Conditions of application

There are different conditions you must comply with before asking your solicitor to apply for a certificate:

• Your solicitor has a duty to keep you informed or their costs.  They should also tell you that you have a right to apply for a remuneration certificate.  
• IMPORTANT – If you have been informed of this right you only have one month to make your request to your solicitor in writing. We would recommend you send this recorded delivery.
• A solicitor holding amounts of money given to him in trust and used it to pay your bill and he or she fails to tell you of your right to ask for a certificate, you have three months to object to your bill. This objection must be in writing to you solicitor, once against we suggest a recorded letter.
  
  
• In the alternative situation where your solicitor takes their costs from money being held in trust and does tell you of your rights to obtain a certificate, you have one month to write to your solicitors requesting a certificate.
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• There are situations that can arise where you have not paid you bill, you solicitor has the right to ask for apart of the bill before responding to your request for a remuneration certificate. You have one month from the date your bill was printed to request a certificate.  Our advice is to pay as little as possible and then apply as soon as possible, certainly within one month and ensure you receive a receipt of payment and proof of request (i.e. a letter sent recorded delivery
• BE WARNED – If you pay the bill in full, you are not entitled to challenge it.

• So if you disagree with the bill our actions would be to

1) Act quickly

2) Contact your solicitor and ask for the bill to be reduced

3) Do not pay the bill, just pay a reasonable amount, even if it’s just £20 and obtain a receipt.

4) Write to the solicitor by recorded delivery within the time allowed and ask for tem to obtain a remuneration certificate.

Of course if you suspect fraud, go to the trading standards or the Police. There are no time limits on criminal actions.

5) Write to your solicitor requesting he/she applies for a certificate.

The information sheet. on The Consumer Complaints Service Website will give further information