Inter Partes Billing Specialists

Cost Law Services has a team of highly experienced and technical law costs draftsman who are proficient in drafting detailed and accurate Bills of Costs for a plethora of areas of law.  We have a team who seek to maximise the recovery of your legal costs.

Cost Law Services Ltd are specialists in preparing all types of Bills of Costs for Detailed Assessment or Provisional Assessment. The Chartered Legal Executives, Costs Lawyers, Costs Draftsman and Costs Consultants, have extensive knowledge and experience to quickly turnaround your firm's work to ensure that your cash flow is not disrupted by unnecessary delays. We aim to provide a quick turnaround on all matters.  We can also accommodate for those very urgent matters which sometimes may slip through the net.

At Cost Law Services, we are able to allocate work to dedicated specialists to ensure that your Bills of Costs are of the highest standard and retained by the same costs law specialist throughout the costs litigation process and achieve the best possible outcome at the most cost effective rate.

Costs Law Services provides legal costs services covering areas such as:

Costs Management Orders (CMO)

Cost Law Services draft Bills in compliance with the Civil Procedural Rules (CPR). For example, where your firm has had a Cost Management Order (CMO) which predates 6 April 2018, we are conversant in applying the principles set out in Harrison –v- University Hospitals and Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust (Senior Cost Judge Gordon–Saker.  To this extent we will split the Bill to adhere to the various phases detailed in the approved Budget in full compliance with the CPR.  Where the work continues post 6 April 2018 we will then prepare the ‘new’ format electronic Bill where we are obligated to set it out in phase, task and activity.   Cost Law Services, will draft a Bill of Costs in line with the approved budget and Cost Management Order. Applying adherence to the current CPR and with the experienced team many of whom have been involved with budgeting and the electronic Bill (Precedent S) since their pilot schemes, we are able to take that pressure from your fee earners.

Inter Partes - Bills of Costs

Cost Law Services, will prepare the Bill of Costs in accordance with the retainer.  Our team has dealt with a variety of retainer issues stemming from private retainer solicitor/client disputes concluding at detailed assessment through to CFA retainer issues pre and post the Conditional Fee Agreement Regulations and matter also funded by way of ATE premiums.  Cost Law Services, receive instruction to prepare schedules of costs in relation to BTE funded matters.  With experience in dealing with all levels of litigation from the County Court through to the Supreme Court and including the various Divisions of the High Court (including the IPEC) we will ensure your firm's costs are Billed and reasonably recovered with the aim of maximising your costs. 

Negotiations and Advocacy

Cost Law Services, understands the primary objective and commercial viability of proceeding with a matter to Provisional Assessment / Detailed Assessment may not always be the most economical route.  Accordingly, the team of specialist Chartered Legal Executives, Costs Lawyers and Costs Draftsmen will provide comprehensive commercial advice as to the most prudent way of progressing with your costs. Where applicable, we will, subject to instruction, undertake negotiations in the attempt to reach an accord.  We will always advise you in respect of the reasonable settlement parameters which is founded upon the experience that we have from the Courts.

Should it not be possible to reach a settlement and the matter is for Detailed Assessment, Costs Law Services, have a number of skilled advocates with a wealth of experience of attending before the High Court, Senior Courts Costs office and other Courts.

With offices spanning the Country our advocacy service enables us to deploy a suitable advocate to the appropriate Court.

Points of Dispute

We have a team of experienced costs experts who are able to identify issues and prepare comprehensive challenges where appropriate. In accordance with the CPR we will identify general challenges and delve into the specific points in order to minimise cost exposure.

Where Points of Dispute are prepared, we will provide you with advice as to the most cost-effective way of progressing the matter. We will consider any Points of Reply and provide and advice as to the best way forward.  We will advise you in relation to the 'open' offer that must be provided when serving the Points of Dispute but also to a suitable Without Prejudice/Part 36 offer to be made.

Replies to Points of Dispute

Following service of Points of Dispute from the Paying Party, we will settle Replies in order to maximise your firm's recovery of costs. Should Counsel Fees be challenged, we will liaise with Chambers in order to obtain their comments thus minimising the impact on your fee earners ability to continue with their daily activities.  Whilst seeking to maximise your firm's recovery, we will always provide you with a realistic approach to ensure protection for your client and in an attempt to mitigate costs.

Costs Budgeting

Costs budgets have been with us since 2013 and are compulsory in all Multi Track matters.  Cost Law Services, understands the importance of a properly prepared and accurate budget. As has been seen in the Courts a poorly drafted or inaccurate budget could significantly reduce the amount of costs recovered at the conclusion of the claim.

Cost Law Services is able to provide a fast turnaround for the preparation of your cost budget.  Working with the fee earner we will prepare an accurate and well reasoned budget in an attempt to maximise the allowance. By doing this our costs experts are able to advise in relation to the Precedent R and allow the Court to be aware of why we seek to claim the amounts in the budgeted costs.

Costs Law Services are able to provide an advice on the opponent's budget in conjunction with your own client’s budget. 

With the requirements of the Electronic Bill (Precedent S) or where the Bill predates 6 April 2018, accurate budget preparation is essential. By maintaining the services of Cost Law services there will be uniformity at the conclusion of the matter when the Bill of Costs is prepared. 

With the strict timetables of the Court in the Case Management process, Cost Law Services Ltd can if urgent instruction is received, visit your client's offices to complete the budget, enabling a collaborative approach to suit your client's needs.