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Richardson v Slater & Gordon: SCCO emphasises substance over form in CFAs; enforceability, client information, CPR 46.9(3), and scrutiny of success fees and hourly rates (England and Wales)

Published on: 15 July 2025

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Solicitor-client costs and CFA enforceability—Substance over form (Richardson & Others v Slater & Gordon UK Ltd)

Richardson and others v Slater & Gordon UK Ltd [2025] EWHC 1220 (SCCO)

What are the practical implications of this case?

Although the obligation to provide an oral explanation of CFA terms was removed in 2005, this ruling highlights the ongoing value of a clear onboarding process to ensure clients grasp key or atypical CFA provisions, especially where they carry financial consequences. The court found it unnecessary for solicitors to deliver a detailed oral explanation of the workings of a CFA. That said, practitioners are likely to benefit from drawing attention to any unusual or significant clauses and preserving records of those conversations to deter later challenges. While informed consent is not a strict requirement for a CFA to be enforceable, its absence may bear upon the assessment of the reasonableness of costs under CPR 46.9(3). A CFA based on hourly rates is not, in itself, ‘unusual’ so as to invoke the presumption that such costs were unreasonably incurred under that provision. At paras [126]–[134] of the judgment, Judge Rowley further confirmed that it is possible to...

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