Following an important judgment yesterday about the guideline hourly rates, Deputyship firms can charge more for the work they do.
The hourly rates have not been increased since 2010, so ten years. Over that time the overhead costs incurred by firms doing deputyship work have risen but the amount that could be charged for that work has stayed the same. The case was brought because of concern about the sustainability of deputyship work if costs such as salaries, building costs, IT costs etc continued to rise but the hourly rates that could be charged did not.
Deputies can now claim 120% of the 2010 guideline hourly rates which essentially accounts for the inflationary increase for each year since 2010. It is not a case of an unexpected bonus but rather a long overdue catch up. It is very welcome news for firms committed to deputyship work and ultimately for their clients as it means that this area of work can remain sustainable.
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