Lawyers’ fees for court cases set to triple

The Bar Council expect lawyers’ fees for court cases to increase by between 300 and 400 per cent this year.

According to the Bar Council, cases that normally cost around RM2,000 may skyrocket to RM8,000 or RM10,000.

Bar Council President Ragunath Kesavan said the cost increase could be attributed to an increase in responsibilities compared to before since cases cannot be postponed easily.

“Furthermore, cases need to be settled in three months,” he said after launching the “Start” which is a distribution project of a comprehensive guide on how a lawyer’s office should be managed.

“Previously, filing civil cases at the Magistrates Court may only cost about RM2,000 but now this figure may rise to RM8,000 or RM10,000. This does not include cases filed in High Court which has a bigger responsibility,” he said.

Speaking about “Start”, he said the Bar Council was duty bound to publish a manual to assist lawyers who wish to set up their own firms because the number of lawyers facing disciplinary action has increased.

“Statistics obtained show that the Bar Council’s Disciplinary Board penalises or takes disciplinary action against 30-40 lawyers a year for cheating clients, partners and other offences,” said Ragunath. – Bernama