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No solicitor in Ireland to commence an action for fees until one month after delivery of his bill.
Reference of bill to proper officer for taxation.
Limitation of taxation.
Costs.
Courts may order solicitor to deliver up deeds, &c.
Evidence of delivery of bill sufficient, without proof of contents.
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2. No solicitor, nor any executor, administrator, or assignee of any solicitor, shall commence or maintain any action or suit for the recovery of any fees, charges, or disbursements for any business done by such solicitor, until the expiration of one month after such solicitor, or executor, administrator, or assignee of such solicitor, shall have delivered unto the party to be charged therewith, or sent by the post to or left for him at his counting-house, office of business, dwelling house, or last known place of abode, a bill of such fees, charges, and disbursements, and which bill shall either be subscribed with the proper hand of such solicitor, (or, in the case of a partnership, by any of the partners, either with his own name or with the name or style of such partnership,) or of the executor, administrator, or assignee of such solicitor, or be enclosed in or accompanied by a letter, subscribed in like manner, referring to such bill; and upon the application of the party chargeable by such bill within such month it shall be lawful, in case the business contained in such bill or any part thereof shall have been transacted in the High Court of Chancery, or in any other court of equity, or in any matter of bankruptcy or lunacy, or in case no part of such business shall have been transacted in any court of law or equity, for the Lord High Chancellor or the Master of the Rolls, and in case any part of such business shall have been transacted in any other court, for the Courts of Queen’s Bench, Common Pleas, or Exchequer, or any judge of either of them, and they are hereby respectively required, to refer such bill, and the demand of such solicitor, executor, administrator, or assignee thereupon, to be taxed and settled by the proper officer of the court in which such reference shall be made, without any money being brought into court; and the court or judge making such reference shall restrain such solicitor, or executor, administrator, or assignee of such solicitor, from commencing any action or suit touching such demand pending such reference; and in case no such application as aforesaid shall be made within such month as aforesaid, it shall be lawful for such reference to be made as aforesaid, either upon the application of the solicitor, or the executor, administrator, or assignee of the solicitor, whose bill may have been so as aforesaid delivered, sent, or left, or upon the application of the party chargeable by such bill, with such directions, and subject to such conditions as the court or judge making such reference shall think proper; and such court or judge may restrain such solicitor, or the executor, administrator, or assignee of such solicitor, from commencing or prosecuting any action or suit touching such demand pending such reference, upon such terms as shall be thought proper: Provided always, that no such reference as aforesaid shall be directed upon an application made by the party chargeable with such bill after a verdict shall have been obtained or a writ of inquiry executed in any action for the recovery of the demand of such solicitor, or executor, administrator, or assignee of such solicitor, or after the expiration of twelve months after such bill shall have been delivered, sent, or left as aforesaid, except under special circumstances, to be proved to the satisfaction of the court or judge to whom the application for such reference shall be made; and upon every such reference, if either the solicitor, or executor, administrator, or assignee of the solicitor, whose bill shall have been delivered, sent, or left, or the party chargeable with such bill, having due notice, shall refuse or neglect to attend such taxation, the officer to whom such reference shall be made may proceed to tax and settle such bill and demand ex parte; and in case any such reference as aforesaid shall be made upon the application of the party chargeable with such bill, or upon the application of such solicitor, or the executor, administrator, or assignee of such solicitor, and the party chargeable with such bill shall attend upon such taxation, the costs of such reference shall, except as hereinafter provided for, be paid according to the event of such taxation; that is to say, if such bill when taxed be less by a sixth part than the bill delivered, sent, or left, then such solicitor, or executor, administrator, or assignee of such solicitor, shall pay such costs; and if such bill when taxed shall not be less by a sixth part than the bill delivered, sent, or left, then the party chargeable with such bill, making such application or so attending, shall pay such costs; and every order to be made for such reference as aforesaid shall direct the officer to whom such reference as aforesaid shall direct the officer to whom such reference shall be made to tax such costs of such reference to be so paid as aforesaid, and to certify what upon such reference shall be found to be due to or from such solicitor, or executor, administrator, or assignee of such solicitor, in respect of such bill and demand, and of the costs of such reference, if payable: Provided also, that such officer shall in all cases be at liberty to certify specially any circumstances relating to such bill or taxation, and the court or judge shall be at liberty, if it shall be thought fit, to give any special directions relative to the costs of such reference: Provided also, that it shall be lawful for the said respective courts and judges, in the same cases in which they are respectively authorized to refer a bill which has been so as aforesaid delivered, sent, or left, to make such order for the delivery by any solicitor, or the executor, administrator, or assignee of any solicitor, of such bill as aforesaid, and for the delivery up of deeds, documents, or papers in his possession, custody, or power, or otherwise touching the same, in the same manner as has heretofore been done as regards such solicitor, by such courts or judges respectively, where any such business had been transacted in the court in which such order was made : Provided also, that it shall not in any case be necessary in the first instance for such solicitor, or the executor, administrator, or assignee of such solicitor, in proving a compliance of this Act, to prove the contents of the bill he may have delivered, sent, or left, but it shall be sufficient to prove that a bill of fees, charges, or disbursements, subscribed in the manner aforesaid, or enclosed in or accompanied by such letter as aforesaid, was delivered, sent, or left in manner aforesaid; but nevertheless it shall be competent for the other party to show that the bill so delivered, sent, or left was not such a bill as constituted a bona fide compliance with this Act.
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