Lawyers ask CJ to increase their legal fees

By Lucianne Limo

NAIROBI, KENYA: The Law Society of Kenya has urged the Chief Justice Willy Mutunga to increase their legal fees.

The LSK Chairman Eric Mutua on Thursday said there was need to review their remuneration order upwards due to hard economic condition.

The Advocates Remuneration Order is a document on scale of professional legal fees to be used by Advocates, clients and other stakeholders.

It provides for a minimum scale of fees for all categories of practitioners which are based on the nature of transaction.

Mutua said lawyers have forwarded a draft proposal to the CJ to for approval but he has returned the same to the lawyers to seek public participation on the new legal fees.

“Uganda and Tanzania charge more legal fees than Kenya despite their economy being lower than our country, “he said at a consultative meeting on the scale of fees for professionals held at a Nairobi hotel.

He noted that in Kenya, to file a suit of over Sh20 million, an advocate charges 1.25 percent while in Tanzania and Uganda any case above Sh1 million ,lawyers charge over 1 percent and 5 percent respectively.

Mutua said the Advocates Remuneration Order was lastly reviewed in 2006.

Mutua revealed that currently, lawyers charge at the rate of 1.2 percent for conveyance for agreement of sale of property worth between Sh3 million and Sh6.5 Million.

In their new proposal, they want their legal fees raised to two percent.

They further want their fees raised by 1.5 percent from 0.25 percent for any case that is worth more than 100 million.

Deputy Solicitor General Muthoni Kimani said the Remuneration Order for lawyers is not realistic and needs to be improved so that lawyers offer clients quality service.

“The values of work lawyers offer client’s is underrated and should be compensated adequately to enable them provide quality services to the public, “she added.