> in a country where legal bills can climb really fast

Honest question: Are there countries where this is not the case? I'd be interested to read more about how that manage that. If it's some sort of "protecting the little guy"-type thing or a general suppression of legal costs. Or maybe I'm reading too much into your comment.

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adrian_b an hour ago | parent | next [-]

In many countries, the loser pays all the legal bills.

So if you have been wrongly accused, that may cost you nothing.

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cactacea an hour ago | parent | prev | next [-]

It is more that labor protections in most of the industrialized world actually mean something, such that this sort of behavior is generally not even to be considered an option by an employer.

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shimman an hour ago | parent | prev [-]

Yes, the US is actually unique in this position. It even has it's own name the "American Rule."

In every other country, the loser pays the winner's legal fees.

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im3w1l an hour ago | parent [-]

Doesn't that mean that if you have a slam dunk case you can get a super expensive lawyer just to run up costs as much as possible? Hell, could you ask your friend to be your legal representative and have him charge you a gorillion dollar in legal fees? Then when you win you split the loot?

	▲	tfourb 43 minutes ago \| parent \| next [-]
		Civilized countries regulate the rates that lawyers can charge for standard work. Also lawyers get only reimbursed for reasonable costs by the loser. Still expensive, but not absurdly so.
	▲	tiahura 24 minutes ago \| parent \| prev \| next [-]
		No. The fees must be objectively reasonable and usual and customary for the effort and level of skill required. To get fees, you must submit an itemized billing statement that gets picked apart by the other side.
	▲	samatman 35 minutes ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		It does, and it absolutely has a chilling effect in countries which don't do things this way. Sue someone who can spend millions of pounds (for the sake of argument) on defence? Better be certain you can win... against someone who can spend millions of pounds, and probably went to the same public school as the judge. In America, legal fees can be awarded as additional damages. We should do it more than we do. But given those two options? I'm on Team American Rule, 100%