The Law Society Gazette quotes Tamasin Perkins on The Traitors and its likeness to multi-party litigation

There is currently a lot of fanfare surrounding hit TV show The Traitors. For those unfamiliar with the show, 22 contestants arrive at a castle in Scotland as 'faithfuls' and some are selected to play the game as 'traitors'.

Faithfuls and traitors participate in group challenges to increase the prize money. The faithfuls must work out who among them are the traitors and banish them before the end of the game. If they succeed, they win the money. If any traitors make it to the end of the game, those traitors walk away with the cash.

The traitors meet every night to pick a faithful to murder. Everyone gathers round a table to discuss whom they suspect is a traitor and why, then vote on whom to 'banish', eliminating that player from the game. 

Tamasin Perkins, Partner in our Private Wealth Disputes team is a fan of the show and has spotted some interesting comparisons between the show and real-life multi-party litigation. She shares her thoughts with The Law Society Gazette.

 People who do well at the roundtables are people who say little but are not the loudest. That’s a good lesson for litigation. If you’ve got a point and you really go for it, there is a cost risk.’ For instance, she said, if a group of people want to remove a trustee, the person who pushed hardest to oust them risks incurring greater costs if the trustee remains unousted.

Viewers discovered early on that contestants Diane and Ross were mother and son. They kept this secret from the other contestants.

Tamasin says ‘secret’ alliances can happen between parties to litigation, typically close friends, siblings, or parent and child, who might agree to pool any award received. Parties may have opposing claims but behind the scenes are loving family members who really just want the best for each other.

Read the full article in the Law Society Gazette here.