Costs Lawyer Services | Instruct a Costs Specialist
What is a Costs Lawyer?
A costs lawyer is a regulated legal professional specialising in the assessment, management, and negotiation of legal costs. Their work ensures that solicitors’ or barristers’ fees are fair, transparent and compliant with the rules that govern litigation. As legal costs can significantly influence the overall outcome of a case, having the right expertise is essential for both clients and legal representatives.
At Greener Costs, our team of qualified cost lawyers and costs draftsmen regularly assist in complex, high value disputes. We have experience across a all areas of costs, including commercial litigation costs, personal injury, clinical negligence, Court of Protection work, and disputes between solicitors and their clients.
We also support cases involving public funding and legal aid costs, ensuring that cost claims are correctly prepared and submitted.
What does a costs lawyer actually handle?
A costs lawyer manages every aspect of legal costs throughout a case, including advocacy, litigation and formal negotiation. They also assist in assessing whether solicitors’ or barristers’ fees are reasonable, advising on costs exposure, drafting key documents such as detailed bills of costs and costs budgets, and ensuring full compliance with the Civil Procedure Rules. Their work helps both litigants and legal professionals understand, justify and negotiate the costs involved in litigation.
What is the difference between a costs lawyer and a costs draftsman
A Costs Lawyer is a fully regulated legal professional authorised by the Costs Lawyer Standards Board (CLSB). They will have successfully completed the CLSB Costs Lawyer course. Their status is similar to other regulated legal practitioners and gives them extended legal rights, including rights of audience and rights to conduct litigation.
A costs lawyer can provide legal advice on costs law as a regulated professional. They must meet ongoing professional competence and ethical standards set by the CLSB.
Costs lawyers often deal with more complex or contentious aspects of costs disputes, including advocacy at detailed assessment hearings.
How are costs lawyers regulated?
Costs lawyers are authorised and regulated by the Costs Lawyer Standards Board under the Legal Services Act. As regulated legal professionals, they must maintain continuing professional development and carry professional indemnity insurance. This ensures that all advice on costs is accurate, ethical and delivered to consistently high standards.
Do costs lawyers deal with disputes about legal fees?
Yes. A significant part of a costs lawyer’s role involves resolving costs disputes, including disagreements between solicitors and their clients. They prepare points of dispute and replies, negotiate settlements, and provide clear guidance on claims for costs. Their expertise helps prevent conflicts from escalating and supports fair outcomes for both paying and receiving parties.
Can a costs lawyer help with legal aid or public funding matters?
Costs lawyers also work on cases involving public funding and legal aid costs. They ensure that claims are prepared correctly, meet the necessary criteria and follow the required procedures, helping to maximise recovery and avoid delays.
Do they assist with retainers and conditional fee agreements?
Yes. Costs lawyers regularly review retainers and conditional fee agreements to ensure they are compliant and properly drafted. Getting this right at the outset protects law firms from challenges later in the case and helps avoid costly disputes.
Legal Costs Services at Greener Costs
At Greener Costs, our team provides a comprehensive range of specialist legal costs services to support law firms, legal departments, and individuals throughout England and Wales. As experienced Costs Lawyers and Costs Draftsmen, we undertake both the detailed technical work of drafting and the higher-level legal functions required in complex or contentious matters.
Our work includes preparing Bills of Costs, Costs Budgets, Schedules of Costs, handling Fixed Recoverable Costs claims, and advising on retainers, conditional fee agreements, and wider costs strategy.
In addition to drafting and negotiation, our Costs Lawyers are authorised to conduct advocacy, enabling us to represent clients at detailed assessment hearings, deal with applications relating to costs, and provide formal legal advice on procedure, proportionality, and costs law. We bring clarity and authority to the costing process, helping to ensure cases progress efficiently from start to finish.
We act for both receiving parties and paying parties and tailor our approach to the needs and objectives of each client. Whether early strategic advice on costs, skilled negotiation with opponents, or advocacy before the court is required, our team provides a practical, transparent, and outcome-focused service designed to achieve the best possible result.
Remote Costing Support
One of the advantages of working with Greener Costs is the efficiency of our remote law costing service. By operating remotely, we provide fast turnaround times and a streamlined approach that reduces administrative pressure on legal teams. Many clients find this far more efficient than handling costing work in-house, particularly when dealing with complex or time-sensitive matters. Our experience with costs budgeting, claims for costs and advising on costs makes this approach both cost-effective and reliable.
Speak to a Costs Lawyer at Greener Costs
If you need support with costs budgeting, drafting a detailed bill of costs, handling costs disputes or advice on costs at any stage of a case, our team at Greener Costs is here to help. We work with law firms, regulated legal professionals and individual clients across England and Wales, providing clear and practical guidance whether you are the receiving party or the opposing party.
Our qualified costs lawyers offer efficient remote costing services, ensuring fast turnaround times and accurate work in line with the Civil Procedure Rules. We can assist with claims for costs, legal aid matters involving public funds, and disputes between solicitors and their clients, delivering a straightforward and reliable service tailored to your needs.
To speak to a member of our team, contact us on 01204 263047, email info@greenercosts.co.uk or use the online form on our website. We are ready to advise you on the next steps and support you with all aspects of legal costs.
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Contacting us is free. It's our goal to put you at ease and offer expert advice on Bill of Costs, Costs Budgets and Costs Drafting
4 Bark Street East, Bolton, BL1 2BQ
01204 263047
info@greenercosts.co.uk
