The Sunday Business Post report today states that Cian and Yvonne Ó Cuanacháin face a multi million pound bill only if their own lawyers seek to make them pay for their services. The report continues that :

It was widely reported last week that the couple faced the loss of their home to pay the legal bill from their lengthy High Court case. However, the judge’s decision last week, to make no order on the costs issue means that the O’Cuanachain family will only face a threat to their home if their lawyers seek costs. It was generally assumed that, as in most similar cases, the couple’s lawyers operate on a ‘‘no-foal-no fee’’ basis.

This means that the lawyers would only charge for their services in the event of a victory – in which the state would end up paying all the costs.

However, solicitors for the couple, Ernest Cantillon and Co, were not available to confirm this last week. Total costs for the case are estimated at about €5 million, although the state will pay for its lawyers’ share of this.

So, the situation seems to be a bit unclear, given the fact that it was Cian and Yvonne who stated they face losing their home . This would seem to indicate that their lawyers were going to make them pay for their services, in which case the biggest outcry ought to be the outrageous costs of legal services in Ireland. It’s a pity the legal service wasn’t subjected to the same market forces as other workers in Ireland, where jobs can be exported to lower cost economies. Maybe then, we might see some competition on pricing and realistic prices to boot. Wishful thinking.