Question re lawyers billing ........

[HipHopSkipJumpomous]

I've had to look over a lawyers bill obo clients and I raised a few queries with the lawyer on it.

We received several charges for sending brief 'letter' (in fact they were 2 line emails). For example, one email was sent but we were charged 3 x 6 minutes. When I queried this I was told that one email was sent (= 1 x 6 minute charge) but it was sent to three people therefore 3 x 6 minutes were charged.

This was for an email of 2 short sentences. Clients were charged £35 per person CC'ed on the email. To be clear only one email was sent, but as 2 other people were cc'ed on the email we were charged for 3 letters (i.e. 3 x £35)

This seems to me to be immoral billing, or at the very least taking the piss.

Is it in fact an OK way of billing? I'd love to know.

Thank you in advance.

that's absolutely incorrect and not permitted. Speak to the partner in charge of the matter and require that the actual time spent is put down. I wonder if it's a trainee trying to bump up their hours?

As a solicitor i think its fair to charge for 6 minutes for a 2 line email, but unless the terms of business say that you will be charged per recipient you can't be charged per recipient.

Thank you all.
Everyonehasaprice we all agreed 6 minutes for short email is fine. It just charging additional time for the CC'ing which was questioned.

We did get 2 x 6 minutes off the bill inially, but it has happened much more than this. It's a long ongoing case so I need to be on top of this.

Oh & it is from a PARTNER

then raise it with the complaints partner, the terms should tell you who that is