CONFUSED OF HEMEL HEMPSTEAD WRITES
I wonder if any of you can help me. I run a small law firm in Hertfordshire and I am not too good at keeping up with the news.
I know that the Chancellorships of the Exchequer and Lord have been combined which is why Mr Osborne now deals with the legal system.
The small claims limit in personal injury cases is going up to £5,000.00 so that lawyers can only get costs from the other side if the claim is over that amount. That is what Mr Osborne, Member of Parliament for Tatton said in November but Lord Justice Briggs says we should scrap courts and lawyers for claims under £25,000.00. I can’t see which seat he represents in Parliament.
Maybe he took over Lord Justice Jackson’s constituency; he does not seem to have been elected to Parliament either.
I would just like to know whether the limit is going to be £5,000.00, or £25,000.00 and whether I can represent clients and get costs from the other side, or represent clients and not get costs from the other side, or whether I am going to be thrown out of the courts altogether.
Will I be able to get rid of all my professional indemnity insurance and my qualifications and get paid for being a McKenzie Smart App Friend?
In fact will lawyers be the ONLY group not allowed to appear in the Briggs/Susskind Star Chamber or should that be Hashtag Chamber?
Also I am not sure how lawyers being replaced by artificial insemination helps. I am not great with technology and don’t want to get into the physical details but how does online artificial insemination for cases up to £25,000.00 work? Sounds as though McKenzie needs to become a bit more than a friend.
I have also heard that the Health Minister is bringing in fixed costs for clinical negligence cases but I can’t see whether that is for claims up to £25,000.00 or £250,000.00 or when that is coming in.
Rupert Jackson MP wants fixed costs for everything up to £250,000.00. I hope these politicians can sort it all out.
Apparently clients suffering certain injuries won’t be able to claim for them but I don’t know what injuries those are or when that is coming in or how serious the injuries have to be before they can claim.
Did I miss some statement by the Minister for Art, Fisheries and Canal Redevelopment dealing with this?
I am glad the Lord Chief Justice wants a 24 hour helpline, Occupational Health and counselling support for us lawyers, although I heard some idiot say that he wanted it for judges and not lawyers. That can’t be right! Lord Thomas will never get re-elected to Parliament with views like that! Not sure what constituency he represents.
I think that we should have a separate Government department dealing with all of this – maybe – just throwing a few ideas out – a Lord Chancellor’s Department, or a Ministry of Justice, or something like that so that it can all be thought through.
Apparently there is some book about all of this by Monty Skew – an Essex boy I believe – but I can’t find it on Amazon. I think it is called the Law of Spirits.
Finally is it not time that the insurance companies had a say in all of this? I feel very sorry for them. They have to pay out on all of these claims and no one listens to them.
Yours sincerely
Confused of Hemel Hempstead
Dear Confused, the governments current advice on this is quite simple. Just transfer the contents of your client account to the bank of Panama making sure you don’t forget to hide it under the name of some trust or other. Then simply forget about it until you can slip out of the country unnoticed to be reunited Finally spend the contents liberally before returning to the uk skint so you can retire at the tax payers expense. Warning. The above advice is for expert con men only. Don’t try this at home.
dominicmoss
April 12, 2016 at 8:41 am
😄😃- I went to Panama last year as part of a tour of Central America and completely neglected to leave any money there, see any lawyers or set up any offshore trusts. Do I need to get a new accountant?
Kerry
kerryunderwood
April 12, 2016 at 9:45 am
Wonderful Kerry thank you for the laugh out loud moment this morning!
kindest
Frances Pierce
Partner
For Rix & Kay Solicitors LLP
Website â http://www.rixandkay.co.uk
Blogs â http://www.rixandkayblogs.co.uk
The Courtyard Tel: +44 (0)1825 761555
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Frances Pierce
April 12, 2016 at 9:23 am
Pleasure 😄😃
kerryunderwood
April 12, 2016 at 9:43 am
Thank you for the laugh Kerry or are you now to be called the lawyers Ed Reardon. In any event please continue keeping us all enlivened and informed.
Bruce Jackson
April 12, 2016 at 10:12 am
😄😃
kerryunderwood
April 12, 2016 at 11:14 am
Brilliant, Kerry!
Dominic Cooper
April 12, 2016 at 10:23 am
Thanks Dominic!
kerryunderwood
April 12, 2016 at 11:11 am
Oh Kerry, that made me chuckle into my coffee! What a hoot – until sadly I recollected the very serious issues that it hit on. But still – you have to laugh! Don’t you…?
Deborah Murphy
April 12, 2016 at 10:55 am
Thanks Deborah. Yes, you do!😄 And sometimes a combination of humour and ridicule has more effect than apparently more serious comment.
Kerry
kerryunderwood
April 12, 2016 at 11:10 am
I have felt for some time that senior members of the judiciary have overstepped the mark. Major changes to our civil justice system require serious debate and scrutiny & the judiciary should not be seen to be cheerleaders,sponsors or kite flyers for these changes.They will require primary legislation enacted after denbate by democratically elected and accountable politicians.
Gareth thomas
April 12, 2016 at 5:55 pm
Gareth
I agree entirely.
Kerry
kerryunderwood
April 13, 2016 at 7:45 am
Thanks Kerry, Is this view widely shared. I sometimes feel working out here in “the provinces” in general common law I am inclined to be too critical of what I perceive to be an elitist London centric ( not to nention unrealistic) outlook by the higher judiciary.
Clearly there is a public interest in having a civil justice system which is not disproprtionately costly and which is altogether simpler. But I do feel that some of them seem to seem to be pushing a political agenda
Gareth thomas
April 13, 2016 at 9:05 pm
I agree Gareth. Even a few miles away in Hertfordshire we feel that the senior judiciary are London centric. Indeed High Street firms in the Home Counties have far more in common with those in the provinces than we do with firms in London. That is shown in a graphic way by the fact that the lowest audiences I get for courses is in London, to the extent that I am not going to do any more in London. Far more attend in Plymouth, Exeter, Cardiff, Southampton, Leeds, Newcastle, Carlisle, Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham etc.
Kerry
kerryunderwood
April 14, 2016 at 2:50 pm
Hi Kerry
Hope you are well. Shame the R’s season has petered out.
This is a great letter!
I’m doing a speech next week for NatWest on a PI update. Can I quote you and bits of this letter please?
Regards
Julian
Julian Oldfield
Managing Partner
OW Law LLP Solicitors
Direct 02079521971
http://www.owlaw.co.uk
Julian Oldfield
April 13, 2016 at 9:55 am
Julian
Fine thanks. Better foundation for the Superhoops to build on next season though, and Hemel Hempstead Town are in a play-off position with 3 games to go😄.
Thanks- delighted for you to quote anything that you want.
Regards
Kerry
kerryunderwood
April 13, 2016 at 1:08 pm