Law Update: Charging ahead

The charging systems of lawyers in common law countries such as England and Wales, Australia and the United States, are subject to less state regulation than those in civil law jurisdictions, according to research published by the Law Society's research and policy planning unit. Fees in common law jurisdictions tend to be principally determined by the client and the lawyer. In most civil law jurisdictions, however, regulatory bodies exert a greater level of overt control over fees for legal services.