§ discipline

Costs and fee transparency to client client

The lawyer must give the client clear written information at the outset, and as the matter progresses, about likely fees, disbursements, the basis of charging and the client's potential costs liability.

53 cases 64% strike-off avg suspension 25.5 mo avg fine 3,379 17 with dishonesty finding

How the codes express this duty

E&W Solicitors SRA Principles & Code CCS 8.7 strong 38 cases
8.7 You ensure that clients receive the best possible information about how their matter will be priced and, both at the time of engagement and when appropriate as their matter progresses, about the likely overall cost of the matter and any costs incurred.

SRA Code of Conduct for Solicitors, RELs and RFLs · 2019 · archived copy · official source ↗

E&W Barristers BSB Handbook rC22.1; rC19.2 strong 1 case
rC22.1 you must, subject to Rule rC23, confirm in writing acceptance of the instructions and the terms and/or basis on which you will be acting, including the basis of charging; rC19 ... you must not mislead ... about: .2 the terms on which the legal services will be supplied, who will carry out the work and the basis of charging;

BSB Handbook · current · archived copy · official source ↗

Cayman Islands Legal Services Code 2026 R.4.3 strong
An attorney-at-law shall provide to clients a reasonable indication of likely fees and expenses (or "disbursements"), both at the outset and as a matter progresses... The information shall be clear and in writing. An attorney-at-law shall advise clients of the following — (a) the basis of the fees and disbursements... (c) details of the client's potential liability for costs in contentious matters

Cayman Islands Legal Services Code of Professional Conduct · 2026 · archived copy

AU Solicitors Solicitors' Conduct Rules no clear equivalent
AU Barristers Uniform Barristers Rules no clear equivalent
IE Solicitors Law Society Guide Ch2 — Information in relation to legal costs strong
On receiving instructions from a client, the solicitor must provide their client with a notice setting out the costs and VAT that will be incurred in relation to that matter... Once it is possible to quantify the actual costs, an updated notice must be issued to the client... If, subsequently, the solicitor becomes aware of any factor that would make the legal costs incurred in the matter significantly greater than those disclosed, then a new notice should issue to the client.

Solicitor's Guide to Professional Conduct (Law Society of Ireland) · 4th ed. (2022) · archived copy · official source ↗

IE Barristers Bar Code of Conduct Rule 12.13 partial
The Bar Council may give Guidance on Barristers' duties in relation to legal costs and fees and it shall be the duty of Barristers to ensure that they meet the requirements of such Guidance and of any other guidelines as may be issued from time to time by the Bar Council.

Code of Conduct for the Bar of Ireland · 2024 · archived copy · official source ↗

JM Attorneys Canons of Professional Ethics no clear equivalent
JE Lawyers Law Society of Jersey Code R.1.3 strong
Members must provide to clients a reasonable indication of likely fees and expenses ("disbursements"), both at the outset and as a matter progresses... The information must be clear and in writing. Members must advise clients of the following: a) the basis of the fees and disbursements... c) details of the client's potential liability for costs in contentious matters.

Law Society of Jersey Code of Conduct · 1 January 2017 · archived copy · official source ↗

ON Lawyers LSO Rules of Prof. Conduct r 3.6-1; r 3.6-1 commentary [3] strong
3.6-1 A lawyer shall not charge or accept any amount for a fee or disbursement unless it is fair and reasonable and has been disclosed in a timely fashion. [cmt 3: A lawyer should provide to the client in writing, before or within a reasonable time after commencing a representation, as much information regarding fees and disbursements, and interest as is reasonable and practical in the circumstances, including the basis on which fees will be determined.]

Law Society of Ontario — Rules of Professional Conduct · current · archived copy · official source ↗

BC Lawyers BC Code r 3.6-1, commentary [3] strong
A lawyer should provide to the client in writing, before or within a reasonable time after commencing a representation, as much information regarding fees and disbursements, and interest, as is reasonable and practical in the circumstances, including the basis on which fees will be determined.

Code of Professional Conduct for British Columbia (BC Code) · 2017 · archived copy · official source ↗

NZ Lawyers Conduct & Client Care Rules r 3.4(a) / r 9.4 strong
A lawyer ... must, in advance, provide in writing to a client information ... including ... (a) the basis on which the fees will be charged, when payment of fees is to be made ... A lawyer must upon request provide an estimate of fees and inform the client promptly if it becomes apparent that the fee estimate is likely to be exceeded.

Lawyers and Conveyancers Act (Lawyers: Conduct and Client Care) Rules 2008 · SR 2008/214 · archived copy · official source ↗

SCO Solicitors LSS Standards of Conduct B1.9 partial 3 cases
You must communicate effectively with your clients and others

Law Society of Scotland — Practice Rules 2011, Rule B1 (Standards of Conduct) · 2011 · archived copy · official source ↗

SG Lawyers Professional Conduct Rules 2015 r 17 (Professional fees and costs) partial
17 Professional fees and costs

Legal Profession (Professional Conduct) Rules 2015 · 2015 · archived copy · official source ↗

HK Solicitors Solicitors' Guide Principle 4.01 strong
On taking instructions a solicitor should normally give his client the best information he can under the circumstances about the likely costs of the matter. The solicitor should discuss with the client how the costs and disbursements are to be met.

Hong Kong Solicitors' Guide to Professional Conduct (Volume 1) · current · archived copy · official source ↗

HK Barristers Bar Code of Conduct para 9.13(b) partial
provide the instructing person with such records or details of the work done as may reasonably be required.

Code of Conduct of the Bar of the Hong Kong SAR · 2018 · archived copy · official source ↗

Cases dealing with this duty

Clear

53 decisions · link basis: found breached = a tribunal finding; rule cited = the mapped provision is cited in the decision; text match = high-precision text pattern

Duty classification does not yet cover every jurisdiction (Ontario, New Zealand and Singapore decisions are indexed but not yet duty-classified), so counts here understate those corpora.