Legal Profession Act 1966 · 2020 Revised Edition · Part 8 · Remuneration Received by Singapore Law Practices or Solicitors, or in Respect of Practice of Singapore Law
109. Agreements with respect to remuneration for non-contentious business
Feedback & supportLast amended by an amending law of 2021.
Whether or not any order is in force under section 108, a solicitor and his or her client may, either before or after or in the course of the transaction of any non‑contentious business by the solicitor, make an agreement as to the remuneration of the solicitor or law corporation or limited liability law partnership in respect thereof.
solicitor
“advocate and solicitor”, “advocate” and “solicitor” mean an advocate and solicitor of the Supreme Court;
An agreement under subsection (1) must not provide for costs at a scale lower than that provided by any order made under section 108.
The agreement may provide for the remuneration of the solicitor or law corporation or limited liability law partnership by a gross sum, or by commission or percentage, or by salary, or otherwise, and it may be made on the terms that the amount of the remuneration therein stipulated for either includes or does not include all or any disbursements made by the solicitor or law corporation or limited liability law partnership in respect of searches, plans, travelling, stamps, fees or other matters.
law corporation
“law corporation” means a company licensed as a law corporation under section 153;
The agreement must be in writing and signed by the person to be bound thereby or the person’s agent in that behalf.
The agreement may be sued and recovered on or set aside in the like manner and on the like grounds as an agreement not relating to the remuneration of a solicitor or law corporation or limited liability law partnership.
limited liability law partnership
“limited liability law partnership” means a limited liability partnership licensed as a limited liability law partnership under section 138;
If on any assessment of costs the agreement is relied on by the solicitor or law corporation or limited liability law partnership and objected to by the client as unfair or unreasonable, the assessing officer may enquire into the facts and certify them to the court, and if on that certificate it appears just to the court that the agreement should be cancelled, or the amount payable thereunder reduced, the court may order the agreement to be cancelled, or the amount payable thereunder to be reduced, and may give such consequential directions as the court thinks fit.
client
“client” includes —(a)in relation to contentious business — any person who, as a principal or on behalf of another person, retains or employs, or is about to retain or employ, a solicitor, and any person who is or may be liable to pay the costs of a solicitor, law corporation or limited liability law partnership; and(b)in relation to non-contentious business —(i)any person who, as a principal or on behalf of another, or as a trustee, an executor or an administrator, or in any other capacity, has power (express or implied) to retain or employ, and retains or employs or is about to retain or employ, a solicitor, law corporation or limited liability law partnership; and(ii)any person for the time being liable to pay a solicitor, law corporation or limited liability law partnership for his, her or its services any costs;