Liz Harris

A lawyer with a particular interest in facilitating great practitioner/client relationships

I have practiced solely as a cost lawyer for 20 years, in Melbourne, Australia. What is a cost lawyer? We advise lawyers and clients about recovery of costs from another party when an order for payment is made in litigation, we advise when there is a dispute about costs between lawyer and client, we act as experts in professional disciplinary proceedings and where costs are part of the claim in proceedings.

My particular interest is in facilitating great relationships between clients and their lawyers, ensuring all expectations are identified, managed and met (or exceeded!) Sorting out the ground rules at the time of engagement, develops trust, clarity, avoids later disputes, and ensures the working relationship is one where both parties gain value.

I am joint editor of Butterworths “Legal Costs Guide—Victoria” and a contributing editor to Butterworths “Civil Procedure - Forms and Precedents”.

I am Chair of the Costs Lawyers Group and a member of the Costs Policy Committee of the Law Institute of Victoria, and am presently heading up a project redrafting a new Victorian Supreme Court Scale of Costs.

I regularly present seminars in the areas of Alternative Billing, Legal Costs, Practice Management, Matter Management and consult to both Corporate Counsel and External Law Firms.