The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1898-01-15

ENGLISH LAWYERS.
The Small Fees That Are Received by the
London Barristers.

London Barristers.
A barrister's fees are small, and they
are always raid i'll advance, and the
sum is recorced under the title OF the
brief. a friend who has alarSe practice
showed me his Textbook yesterday. The
largest item was IS guiEeas, which Is
less than $500. The average was about
$50. Fees axe regulated by the benchers
of the inn according to the service per
formed, and no contingent fees are al
loved. Il hatrister may accept g case
for nothing or return tie lee III eases OF
charity, but he cannot without Elolat-
ing his oath, directly or indirectly, &C
cept any greater compensation fer a
legal service than Is allowed IN the
regular schedule fixed IS tle 6enchers
Of his inn. If he does SO, he is debarred
from practice.
It is a common custom in America
! for 8 lawyer to undertake O suit for the
recovery of damages or a claim OF any
kind with a contract that be shall re.
ceive q certain percentage Of the amount
of money recovered. LII England such
an act would be considered ~disreputa-
BILE, and any hafristor focna guilty
would be expelled from his inn. The
fees are regulated by tie amount &
time and labor required, and not by the
amount of money involved. y LaIrister
may receive q fee Of $3.50 IN d case III
volving orly 500, end he naT receive
a fee Of $50 u a case involving 81, 900
600.
All legal business originates with So
licito7s. they bring 70 the bazristcl's
Office a case all IEerared afteY certain
forms ard written i'll manuscript. iha
British courts Go not permit typewclt-
ing. The solicitor requests the barTistCr
to undertake the case. aEd tie Zee is
marked plainly upon tic i1iaf. Ii the
barrister does not care 10 undertake the
! labor for tie amount n money allow ed
or for any otEer reason, he ADVISES tie
solicitor TO go elsewhere. II he accepts
the responsibility, the collector leaves
the amount Of the fee in coin with the
brief, so that the baTrister hes lis Fay
in advance. This is the almost inyaria-
BILE custom. The only exceptions are in
cases CT elcse friendship between the
solicitors and berristers and where there
is a 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 q fee for the barrister's clerk
at the same time, which must be a Ger.
tain percentage Of that paid to the bar.
rister. When you dine at d hotel or q
restaurant in England, it is customary
l to tip the waiter III amount equal to
per cent Of your bill for tie sans rea.
son. The waiter receives no compensa.
ton from his employer, nor does tht
J barrister's cie1k. ais pey entire
! ly from Il, c~ileIts, and If his princi
PAL has 10 clients be gets nc pay. Oh
the other hand. ii his principal has
very large and profitable pIg1tice Iii!
fees are enormous. They sar :bat IL,
clerk Of Sin Charles Russell lives in
handsome villa Gown III the suburbs,
driven 10 ARA from his office ~ i aIcrsh
y arr ara E.1,s i LuX It tie opera ior ia
i season. chicago Record.