Why is a Remuneration Certificate Important?


The word ‘Remuneration’ means money paid for work or service. It comprises of basic salary, bonuses, or economic benefits to the employee. 

What is a remuneration certificate?

The Remuneration Certificate is a form that the client fills to request a bill from a solicitor to record his account’s legal costs.  According to the law, if the client is not satisfied with the expense, he can request a detailed accounting from his solicitor.

According to the law in the United Kingdom, if the client is dissatisfied with the charges, he may request a remuneration certificate. If he finds the bill’s costs are not fair, he/she can take the matter to the legal body. The final decision concerning charge dispute lies in the hands of legal authority. 

What is global remuneration professional certification?

Global remuneration professional certification is recognized globally as proof that the holder achieved the knowledge and skills required to effectively manage rewards programs and has a true dedication to their profession.

Legal services are expensive. Usually, the bills at the end of the process make clients frustrated. Different legal practitioners press charges on an hourly basis. Since the services charged are not transparent, it becomes a cause of the dispute. 

The client may feel overcharged for the services he/she didn’t sign up for. To overcome all these problems, The UK has passed a law to tackle unwanted issues.

According to the law, If the client is not satisfied with the expense, he can request a detailed accounting from his solicitor. Accurate accounting is under review by an impartial third party.

The process involves the client filling a remuneration form where the solicitor mentions the client’s services. 

The form is then sent to an impartial body, and the decision about whether the charges are fair or not is made. 

For example, In the UK, these matters are looked upon by

Legal Complaint Service, and in Ireland by the law society.

When can a client seek a remuneration certificate?

Clients generally have some period during which they have to apply for the form to initiate this process. They may get 30 days from when they know about the right to request the certificate from their solicitor. If the client is unaware of this right, he has up to three months to seek the remuneration certificate from his solicitor from the time he received his bill.

The independent agency then may have a look at the matter before it’s taken to court. This review system is generally free and takes several months.

The independent agency will assess whether to reduce the cost of the bill or not. But, it has no authority to increment the charges in the bill. 

If the client’s case went to the court and if the court reviews the remuneration certificate, then, in that case, the process is not free at all, and the requested party needs to pay the court fees. The solicitor has the right to charge interest on the outstanding payment. If the client feels to avoid this, he can pay the bill, but he has to make clear in writing that the fees are subject to the remuneration certificate process. If the client pays the bill without making this condition clear, there are chances that he may lose the right to request the review.

Daniel Smith

Daniel Smith

Daniel Smith is an experienced economist and financial analyst from Utah. He has been in finance for nearly two decades, having worked as a senior analyst for Wells Fargo Bank for 19 years. After leaving Wells Fargo Bank in 2014, Daniel began a career as a finance consultant, advising companies and individuals on economic policy, labor relations, and financial management. At Promtfinance.com, Daniel writes about personal finance topics, value estimation, budgeting strategies, retirement planning, and portfolio diversification. Read more on Daniel Smith's biography page. Contact Daniel: daniel@promtfinance.com

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