Must a partner of the firm sign all bills before delivery to the client?
No. Schedule 16, section 64(3) of the Legal Services Act 2007, which came into force in March 2008, amended section 69 of the Solicitors Act 1974 which necessitated this.
However, by virtue of section 64(2A), the bill must be:
- signed by the solicitor or on their behalf by an employee of the solicitor authorised by them to sign, or
- enclosed in, or accompanied by, a letter which is signed and refers to the bill
If the bill is not properly signed, it is still valid but may be unenforceable in the courts.
Disclaimer
While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this article, it does not constitute legal advice and cannot be relied upon as such. The Law Society does not accept any responsibility for liabilities arising as a result of reliance upon the information given.
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