LEGAL FEES

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 121, 16 February 1920, Page 7

LEGAL FEES

SCALE TO BE INCREASED. The annual report of the Auckland District Law Society, issued Inst week, announced that a new scale of fees had been agreed upon_toy the council of the Netv Zealand Society in regard to conveyancing charges, under both the land transfer system and the deeds registration system. The increases, it is understood, vary according to the responsibility accepted by the solicitor, from 15 per cent, to 40 per cent, It was ascertained that the following increases were typical:— Ordinary land transfers: Original fee, ;£2 2s. for the first ,£2OO. and 7s. for every other .£100; up. to .£5000; new fee, to h 3s. for the first .£2OO and. 10s. Cel. for every other .£IOO, up to .£SOOO. Deeds registration work: Old fee, ,£2 2s. for the 'first .£IOO and 10s. fid. on every other .£100; new fee. .£3 3s. for the first ,£IOO and 15s. for every other ,£IOO. Similar, increases have been made in Tespect to ■ mortgage transactions, but none at all in rcspect to the transfer of leases. One barrister consulted said that the law was probably the only profession in .which charges had not been increased during the war .period, yet the expenses of legal businesses had been increasing in quite as great a degree as the expenses of other businesses. He added that solicitors' charges would bo still subject to taxation if a client thought he was being over-olmrged. Another gentleman _ said the higher fees were neeossary in view of the increased cost .of stationery, higher salaries, and the general rise in the cost of living. A third solicitor cited the fact that fees for conveyancing had not been altered to any extent for 40 years, and in view of this fact he contended that lawyers, like Clive, might say that they •"were astonished at their own moderation." The new scale, of course, does not affect the costs prescribed by rule of Court (between party and party, but it is not unlikely that a movement will takeplaco to raise the scales used by the Court (says the "Herald"). The question of these scales was the subject of controversy for many years before the war, and "in 1913 a suggestion was made that it should be revised by the Judges. Owing to the war this was never done, but as far as can be ascertained the matter ■will be dealt with at an early date.