Jonathan Franklin v Your Lawyers Limited

Facts

On 15 November 2018 the claimant, Mr Jonathan Franklin, sustained personal injuries in an accident at work. He instructed the defendant firm, Your Lawyers Limited, to act for him and the claim was concluded by settlement on 14 December 2020. The defendant never delivered a final invoice for the costs of bringing that claim, so when the claimant instructed Mr James Green of JG Solicitors to examine the sums he had been charged, a final statutory bill was needed before his options could be considered. On 14 August 2024 Mr Green wrote requesting delivery of a final statute bill within 14 days, enclosing an authority bearing an electronic signature. On 27 August 2024 Mr Matthew Plemper, the defendant's senior manager, replied that he could not respond without a properly signed form of authority. A handwritten authority was signed on 10 September 2024 and emailed on 25 September 2024, with a request for delivery by 9 October 2024. No response came, and a further letter of 15 October 2024 gave seven days before an application under section 68(1) of the Solicitors Act 1974 would be made. That letter too went unanswered, and Part 8 proceedings were issued on 30 October 2024. The defendant delivered a final statute bill on 10 December 2024. Only the costs of the proceedings remained in dispute.