Paying for legal services

Getting your bill checked

If your legal work involved a court case it is classed as contentious. Non-contentious work has not involved the courts, but may involve some tribunals..

If your bill is for contentious work you may get your bill checked by the court. This is called assessment. There are rules about the time when you can use this procedure and the procedure to follow.

If your bill is for non-contentious work and for less that £50,000 you have a choice of using the assessment procedure or you may request a remuneration certificate from the Legal Complaints Service. There are also rules about when you may do this and the procedure to follow. If your bill is for more than £50,000 you may only use the assessment procedure.