| 释义 |
bill of costs
An account of costs prepared by a solicitor in respect of legal services he has rendered his client. In general, a solicitor may be required to furnish his client with a bill unless they have made an agreement in writing to the contrary. If no such agreement has been made the solicitor may not, without the permission of the High Court, sue for recovery of costs until one month after the bill of costs has been delivered. Until August 2009 any client dissatisfied with a bill could require his solicitor to obtain a remuneration certificate from the Law Society; the certificate would either confirm that the fee was fair and reasonable or substitute a lower fee. Under the Solicitors (Non-Contentious Business) Remuneration Order 2009 a dissatisfied client no longer has this option but may make a complaint about the bill to the Legal Complaints Service. In contentious (i.e. litigious) matters, the bill is subject to assessment of costs. See also costs draftsman. |