Paying Party Costs Reduced by £132,000
Here is another in our occasional series of client stories highlighting how we can make a difference to your costs claim.
Costs were claimed in respect of a claim under the Equality Act where three members of the travelling community (along with an accompanying journalist) had been refused service in a public house. The claims were settled before allocation for a total of £4,200.00 (£1,200.00 each to the First, Second and Third Claimants and £600.00 to the Fifth Claimant) A claim by a Fourth Claimant (who had not even been present in the public house at the time and had met the other Claimants in the car park) had been discontinued. Costs were claimed at c.£161,000.00 inclusive of a 100% success fee and predicated on rates significantly in excess of the relevant guideline rates.
Marc Banyard, Costs Lawyer successfully argued that the costs were disproportionate, the rates were excessive, the success fee was excessive, the Insurance Premium was unrecoverable and that costs had not been properly apportioned per Beaumont v Senior & Bull to allow for the discontinuance by the Fourth Claimant. Significant reductions were also made to the document times, which consisted of large amounts of time where two Grade A fee earners had worked in parallel on matters. Costs were ultimately assessed at c.£29,000.00 (just 18% of those claimed).
We comfortably beat our own offer and were awarded costs of the assessment.
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