Clash of Hearing Dates

Question 1

What core duty comes into play?

Answer 1

CD7 - your duty to provide a competent standard of work and service to each client.

Question 2

What should you do to prevent a clash of dates.

Answer 2

make all reasonable efforts to avoid it, including communicating effectively with th Court and managing and diarising your cases effectively

Question 3

What do you do if there is a clash in your dairy?

Answer 3

if it is impossible to prevent a clash, you must exercise your professional judgment in deciding which hearing is most important to attend.

Question 4

What circumstances should you consider when deciding which case to take?

Answer 4

1. the length of time that you have been instructed on each case
2. the complexity and difficulty of each case
3. the amount of work you have already done on the case
4. relevant access to justice considerations and the likely impact on your client.

Question 5

What should you do if you miss a hearing?

Answer 5

take reasonable steps to keep all parties concerned informed of any clash of hearing dates and take all reasonable steps to assist clients to find alternative representation