Legal fees

I always feel confused about how a lawsuit may cost and doubt that the legal protection (civil case) is out of reach for ordinary people. "The Sunday Times" today posts an article on the legal fees, which gives some insight.

• sealing a writ of summons for the commencement of an action costs from $100 at magistrate court (claim of up to $60K) to $1000 at supreme court (claim of more than $1m)
• filing a defence costs from $10 to $500 respectively
• For each hearing day after the first day (the 1st day at magistrate & district courts is free) or the first 3 days (the first 3 days at supreme court is free), it can cost from $250 to $9000.
• court of appeal hearing fees are $4000 to $6000.

Unless it drags too long, the above court fees seem still manageable, especially if the claimed amount is not big (e.g. < $250K so being heard at subordinate court).

However, the lawyer's fees are not cheap at all:

• Contested criminal case in the subordinate courts for 1-wk trial: $20K to $25K. (the simple uncontested case in which the client pleads guilty is charged at $2000).
• Contested divorce matter in the subordinate courts: $4000. (half if uncontested)
• one-week trial at high court: $80K

Lawyers in big firms charge by hour: a new lawyer bills up to $250 an hour while a partner asks double for equivalent work. Furthermore lawyers usually charge 'big' for disbursements -- fees for photocopying & filing documents and transportation and even lunches during a trial!

Photocopying costs very often form the bulk of the disbursements: the court had ever ruled in 2003 that lawyers' photocopying charges at a rate of 15 cents per page (the guideline since 1987 stating 30 cents). A lawyer claimed $259K for photocopying charges in the history!

In the recent case of primary school teacher Jonathan Lock against NTUC Income, the legal bill finally presented to him surprised the public: $125K comprising $80K worth of legal work billed by his own lawyer.

Unlike the situation in US where (I heard) more lawyers fight for getting lawsuit case so they may do cases without charge unless winning over, the profession here has a 'monopoly' when it came to pricing its services. This suggests that small players likely lose out to big boys as the latter can drain the energy and money out of the former by putting them through all the legal hoops to make their case.

Although the Law Society will handle civil cases for free under the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme should the household income of the needed one fall below $2600, how many of us eligible for the legal help?