Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1897-09-16
ENGLISH LAWYERS.
Tie Small Fees That Are Received by the
 London Barristers.

London Barristers.
 4 barfister'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 S200 The average was about S50. Fees are regulated by the benohers of the inn according to the service per formed, and no contingent fees are al- lowed. 4 barrister may accept a case for nothing or return the fee in cases of charity, but he cannot without violat- ing his oath, directly or indirectly, ae- cept any greater compensation for q 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.
 1t is common custom in America for a lawyer to undertake q suit for tue recovery of damages or | claim of any kind with contract that he shall re ceiye certain percentage of the amount of money recovered. In England such an act would be considered disreputa- ble, 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. barr1ster may receive a fee of $250 in case in- yolYing only $500 and he may receive q fee of S25 i'll a case involving $l, 000,- GOO.
 All legal business 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 typew1it- 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 go 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 invar1a- ble custom The only exceptions are ill cases of close friendship between the solicitors and barristeTs and where there is a large amount of litigation in which beth are involved Then it IS customary for the barrister to make up his bill at the end of the month CT the end of the quarter, but the fee ill each case must nevertheless be written upon the brief and recorded in the books of the court.
 It is customary, also, for the solicitor to leave fee for the barrister $ clerk at the same time, which must be T cer- tain percentage of that paid to the bar. rister When you dine at q hotel or restaurant in England, it is customary to tip the waiter all amount equal to ) per cent of your bill fer the same rea- son. The waiter receives no conpensa. ton from his employer, nor dees the barrister's clerk His pay comes entire ly from the clients, and if his princi- pal has no clients he gets 10 pay. On the other hand. if his principal has very large and profitable practice his fees are enormous, They say that the clerk of Sir Charles Russell lives in handsome villa down ill tho suburbs, Is driven to and from his office in brough- am and hires a box at the opera for the season. Chicago Record.