On-going disclosure: Top Four Mistakes

1. Remember to give your client regular progress reports
2. Remember to advise your client if your hourly rates increase
3. Remember to advise client in writing of any unusual work or expense: Re Blyth warning
4. Most importantly, remember to update your estimates regularly ñ many files we see have no sensible estimate and no updated estimate ñ we canít emphasize too highly how often this results in client disputes and creates difficulties and losses on assessment.

We recommend every file in your office be reviewed every 6 months to check the ongoing disclosure and a checklist at the front of the file filled out.

Consequences: if disclosure isn’t complete you cannot sue on the bill, you cannot recover money until it is assessed, there may be a reduction proportional to the failure to disclose and you have to pay the costs of assessment.