What factors will the registrar consider when reviewing a bill for fees, expenses and disbursements?

British Columbia, Canada


The following excerpt is from Birnie, Sturrock & Co. v. Farrell Estate Ltd., 1993 CanLII 1210 (BC CA):

21 Resort to the factors set out in Yule v. Saskatoon are no longer required because of the coming into force of s-s.71.1(2) of the Legal Profession Act which provides: 71.1 (1) ... (2) At a review of a bill for fees, expenses and disbursements, the registrar shall consider all of the circumstances, including (a)the complexity, difficulty or the novelty of the issues involved, (b)the skill, specialized knowledge and responsibility required of the member, (c)the member's character and standing in the profession, (d)the amount involved, (e)the time reasonably expended, (f)where there has been an agreement between the member and the member's client that fixes a fee rate that is based on an amount per unit of time spent by the member, whether the rate was unreasonable, and (g)the importance of the matter to the client whose bill is being assessed, and the result obtained.

22 Although this statutory code embodies the essentials of what is set out in Yule v. Saskatoon, clause (f) of s-s. 71.1(2) enables the registrar to review the reasonableness of hourly rates adopted by a solicitor for determining the remuneration he or she charges a client. This is not included in Yule v. Saskatoon. Its presence in the statute recognizes the widespread use of this measure of remuneration. However, it also recognizes that a rate may reflect factors which are unrelated to the services required by the client. An hourly rate may reflect only the solicitor's seniority at the Bar or it may be struck without due or any regard to the factors relevant to the particular service the solicitor is asked to perform.

23 In the case at bar, whether the registrar's decision is examined in light of Yule v. Saskatoon or the statutory code in s-s.71.1(2) of the Legal Profession Act, I think the result would be the same. In my view, where there is neither a contract of the kind described by the chambers judge nor a series of interim accounts based on the product of hourly rates and time spent, the registrar is not arbitrarily restricted in his review of a solicitor's bill by the fact that the apparent premium for success exceeds what has been heretofore allowed.

Other Questions


What factors will be considered when approving a class counsel's fee? (British Columbia, Canada)
What factors will the court consider when considering retroactive variation of an interim child support order? (British Columbia, Canada)
What factors have been added to the list of factors that a plaintiff must consider in determining the severity of a motor vehicle accident? (British Columbia, Canada)
What factors will the Court consider in deciding whether it would be unjust to find that a summary trial is appropriate to consider the issues before deciding whether to proceed with a conventional trial? (British Columbia, Canada)
When considering a patient's medical history, is it possible for the medical malpractice review to consider a single file? (British Columbia, Canada)
What factors were considered in a full and inquiry by Judge Pothecary in his review of the status quo? (British Columbia, Canada)
What factors will be considered in determining fair and reasonable fees? (British Columbia, Canada)
How have courts in BC considered factors relevant to the consideration of the first factor in a plaintiff's refusal to accept an offer to settle? (British Columbia, Canada)
Can an unsuccessful party to a small claims action be required to pay any other reasonable charges or expenses such as experts’ fees or expenses? (British Columbia, Canada)
When a trial judge fails to mention a relevant factor in the trial, does that mean that the relevant factor has not been considered? (British Columbia, Canada)
X



Alexi white


"The most advanced legal research software ever built."

Trusted by top litigators from across North America.