referral fees Flashcards
What is a referral fee?
Any payment or other consideration made in return for the referral of professional instructions by an intermediary
What is the rule for referral fees?
rC10 - You must not pay or receive referral fees.
What are the two types of referral fees that are always prohibited?
Lay client has not consented
Claims for personal injury damages
What payments are accepted (that are not referral fees)?
Clerking and admin services
Membership to ADR services
Advertising
Is online clerking allowed?
Yes.
Can you pay a 3rd party for advertising and publicity?
Yes, as long as payment is genuinely for marketing and not referral.
Can a solicitor not pay a juniors fee’s in return for instructions for big cases for more senior barristers?
No! This is considered a referral fee.