High-Value Bills of Costs

High-value litigation demands a strategic approach to costs recovery. Multi track cases involving substantial damages, multiple parties, extensive expert evidence and years of litigation often generate significant legal costs, and preparing the Bill of Costs is only one part of the process. Maximising recovery requires an understanding of costs budgeting, proportionality, funding arrangements and the detailed assessment process.

At ARC Costs, our costs lawyers are regularly instructed to prepare high-value Bills of Costs for law firms across England and Wales. We act for both paying and receiving parties in complex litigation, assisting with every stage of the assessment of costs, from drafting the Bill through to negotiations and detailed assessment proceedings. We also advise in solicitor and client costs disputes where specialist expertise is required.

It is not unusual for us to prepare Bills worth several hundred thousand pounds, and we have successfully acted in disputes involving Bills of Costs exceeding half a million pounds. Whether acting in complex personal injury litigation, high value clinical negligence claims, commercial disputes or actions against public authorities, our focus is always on maximising recoverable costs whilst reducing unnecessary disputes.

Why High-Value Bills of Costs Require Specialist Costs Lawyers

Preparing a high-value Bill of Costs involves considerably more than recording time and applying hourly rates.

Large-scale litigation frequently spans several years and involves multiple fee earners, counsel, experts and extensive procedural work. It is common for these matters to include interim applications, disclosure exercises, costs budgeting, mediation, Joint Settlement Meetings and lengthy negotiations before settlement or trial.

Preparing Bills in these cases requires detailed knowledge of the Civil Procedure Rules (CPR), costs budgeting, proportionality and recoverability. Every stage of the litigation must be accurately reflected so that the Bill demonstrates not only what work was carried out, but why it was reasonably incurred.

At ARC Costs, we understand the issues that commonly arise in high-value costs disputes and prepare every Bill with detailed assessment firmly in mind.

Our Experience with Complex Costs Litigation

Our work extends well beyond routine costs recovery.

We are regularly instructed on complex matters involving:

• Clinical negligence.
• High-value personal injury claims.
• Commercial litigation.
• Professional negligence.
• Actions against the police.
• Judicial review.
• Multi-party disputes.
• Public authority litigation.

These matters frequently generate substantial legal costs over several years. Rather than simply preparing Bills of Costs, we work alongside solicitors to develop a recovery strategy that reflects the complexity of the litigation and places the receiving party in the strongest possible position throughout the assessment process.

Clinical Negligence

Clinical negligence claims often produce some of the largest Bills of Costs. These cases typically involve extensive expert evidence from multiple disciplines, detailed liability investigations and long-running litigation.

ARC Costs recently prepared one of its Bills of Costs arising from a complex negligent childbirth claim involving several years of work and numerous expert witnesses. The Bill exceeded £233,000.

The Defendant challenged solicitor hourly rates, expert fees and a number of disbursements during the detailed assessment process.

Following carefully drafted Points of Reply and commercial negotiations, the matter settled for approximately £220,000, representing recovery of more than 94% of the total Bill.

This outcome demonstrated the value of presenting complex legal costs strategically rather than simply defending individual entries.

High-Value Public Authority Litigation

We also regularly assist firms acting in complex claims against public authorities. In one recent action involving allegations of wrongful arrest, unlawful search and malicious prosecution, we acted in relation to a Bill approaching £700,000.The Defendant served a Part 36 Offer of approximately £414,000.

The dispute proceeded to detailed assessment proceedings, where significant issues included:

• Guideline Hourly Rates.
• Costs budgeting.
• Budget variation.
• Good reason to depart from the approved budget.

After successfully arguing those preliminary issues, the parties entered negotiations and ultimately settled for more than £571,000. The matter illustrates how early strategic decisions during the assessment of costs can have a significant impact on the final recovery achieved.

Costs Management Is Critical

Effective costs management plays a central role in high-value litigation. Many substantial claims are subject to costs budgeting under the Civil Procedure Rules, meaning that recoverability can depend upon compliance with approved budgets throughout the life of the case.

Where litigation develops beyond the approved assumptions, careful consideration must be given to whether there is good reason to depart from the budget or seek a variation.

At ARC Costs, we regularly advise solicitors on budgeting issues before preparing the final Bill, ensuring that potential challenges are identified and addressed at the earliest opportunity.

Preparing Bills with Detailed Assessment in Mind

Every Bill we prepare is drafted with the expectation that it may ultimately proceed to detailed assessment proceedings.

That means considering not only the work undertaken, but also the arguments likely to be advanced by the paying party.

Common issues include:

• Proportionality.
• Hourly rates.
• Duplication.
• Expert fees.
• Counsel’s fees.
• Budget compliance.
• Reasonableness of solicitor attendances.
• Recoverability of substantial disbursements.

Anticipating these issues during drafting allows us to produce prepared Bills that are robust, well supported and capable of withstanding detailed scrutiny.

More Than Drafting Bills of Costs

Whilst preparing high-value Bills is a core part of our service, our involvement often begins much earlier. We regularly assist law firms with:

• Preparing Bills of Costs.
• Costs budgeting and costs management.
• Negotiation and points of dispute for paying parties.
• Points of Reply.
• Costs negotiations.
• Part 36 strategy.
• Representation during the assessment of costs.
• Detailed assessment proceedings.
• Solicitor and client costs disputes.

Our objective is always to maximise recovery whilst resolving disputes as efficiently as possible.

Why Law Firms Choose ARC Costs

Many firms instruct us because they require specialist support on particularly valuable or complex matters. Others use ARC Costs to supplement their internal costs resource during periods of increased workload.

Our clients value:

• Experience with high-value litigation.
• Commercial and pragmatic advice.
• Technical expertise.
• Consistent communication.
• Strategic negotiation.
• Excellent recovery rates.

Whether instructed on a single high-value Bill or an ongoing programme of work, we work as an extension of our clients’ teams.

High-value Bills of Costs require much more than accurate drafting. Success often depends on understanding the litigation as a whole, identifying the issues that are likely to influence recovery and presenting the Bill in a way that anticipates the arguments that will arise during detailed assessment.

We are regularly instructed on Bills valued at several hundred thousand pounds and have successfully advised on disputes exceeding half a million pounds. These cases require strategic thinking from the outset, particularly where costs budgeting, proportionality and expert evidence are concerned.

Instruct ARC Costs for High-Value Bills of Costs

If your firm is dealing with complex litigation involving substantial legal costs, specialist costs support can make a significant difference to recovery.

At ARC Costs, our costs lawyers regularly prepare high-value Bills of Costs for law firms throughout England and Wales. Acting for receiving parties and paying parties, we provide support from costs management and budgeting through to the assessment of costs and detailed assessment proceedings in the County Court and Senior Courts Costs Office.

Whether you require assistance with a single complex instruction or ongoing support for high-value litigation, ARC Costs has the experience to help maximise costs recovery and protect your client’s position.

Follow Us