ABSTRACT
Under the Solicitors Act 1974, all work is non-contentious unless it is for the purposes of proceedings which have in fact begun, that is, by the issue of a writ or summons. This means that, in some cases, charges will cover both contentious and non-contentious work. The significance of the distinction is that the client is entitled to have costs for the contentious business taxed, and the amount will be at the discretion of the taxing officer in accordance with the appropriate rules of court.
