Legal aid work demands care, persistence and a considerable amount of paperwork. Getting paid for that work should not become another case to manage.

ARC Costs supports law firms with legal aid costs, helping turn completed work into clearly prepared claims. Our costs draftsmen assist with legal aid billing, supporting solicitors and fee earners who need additional capacity or specialist input on a difficult file.

Whether you have one complicated matter or several files waiting to be billed, we can discuss the support you need. The aim is to help you claim the lawful costs available under the relevant funding arrangements, with less billing administration competing for your attention.

Legal aid billing that supports your practice

When your diary is full of hearings, client appointments and urgent applications, billing can slip down the list. Yet unbilled work ties up income your practice has already worked hard to earn.

A law costs draftsman helps organise the claim and present the work undertaken clearly. That means considering the funding arrangements, applicable remuneration rules and supporting evidence, rather than simply adding up recorded time.

Our existing legal aid services include civil and family costs claims, fixed fee claims and Family Advocacy Scheme claims. We also use the Client and Cost Management System, known as CCMS, to assist with submissions and associated administration.

You can discuss an individual instruction or ongoing support, depending on your caseload and the resources available within your firm.

Helping fee earners focus on their clients

Good billing starts with understanding the file. A substantial time ledger alone may not explain why particular work was necessary or how it falls within the funding provided.

Useful instructions include the legal aid certificate, amendments, attendance notes, time records, counsel’s fees, disbursement invoices and relevant orders. For a complex matter, a short explanation of the proceedings can also help identify the issues requiring closer attention.

Our approach is to make the billing process easier to follow. If something needs clarification, a focused question is more useful than leaving your team to guess what is missing.

For fee earners managing sensitive legal aid matters, that practical support can make a welcome difference.

Complex legal aid matters and high cost cases

Some instructions need more than routine billing. Lengthy care proceedings, substantial evidence and changing hearing arrangements can make the costs position increasingly complicated.

Where a matter falls within the Legal Aid Agency’s high cost case arrangements, the applicable contract and guidance need careful attention. A high costs case plan may be required, depending on the case and scheme.

This is a separate funding process from ordinary civil litigation cost budgeting. The documents, approvals and billing requirements should reflect the particular high cost case arrangements.

If you are dealing with a difficult costs case, speak to us early about the assistance required. Explain the current funding position, any approved plan and approaching deadlines so we can establish the scope of support.

Preparing the right claim

Legal aid claims are not all prepared in the same way. The appropriate fee scheme, category of work and funding arrangements influence how the claim should be calculated and presented.

A fixed fee claim requires a different approach from an hourly rate claim. Likewise, a bill of costs prepared for assessment should explain the work in the format required for that process.

The important starting point is identifying the correct route. Applying assumptions from another matter can create unnecessary queries or require the claim to be revisited.

Our bill of costs service provides further information about costs drafting where a formal bill is needed.

CCMS, contracted work and submission routes

Before you submit your claim, check that the billing route matches the instruction.

The Legal Aid Agency uses different systems for different categories of work. These include CCMS, Contracted Work and Administration, and the separate Crown Court Defence billing system.

A civil claim should not be treated as though it follows the same process as a Crown Court claim. The relevant requirements must be checked for the particular instruction.

Accurate preparation also means checking that necessary information and supporting documents are available. Missing details can create avoidable exchanges after submission.

ARC Costs regularly assists with CCMS claims. Tell us which system and work category your instruction involves so we can confirm how we can help.

Costs recovery from another party

Publicly funded proceedings can also involve an order requiring another party to pay costs. That introduces a separate costs recovery issue alongside the legal aid funding arrangements.

It is important to establish the effect of the order and the correct approach to recovery and subsequent accounting. A claim against an opponent should not simply be treated as another legal aid invoice.

ARC Costs also provides legal costs negotiation and detailed assessment support.

That wider costs experience is useful where an instruction involves both publicly funded work and an inter partes dispute.

Frequently asked questions

What does a legal aid costs draftsman do?

A legal aid costs draftsman prepares costs claims using the file records, funding information and applicable billing requirements. The work helps translate the legal work undertaken into a claim that can be reviewed and submitted.

Can you help with complex instructions?

Contact us with the background, funding documents and deadlines. We can discuss the issues involved and confirm what assistance is available before agreeing the instruction.

Are costs draftsmen and costs lawyers the same?

The titles are not interchangeable. Costs lawyers are regulated professionals. The Costs Lawyer Standards Board regulates individual costs lawyers in England and Wales and sets their professional standards.

Do you guarantee payment?

No. Preparation cannot guarantee approval or a particular payment date. The outcome depends on the claim, supporting evidence and applicable assessment process.

Let’s get those files moving

Perhaps one awkward bill keeps returning to your desk. Perhaps the completed files are piling up while your team handles the next urgent hearing.

Tell us where things have got stuck. We’ll discuss the documents, the support you need and the cost of our involvement.

Call 01204 397302 or email info@arccosts.co.uk. Let’s help your hard work reach the billing stage.