BARRISTERS WHO are owed legal fees by solicitors are to consider a proposal to name and shame the culprits.
At its annual general meeting last Thursday, the Bar Council of Ireland discussed a proposal to maintain a debt collection and credit-rating service that would highlight and expose solicitors believed to be withholding fees.
The setting up of a debt collection agency to act on behalf of Bar Council members is under consideration by a committee which will bring proposals to the council after the holidays. A council spokeswoman said a motion on the issue was withdrawn and would be discussed in October.
Law Society director general Ken Murphy said the organisation would view as serious misconduct a solicitor recovering fees for a barrister and not passing them on. However “almost invariably” the reason for that was because solicitors themselves had not been paid.
“It is not the case that solicitors are hoarding fees paid by clients,” Mr Murphy said. “The sad reality . . . is clients are not paying because they can’t.”