Preparing costs documents alongside a busy litigation caseload can place pressure on your team. ARC Costs provides costs drafting, negotiation and assessment support for Manchester solicitors, helping firms progress instructions without diverting fee earner time from their clients.

Based in Bolton, we work with firms across Greater Manchester and throughout England and Wales. Our costs draftsmen and qualified costs lawyers assist with costs budgets, bills of costs and disputes, including complex, high-value litigation.

Whether you need a law costs draftsman for an individual file or ongoing support, we discuss the records, scope, charges and deadline before proceeding.

Call 01204 397302 or email info@arccosts.co.uk.

Costs drafting shaped around your caseload

Outsourcing should provide useful capacity and specialist input. For firms without a full time costs draftsperson, we can assist with regular instructions. We also support practices whose existing teams need help with substantial files or periods of increased demand.

Our work covers areas of law including personal injury, clinical negligence, commercial litigation, housing disrepair, judicial review and Court of Protection matters.

We assess the requirements of each instruction, rather than applying identical assumptions across different proceedings. Funding arrangements, orders and the supporting records can materially affect the preparation required.

Bills of costs and costs recovery

A bill needs to explain the work undertaken and provide a supported basis for costs recovery. We examine time records, disbursements, relevant orders and funding documents before preparing the claim.

For complex medical negligence and commercial litigation matters, preparation may involve extensive records, multiple experts and significant changes during proceedings.

We raise queries during drafting, helping your team address missing evidence or unclear entries. Where instructed, our support continues through replies, negotiations and detailed assessment.

Costs budgets and costs management

Costs budgets should reflect the proposed directions, anticipated evidence and resources needed to conduct the case.

We prepare Precedent H, assist with budget discussion reports and review opponents’ estimates. Our costs management support can include advice on revisions and representation at costs and case management hearings.

Early involvement allows time to discuss assumptions with the litigation team and resolve questions before filing.

Challenging costs and assessment support

If your client is the paying party, we can review the claim, prepare reasoned Points of Dispute and negotiate settlement.

We examine rates, time, duplication and recoverability, concentrating on objections supported by the circumstances. Where agreement cannot be reached, a costs lawyer can assist with assessment preparation and representation within their authorised scope.

We also prepare statements of costs for appropriate hearings, with the required information and deadline confirmed at instruction.

Experienced professionals, accessible from Manchester

Robert Collington has worked in legal costs since 2010 and qualified as a costs lawyer in 2020. His years’ experience includes complex clinical negligence and commercial litigation costs matters.

Fellow director Thomas Higginbottom qualified in 2024 and advises receiving parties on bills, budgets and negotiations.

Electronic document transfer and agreed remote access arrangements allow Manchester firms to instruct our Bolton-based team without routinely assembling paper files.

Frequently asked questions

Can you handle a single instruction?

Yes. We accept individual instructions alongside ongoing support, subject to availability.

What should we send?

Provide a summary, relevant orders, records and the deadline. We identify further requirements after reviewing the matter.

How quickly can you prepare the documents?

Timescales depend on the work, complexity and information supplied. Tell us about urgent deadlines so we can assess availability.

Discuss your Manchester costs instruction

Contact 01204 397302 or info@arccosts.co.uk to discuss drafting, budgets or a costs dispute.