The Civil Legal Services (Remuneration) Order (Northern Ireland) 2015

PART 2 Family and Children Order Proceedings

Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995(1)

Solicitor’s remuneration can be claimed on the basis of either Hourly Rates (Table 1) or Composite Fees (Table 2), at the election of the solicitor

Table 1:

Solicitor – Hourly Rates

Work Type	Rate
Preparation	£58 per hour
Letters Written	£3.65 per item
Letters Received	£1.85 per item
Telephone Calls	£3.65 per call
Non Standard Telephone Call (over 5 minutes)	£58 per hour
Advocacy – Solicitor Alone	£64 per hour
Consultation with Counsel	£32.50 per hour
Advocacy – Solicitor attending Counsel	£32.50 per hour

Table 2:

Solicitor – Composite Fees

Work Type	Composite Fee
Private Law	£250
Public Law	£400

Table 3:

Counsel – Composite Fees

Work Type	Composite Fee
On an unopposed application or a procedural issue	Standard £76.25 Maximum £127
On the trial of a cause or matter, or the hearing of an application:
-Where the hearing lasts for up to half a day	Standard £140 Maximum £268
- Full Day	Standard £317.75 Maximum £508.50
-Refresher	£140 for each additional day
Consultation	£35.50 per hour
Complex items of work (opinion, affidavits)	£82.75 per item
All other written work	£50.25 per item

The Family Homes and Domestic Violence (Northern Ireland) Order 1998(2)

Solicitor’s remuneration can be claimed on the basis of either Hourly Rates (Table 4) or Composite Fees (Table 5), at the election of the solicitor

Table 4:

Solicitor – Hourly Rates

Work Type	Rate
Preparation	£58 per hour
Letters Written	£3.65 per item
Letters Received	£1.85 per item
Telephone Calls	£3.65 per call
Non Standard Telephone Call (over 5 minutes)	£58 per hour
Advocacy – Solicitor Alone	£64 per hour
Consultation with Counsel	£32.50 per hour
Advocacy – Solicitor attending Counsel	£32.50 per hour

Table 5:

Solicitor – Composite Fees

Work Type	Composite Fee
Non-Molestation Order	£352
Occupation Order	£352
Non-Molestation/Occupation application withdrawn with undertakings	£352
Non-Molestation and Occupation Order	£416
Second Hearing – Contested	£192
Second Hearing – Uncontested	£96
Variation/Discharges – Contested	£352
Variation/Discharges – Uncontested	£192
Adjournments	£30
Nominal Adjournment Fee – no court attendance	£15
Withdrawn	£30
Summons not served	£30
Letters Written	£3.65 per item
Letters Received	£1.85 per item
Telephone Calls	£3.65 per call
Non-routine telephone calls in excess of 5 minutes	£58 per hour

Table 6:

Counsel – Composite Fees

Work Type	Composite Fee
On an unopposed application or a procedural issue	Standard £76.25 Maximum £127
On the trial of a cause or matter, or the hearing of an application:
- Where the hearing lasts for up to half a day	Standard £140 Maximum £268
- Full Day	Standard £317.75 Maximum £508.50
- Refresher	£140 for each additional day
Consultation	£35.50 per hour
Complex items of work (opinion, affidavits)	£82.75 per item
All other written work	£50.25 per item

Domestic Proceedings (Northern Ireland) Order 1980(3)

Table 7:

Solicitor – Composite Fees

Work Type	Composite Fee
Separation and Maintenance	£140
Variation of Maintenance	£83.50
Case withdrawn at any stage before hearing and up to strikeout	£66
Part Hearings	£29
Adjourned Hearings:
- less than 20 minutes	£15.50
- in excess of 20 minutes	£29
Nominal Adjournment Fee – no court attendance	£12
Dismissed Cases	£124.50
Letters and telephone calls (not included in the basic fee)	£3.35 per item
Discontinued cases (no proceedings issued)
- advice less than one hour	£45
- advice of one hour	£50
- advice in excess of one hour	£55

Table 8:

Counsel – Composite Fees

Work Type	Composite Fee
On an unopposed application or a procedural issue	Standard £76.25 Maximum £127
On the trial of a cause or matter, or the hearing of an application:
- Where the hearing lasts for up to half a day	Standard £140 Maximum £268
- Full Day	Standard £317.75 Maximum £508.50
- Refresher	£140 for each additional day
Consultation	£35.50 per hour
Complex items of work (opinions, affidavits)	£82.50 per hour
All other written work	£50.25 per item

(1)

S.I. 1995/755 (N.I. 2)

(2)

S.I. 1998/1071 (N.I. 6)

(3)

S.I. 1980/563 (N.I. 5)