Challenge your solicitor's bill
Overview
You can challenge your solicitor鈥檚 bill if you think you鈥檝e been charged too much.
Ask the Senior Courts Costs Office to make a 鈥榙etailed assessment鈥� of your bill. They can reduce your bill if they agree it鈥檚 too expensive.
There鈥檚 a different process if you want to complain about your solicitor鈥檚 behaviour.
Before you apply
Try to solve the problem with your solicitor before contacting the court.
You can complain to your solicitor directly by following their complaints procedure.
You can also get free legal help and advice from:
- your local
- your local
- the
When to apply
You must apply to the court before asking for a detailed assessment. You must do this within one month of getting your solicitor鈥檚 bill.
If you do not, you can still apply within a year of getting the bill, but the court might ask you to pay part or all of what you owe upfront. You鈥檒l get back what you鈥檝e overpaid if the judge agrees you鈥檝e been charged too much.
You might also be able to apply if you鈥檝e already paid your solicitor鈥檚 bill or it鈥檚 been over a year since you got it. You can only do this in special circumstances - you must explain what these are when you apply.