ARC Costs Lawyer Team

At ARC Costs we have been assisting professional and lay clients recover or challenge claims for costs since 2014.

Amongst our senior management team, we possess in excess of 30 years’ overall legal costs experience, and in respect of Receiving Party work, we have recovered in excess of £35 million in costs for our clients.

As a long standing company of costs professionals that have been supporting the legal industry for in excess of 10 years, we have, and continue to assist in both day-to-day disputes and high profile cases, with no matter to big or small for us to assist with.

Our team of experienced Costs Draftsman and Costs Lawyers have expertise in a wide variety of costs matters, with our main areas of work being on Legal Aid and Inter-Partes costs disputes, and a key focus on client care and efficiency.  Some of our recent success include:

• Recovering 100% of a Bill of Costs, plus 10% uplift for beating our own Part 36 Offer, for a Litigant in Person;
• Achieving an 80% reduction on a housing disrepair claim against a local Council;
• Challenging a Default Costs Certificate for a Paying Party, served with a Bill of Costs 12 years out of time;
• Assisting Dale Semper and his Solicitor, Holborn Adams, in recovering his extensive legal costs in bringing a claim against the Metropolitan Police for racial discrimination;
• Regularly recovering 100% of costs in legal aid claims.

What is a Costs Lawyer?

You may have heard the phrases Costs Draftsman and Costs Lawyer used interchangeably however, there is a distinct difference between the two.  There are certainly plenty of experienced Costs Draftsman with extensive years of experience and are extremely competent, some of which work at ARC Costs however, a Costs Lawyer is a legally qualified individual who has been tested to a strict standard of competency, and is regulated as such.

Costs Lawyers fully regulated legal professionals, being the legal costs equivalent to a Solicitor or CILEX, with a particular specialism in the area of costs law.  Solicitors, CILEX and other experienced legal professionals specialise in specific areas of law, and in respect of legal costs, your qualified specialist equivalent is a Costs Lawyer. They hold rights of audience, and can conduct costs litigation on your behalf. Costs Lawyers can even go on Court record to act for you, in place of a Solicitor.

How are Costs Lawyers Regulated?

The Costs Lawyers Standards Board (CLSB) regulates Costs Lawyers in England and Wales, and most Costs Lawyers are also members of the Association of Costs Lawyers (ACL), which promotes the interests of costs lawyers.

Costs Lawyers have specifically completed the costs lawyer qualification course (provided by ACL Training), and are required to follow the Costs Lawyer Code of Conduct and promote the principles of the Legal Services Act 2007, which identifies Costs Lawyers as a type of regulated individual, alongside Solicitors and Legal Executives.

They are required to keep up to date in the area of costs law through continued professional development. This ensures they remain competent in all aspects of legal costs. All Costs Lawyers in England and Wales are also required to carry Professional Indemnity Insurance, and for ARC Costs we ensure that we hold insurance at all times up to £2.5 million, to allow us to take on higher value costs disputes.

What Does a Costs Lawyer Do?

A Costs Lawyer is similar to a Costs Draftsman in what they do, but their role can be more expanded.  They specialise in the area of legal costs (some specialise in certain types of work such as inter partes or legal aid, Paying or Receiving Party work, or Solicitor and Client cost disputes), which is essentially the quantification, negotiation, and assessment/recovery of costs in legal cases. Their role is critical in managing and advising clients on matters relating to costs of legal services. Qualified costs lawyers often assist in claims for costs for law firms, companies and individuals (known as Litigants in Person).

ARC Costs Lawyer Services 

ARC Costs provide a range of legal costs services.  We are independent and can therefore be instructed by the Receiving Party (who is recovering costs) or a Paying Party (who is challenging costs claimed against them).  Our range of services include:

Paying Party Work

• Valuation advice;
• Negotiation services;
• Settling of Points of Dispute
• Representation at Detailed Assessment Hearings and Provisional Assessment Hearings;
• Independent audit of Solicitor/Client invoices/accounts.

Receiving Party Work

• CFAs and retainer inspection/advice;
• Drafting Costs Budgets;
• Drafting detailed Bills of Costs in 3 column or Excel electronic format;
• Negotiating costs and settling Points of Reply;
• Fixed recoverable costs claims (Precedent U);
• Public funding/ Legal aid costs cases 
• Litigant in Person costs for individuals
• Representation at Detailed/ Provisional Assessment Hearings

Why Choose ARC Costs as your Costs Lawyer?

ARC Costs provide a unique digital and paperless service, with extensive experience in legal costs disputes and litigation. We are a bespoke team of Costs Lawyers and Costs Draftsmen, who are also legal and technology experts not found elsewhere, with a high rate of Solicitor and client satisfaction.

We take pride in providing the same standard of service to every client, with it be a modest costs dispute of less than £10,000 or a high profile multi-party dispute extending into the £millions.  Irrespective of your case, any initial enquiry will be dealt with by one of our Costs Directors, and you will have a dedicated costs professional allocated to your case, with oversight from a regulated Costs Lawyer.

We also provide costs services to litigants in persons (sometimes referred to as litigant costs), as well as to those in the legal profession in all types of claims for both receiving and paying parties, including Clinical Negligence, Industrial Disease, Judicial Review, Housing Disrepair and Court of Protection costs claims, and settling Points of Dispute and Replies, and general assessment services. We have also been successful in recovering legal aid costs in inter-partes costs claims.

We can be contacted by email at info@arccosts.co.uk, or by telephone on 01204 397302. For more information on legal costs, please contact us today to find out how we can assist your law firm. Find out more about our speciality areas of expertise and our services on our legal costs page.

 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is a Costs Lawyer and how are they different from a Costs Draftsman?

A Costs Lawyer is a fully qualified and regulated legal professional who specialises exclusively in legal costs. Unlike an unregulated Costs Draftsman, a Costs Lawyer has completed a recognised qualification, is regulated by the Costs Lawyers Standards Board (CLSB), carries professional indemnity insurance, and has rights of audience. Costs Lawyers can conduct costs litigation, represent clients at assessment hearings, and go on the court record in place of a solicitor.

When should I instruct a Costs Lawyer?

You should consider instructing a Costs Lawyer whenever there is a dispute over legal costs, including inter partes costs, legal aid costs, solicitor and client disputes, or fixed recoverable costs claims. Early advice from a Costs Lawyer can significantly improve recovery outcomes or reduce costs exposure.

Can a Costs Lawyer act without a solicitor?

Yes. Costs Lawyers can act independently and, in many cases, can go on the court record instead of a solicitor for costs-only proceedings. This can be a more efficient and cost-effective option for both law firms and individuals.

Do you act for both Paying Parties and Receiving Parties?

Yes. ARC Costs is fully independent and can act for both Paying Parties (challenging costs claimed against them) and Receiving Parties (seeking to recover costs). This includes valuation advice, negotiations, Points of Dispute and Reply, and representation at assessment hearings.

Do you handle Legal Aid and public funding costs?

Yes. Legal Aid and public funding costs are one of our core specialisms. We regularly assist in the recovery of 100% of legal aid costs and also act in inter partes claims involving legally aided parties.

Can you assist Litigants in Person with costs claims?

Yes. We regularly assist Litigants in Person with preparing and recovering their costs, including drafting Bills of Costs, advising on entitlement, and representing clients at assessment hearings where appropriate.

What types of cases do you deal with?

We handle costs matters across a wide range of practice areas, including clinical negligence, housing disrepair, industrial disease, judicial review, Court of Protection, and high value multi-party litigation. No case is too small or too complex.

Do you offer representation at Detailed Assessment Hearings?

Yes. Our Costs Lawyers have rights of audience and can represent clients at both Detailed Assessment Hearings and Provisional Assessment Hearings, ensuring expert advocacy throughout the process.

How much experience does ARC Costs have?

ARC Costs has been assisting clients with legal costs disputes since 2014. Our senior management team has over 30 years’ combined experience, and we have recovered more than £35 million in costs for our clients.

How do I get started?

You can contact ARC Costs by phone or email for an initial discussion. All enquiries are reviewed by a Costs Director, and if we can assist, a dedicated costs professional will be allocated to your case with oversight from a regulated Costs Lawyer.