We invited Grace, our new Trainee Costs Draftsman, to share her thoughts and provide an insight into her new role, including what the role involves, and what she enjoys most about being a Trainee Costs Draftsman.

My Role as a Trainee Law Costs Draftsman

I have recently taken up the role as a Trainee Law Costs Draftsman with ARC Costs. As a Trainee Costs Draftsman, I prepare client’s Bills of Costs, which involves detailing the work done in the case, item-by-item, and producing a narrative that briefly describes what has occurred within the procedure.

The role can involve preparation of Cost Budgets for clients so that they can manage their costs efficiently throughout the litigation process. A key role in the Trainee Cost Draftsman position is aiding the senior Costs Draftsmen and Costs Lawyers in detailed assessment proceedings, negotiations and recovery of full legal costs in disputes involving the fixed costs regime. These are all a central part of the role, and in diversifying my knowledge it allows for progression within the company. It ensures you are constantly learning from colleagues who are highly experienced within the sector, whilst also allowing involvement in interesting cases. 

Which Skills Make a Good Trainee Costs Draftsman?

Within the role of a Trainee Costs Draftsman, attention to detail is imperative. The work of a Cost Draftsman revolves around recording small details from legal cases, which may not seem important at first, but can have a significant impact on the ultimate costs recovery achieved. Therefore a Trainee needs to be constantly analysing their work in order to make sure all of the details are correct.

It is also paramount that a Trainee Costs Draftsman possesses excellent analytical skills, as it is necessary in the role to gather and analyse large amounts of information. Moreover, the information that you require may not be right in front of you. For example, when preparing a Bill of Costs, various documents need to be gathered together so that times and disbursements can be recorded accurately. However, these files may not be simple to locate, so you need to be able to problem solve and effectively plan strategies to resolve issues accordingly.

A Trainee Costs Draftsman is also required to have good communication skills. The role includes many interactions between the client and the Draftsman, via email and telephone. A Trainee must therefore be capable of having an informative conversation with the client to assist in any way necessary.

Organisational skills are also a key quality for a Trainee Cost Draftsman. Within the legal sector, many tasks are completed to a deadline so you need to stay organised in order to meet the strict timings. Additionally, as a Trainee you would be expected to provide help to the senior colleagues who may require administrative support. Therefore you need to ensure that you deliver your work in a timely fashion, and adhere to deadlines, so as not to impact upon your colleague’s performance. 

Why do I Enjoy Being a Trainee Costs Draftsman?

I enjoy being a Trainee Costs Draftsman because each day brings a slightly different task with it. The tasks may only differ marginally because they are of a similar nature however, this allows you to master the skill whilst learning about different topics e.g. housing disrepair claims and personal injury claims.

Also, the role provides an interesting insight into the legal industry, as you can observe the proceedings of a case whilst helping to settle it. This ensures that you keep learning new information, which then motivates you to learn more.

Finally, I enjoy that my role allows a large amount of interactivity. Instead of completing monotonous tasks which do not allow for personal growth, I can have a great involvement within the company and learn new skills first hand.

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