The Guideline Hourly Rates (GHR) remain the primary benchmark for determining reasonable and proportionate legal costs across England and Wales. For practitioners operating in Accrington and the wider area, a clear understanding of how the guideline framework applies at a local level is critical to effective costs budgeting, billing, and recovery. The current rate structure reflects a series of incremental uplifts intended to ensure that the GHR remain aligned with modern legal practice, firm overheads, and prevailing market conditions.

The present framework builds on the reforms introduced in October 2021 and was subsequently refined following detailed analysis by the Civil Justice Council and its specialist working groups. Those recommendations were approved by Sir Geoffrey Voc, Master of the Rolls, in his capacity as Head of Civil Justice, ensuring consistent judicial oversight of the costs regime.

Background to the guideline hourly rates 2026

The GHR system is designed to promote fairness, consistency, and proportionality in the assessment of legal costs, while preserving judicial discretion to reflect the circumstances of individual cases. Although the rates apply nationally, they are divided into geographic bands to recognise regional variations in legal markets and operating costs.

The post-October 2021 reforms addressed long-standing concerns that the guideline rates had failed to keep pace with inflation and no longer reflected the realities of a contemporary legal practice. Further increases were approved following extensive data collection from firms across England and Wales, including those practising in Accrington.

Accrington and the National Band 2 Structure

Firms based in Accrington are generally categorised within National Band 2 for guideline purposes. This band reflects regional legal markets outside London that experience moderate cost pressures but do not attract the higher rates applicable to London and its surrounding boroughs.

The National Band 2 classification strikes a balance between recognising regional operating costs and maintaining consistency across non-London jurisdictions. This distinction is particularly important when preparing costs budgets and Bills of Costs, as the applicable guideline rates differ materially from both National Band 1 areas and the London 1-3 bands.

Updated guideline hourly rates – Accrington (National Band 2)

For firms operating in Accrington within National Band 2, the current GHR (effective from 1 January 2026) are:

• Grade A – Solicitor or legal executive with over 8 years’ experience: £288
• Grade B – Solicitor or legal executive with over 4 years’ experience: £247
• Grade C – Other solicitors, legal executives, or equivalent fee earners: £200
• Grade D – Trainee solicitors, paralegals, and junior fee earners: £142

These rates provide the starting point for summary assessment, detailed assessment, and costs management hearings. The 2026 rates represent an increase of 2.28% on the 2025 figures.

Applying the rates in practice

While the guideline rates are highly influential, they do not operate as absolute caps. The court retains discretion to approve departures where justified. When applying the rates, practitioners should have regard to:

• The complexity and value of the dispute
• The expertise and seniority of the fee earners involved
• Whether the work is comparable to that undertaken in higher-costs legal markets
• Overall proportionality

Any proposed departure should be clearly explained within a Precedent H costs budget or a Bill of Costs, enabling the court to assess the justification properly.

Regional context and consistency

The GHR framework promotes consistency across regions, whether dealing with matters in Accrington or elsewhere within National Band 2. Oversight by the Civil Justice Council ensures that regional differences are recognised without undermining fairness, predictability, or access to justice.

How ARC Costs can assist

ARC Costs provides specialist costs support to solicitors, in-house teams, and litigants dealing with costs issues arising in Accrington. We advise on the correct application of the National Band 2 guideline hourly rates, prepare and negotiate Precedent H costs budgets, draft Bills of Costs, and assist with Points of Dispute and Replies. We also provide advocacy at detailed assessment hearings, ensuring that rates are properly applied and robustly justified in line with the current costs framework.

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