KOUTSOURAIS & ANOR v METLEDGE & ASSOCIATES [2004] NSWCA 313

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION : KOUTSOURAIS & ANOR v METLEDGE & ASSOCIATES [2004] NSWCA 313 HEARING DATE(S) : 07/09/2004 JUDGMENT DATE : 23 November 2004

JUDGMENT OF : Beazley JA at 1; Hodgson JA at 12; Bryson JA at 13 DECISION : Appeal allowed: costs orders: see [12]

CATCHWORDS : LEGAL PROFESSION - Costs - solicitors Legal Profession Act 1987 s.192 requires Bill of Costs to be given to client at least 30 days before action to recover - solicitor made informal claims without complying bills against 2 clients, one a company and one who was principal of the company - after disputes and service of Statutory Demand on company, parties agreed that the company (not the individual) would pay all the costs by instalments and solicitor would not proceed with winding-up - later the solicitor sued the company for money payable under that agreement - HELD (by majority) the claim retained character of claim for costs and ws barred by s.192. Legal Profession Act 1987 s.192, s.209C Legal Practitioners Act 1898 s.21 LEGISLATION CITED : Local Courts (Civil Claims) Act 1970 s.69 Solicitors Act 1891 (Queensland) s.3 Supreme Court Act 1970 s.101(1)(a), s.118(4) Supreme Court Rules 1970 British Russian Gazette Ltd v. Associated Newspapers Ltd (1933) 2KB 616 Callisher v Bischoffsheim (1870) LR 5 QB 449 Conder v Silkbard Pty Ltd [1999] NSWCA 459 Connolly Suthers v Frost [1995] 2 Qd R 117 CASES CITED : Dodd v Gillis (1989) 16 NSWLR 623 McDermott v. Black (1940) 63 CLR 161 Mitchell (1997) 160 ALR 161 Morris v. Baron [1918] AC 35 Udovenko v. Mitchell (1997) 160 ALR 161 Manuel Koutsourais - 1st Appellant PARTIES : Bambakit Pty Ltd - 2nd Appellant Mary Metledge t/as Mary Metledge & Associates - Respondent FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 40500/2003 COUNSEL : T. Tzovaras (Sol) - Appellant A. Blank - Respondent SOLICITORS : Tzovaras Legal, Sydney - Appellant M.R. Barbar & Associates, Marrickville - Respondent