Our client came to us in November 2024 after being charged $165,505 by their professional negligence and injury lawyer. They had already paid the full amount, but they felt something didn’t seem right about the bill.
After reviewing the invoices, we confirmed that our client had likely been overcharged, so we took action straight away. We filed a summons for taxation in the Supreme Court of Victoria, Costs Court, asking the Court to review the entire bill.
At an early court hearing, the Court set a timetable for the case and required us to prepare a notice of objections, which outlined the parts of the bill we believed were unfair or excessive.
During this time, we also tried to negotiate with the former lawyer, but they refused to reduce their fees. They also refused to return our client’s legal file, which contained confidential and sensitive information.
The matter eventually went to mediation. After a full day of discussions, we reached an agreement that reduced the legal bill by $60,000, a 38.8% reduction, and ensured our client’s file was returned.
Our client was extremely pleased with the outcome and the significant savings achieved.