I’ve been recovering from the stress of a 3 day trial , where I was the barrister. The Magistrate reserved her decision. The outcome is line-ball and could go either way. My clients are broke and this was a pro bono matter, so I do not get paid for all the work we did unless we win.
This trial was unusual, because something like 98% of cases settle before trial in WA. This case should have settled beforehand, because the legal fees outweighed the amount at stake by a considerable amount and the winning party will not recover all of their legal fees.
We and the claimant’s original solicitors advocated settling. At one stage the parties were only $5,000 apart.
As the defendants, our clients were between a rock and a hard place. They could not afford to pay more, and the claimant would not budge. I was happy to settle and receive no fees.
If my clients lose, they are likely to be paying off the debt a little bit per week for many years, so the only winner is likely to be the solicitors for the claimant.
For help with court actions, please contact Michael Paterson & Associates, but I used up my pro bono quota for quite some time with this case 🙂