Drafting

We undertake all kinds of drafting tasks for all kinds of cases.

We keep turnaround times low, quality of work high and at all times ensure that you as the Client achieve the maximum recovery on costs to which you are entitled.

With experience in both Claimant and Defendant work we have the knowledge to ensure the aims we set out to achieve are met.

Each drafting instruction is different and needs to be prepared on its own merit. Files vary from firm to firm and file handler to file handler. Our flexibility and involved approach enables us to identify these differences and adapt as required to ensure the best outcome.

Our costs drafting service includes preparing formal Bills of Costs, Schedules of Costs, detailed Costs Summaries for Infant Approval Hearings, and Statements of Costs for trial.

We will also provide case specific advice throughout the negotiation process and are always on hand to advise up until the conclusion of the case.

Costs budgeting and Form H

Our aim is to ensure that the Costs Budgeting process is as simple and accurate as possible, and minimises the impact it has on your day to day work.

We are not going to ask you to sit and prepare a lengthy document outlining every future hour you are going to spend on the case. We are specialists who can take away this fruitless task and make costs budgeting as painless as possible.

We will review your file of papers, cost the file, calculate the future costs and only then revert with queries over future work if matters are not clear.

We will also provide you with details of how future costs are calculated and draft detailed assumptions so that any challenge to the costs budget is sternly contested and backed up with the facts in the case.

Whilst it appears that different courts are taking different stances at present, we’re experiencing them all so we know how to tackle the issues and resolve them in the most favourable way.

The best part is that at conclusion our fees are recoverable under the new guidelines so having this often onerous task taken away from you does not cost you a penny.

Negotiations

Following submission of the bill of costs, the process of settling costs is rarely simple. The occasions where a cheque arrives in full settlement is extremely rare and we are used to having to negotiate hard to ensure that the Client’s recovery is the best it can be.

From the standard letters sent by the paying party to the complex issues that can arise, we have the abilities to address all that arises and will ensure this happens in a timely manner.

We work quickly to ensure responses are sent back to the Otherside as soon as possible as we aim to minimise the time taken at each stage of the claim for costs.

We are happy to request authority on offers and settlement on each file, to have delegated authority on all files or work on a case by case basis. We will also look at matters from a commercial basis and provide you with the advice most appropriate in each situation.

Advocacy

Our Advocacy is handled by our in-house Advocacy team made up of Solicitors or FCILEx who attend Hearings no matter the location.

Our advocates also attend Oral Reviews where a Provisional Assessment is contested by one or both of the parties, together with Detailed Assessment Hearings where the bill is claimed at over £75,000. We also deal with Cost Application Hearings and Cost and Case Management Hearings working alongside our Client to deal with the Costs Budgeting aspect of the hearing.

Auditing & Consultancy

We travel nationwide to audit your files. Whether they be in the hands of your costs team, external costs draftsmen or the claim is still ongoing, we can step in to assist.

It is essential for any firm to ensure their income is realised to its full potential, this needs to be controlled and monitored at all stages. Our staff have undertaken many beneficial file audits where our actions have led to procedural changes within the lifetime of a case.

We offer consultancy services to provide one-off or ongoing advice. Dependant on the type of advice you require we are at hand to help.

Whether it be starting your own in-house costs department, setting up systems to monitor and record costs or simply to provide regular costs advice we have the expertise to meet your goals.

Consultancy is also offered on a daily or long term basis based on your needs, budget and familiarity with costs law.

JSM

To ensure costs are dealt with quickly and efficiently we can be there by your side to deal with the costs matters if settlement is reached at a JSM.

The use of a costs specialist is the only sensible way to deal with matters if you want the outcome to best suit you. We can be on hand to try and negotiate the settlement of costs if you are successful in settling the substantive matter.

We often draft specialist schedules of costs for use at a JSM which are as thoroughly drawn up as a bill of costs but cut down in detail to reduce drafting time and the associated costs.

Matters are not delayed by drafting formal bills at the conclusion of the case, this saves firms both time and expense and can dramatically reduce incoming cashflow times.

Reporting

You may already have templates or layouts which simply need filling in, or you may be open to read our standard reporting forms. Either way we will provide you with what you want when you want it.

Alternatively you may require a bespoke report designing to provide you with the information you require in a particular format on a particular day.

We understand the need and importance of this information to your business and we ensure that this will be provided in a timely fashion on a pre-set timetable to suit your needs.

This management information helps to improve planning through consistent monitoring of Key Performance Indicators.

This service is offered at no additional cost to the client.

Dedicated Services Line

Part of our ongoing service to you is the inclusion of a free telephone service to deal with any costs issues you have.

We have found this service to be very popular with our clients as many queries can be answered quickly and efficiently on the spot.

We find that the more regular contact that you have with us the better you will assimilate our costs service into your systems, increasing efficiency and ingraining our ethos of maximum costs recovery into your practice