Legal Cheek has obtained records that show the names of 15 law firms which have failed to pay a junior criminal barrister a combined £4,931.82 in fees.
The barrister in question has been chasing the money for four years. So we decided to see if the threat of being named and shamed on Legal Cheek would focus the firms’ minds. This is what happened...
Six firms paid up soon after we contacted them, transferring a combined total of £1754.08 into the barrister's bank account.
Another five agreed to pay up if they were sent an additional invoice.
The remaining four had ceased trading. As such, the barrister will probably never be compensated for the work he did for OJS Law, Crescent & Co Solicitors, City Law and M C Bryan Solicitors, which between them are recorded to owe £2110.87.
Last month the Bar Council's annual report said that its fees collection unit had received complaints from barristers about 2,315 fee notes unpaid by solicitors, representing £5.2m in unpaid fees. £2.5m was recovered, but £2.7m wasn't – leaving barristers substantially out of pocket. Members of the Bar say the issue of unpaid fees is most problematic for young barristers, many of whom are often already struggling to manage law school debts.
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Is there a criminal legal aid solicitor out there who'd like to shed some light on why this happens?
And why not name and shame? You have the spreadsheet.
What is particularly disgusting about this is it takes quite a few cases to add up to £5K in outstanding fees.
I'm sure the 11 firms still in business will be employing said junior Criminal Barrister for his intrepid work in passing these details on to Legal Cheek...
I somehow doubt that he'll have threatened any firm with whom he may have an ongoing relationship.
Why not check into the Government who owes barristers a vast fortune and is aged debt going back years.