The court of appeal decision in Babatunde v. Osun State college of education: the prerequisite duration of retainership contract

Abstract

In legal practice, a client may engage a legal practitioner on a case basis or enter into retainership contract where the lawyer is expected to offer a range of agreed legal service for a period of time for a fee he is entitled to even if no service is rendered at the instance of the client. Like any other enforceable contract, it is expedient to expressly state the duration and other terms of a legal retainer. Where the duration is not stated but the fees are usually pay on yearly basis, the court shall treat the same as a yearly contract subject to yearly application and approval by the client. This paper which adopts doctrinal method, examines the imperativeness of stating the duration of retainership contract by examining the Court of Appeal decision in Babatunde v. Osun State College of Education where the court held that where the intention of the parties is not expressed, same will be discovered by examining the totality of the circumstances regulating the relationship. The paper examines the effect of the judgment on legal retainership in Nigeria. It found out that; failure to specify the duration of retainership, will open same to be construed as a yearly contract subject to renewal by the client upon the application of the legal practitioner. The paper makes vital recommendations on the issue going forward before conclusion.