CIVIL PROCEDURE BACK TO BASICS 46: HOW TO INSTRUCT COUNSEL: HINTS AND TIPS FROM THE INTERNET

May 27, 2019 · by gexall · in Advocacy, Civil evidence, Civil Procedure, Members Content

There is an ongoing debate going on on Twitter at the moment about "how to instruct counsel". More particularly the problems caused by "instructions" being sent in a chain of emails (or other electronic communication) with major difficulties in finding the documents. Alternatively instructions are s...

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Tags: Avoiding negligence claims, Back to Basics, Civil Procedure

2 Responses

William Whawell · May 27, 2019 at 19:24:26 · →

This happens more and more. In costs it’s common to just be sent the emails. My record after actually carrying out an exercise to wheedle out duplications was 20 lever arch files of printed paper to then cost the files. Emails with attachments, vouchers, file notes not in any order.
We also get random files dropped into client Dropbox with no instructions at all.
Paperless has much to answer for
Richard Perkoff · May 27, 2019 at 20:41:28 · →

I once got short notice instructions to appear in a Mags Court matrimonial case . They consisted of a blank backsheet wrapped around a few scruffy bits of paper. Unfortunately, they didn’t tell me which party I was representing. A drawback when both parties had the same surname. ‘ Phoned the solicitors, no one knew anything about it and the solicitor whose reference was on it was on holiday. I eventually got the information from the Legal Aid Certificates lodged with the Court. No one turned up anyway.Case adjourned. Plus CA change.