fees are al
lowed. a barrister may accept a case
for nothing or return the fee Ill cases Ct
charity, but he cannot without violat-
ing his oath, directly or indirectly, ac-
cept any greater compensation fer
legal service than is allowed in the
regular schedule fixed by the benchers
Of his inn If he dots so, lie Is ucbarred
from practice
1t is "A common custom In America
for "a lawyer to undertake suit for the
recovery of damages or claim of any
kind with a contract that he shall It
ceivo CERTAIN percentage Of The amount
of money recovered In England such
an act would be considered dIsreputa-
bic, and any barrster found guilty
would be expelled from his inn Thu
fees are regulated by the amount OF
time and labor required, and not by the
amount of money involved. A harrlster
may receive fee of $500 in case III
volving only 5000, and he may receive
a fee of $50 in case involving 81, 000,
000
All legal business originates with SO
licitors. They bring to the barrister' :
office a case all prepared after certain
forms and written in manuscript 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
barrlster does not care to underttk Ike the
labor for the amount of money allowed
or for any other reason, be advises the
solicitor TO 90 elsewhere If he accepts
the responsibility, the solicitor leaves
the amount OF the fee in com with the
brief, so that the barrister has his pay
III advance. This is the almost invuria-
BILE custom. The only exceptions are III
cases of close friendship between the
solicitors and barristers and where there
is large amount of litigation III
which both are involved. Then 1t 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 brlef and recorded in the books u
the court.
1t Is customary, also, for the solicitor
to leave fee tor the barrIster S clerk
at the same time, which must be a Ger
tain percentage of that paid to the bar
rister When yen dine at a hotel or 4
restaurant IN England, 1t Is customary
to tip the waiter an amount equal TO
per cent Of your bill Tor the same rea-
son The waiter receives no ct mEtn>a-
ton from his employer, nor 0cc> tie
barrstor's clerk HIS pay eon,S entire
ly hon the clients, and II his princl
pal has no clients he gets no pay Oh
the other hand. II his principal has -
very large ana profitable practice la
fees are enormous They say that tn,
clerk of Sin Charles Russell lives in "A
handsome villa down in the suburbs, l.
driven to and from his office in broueh
am and hires box at the opera TOR the
season. Chicago Record.