Costs Lawyer
London Arena – £50,000 - £60,000
If you are interested in a role within the Law Costs sector, please don't hesitate to send your CV to * candidates must have prior experience in UK Law Costs
Job title: Costs Lawyer
Department: Business Services
Location: London or Cardiff – with hybrid working
Reporting to: Senior Associate Solicitor
The role
Working in our Costs Team, you will provide a complete costs service to our fee earners. To include assisting with costs budgeting, preparation of costs claims, costs negotiations; advocacy at costs hearings, and providing general costs advice, guidance, and assistance.
Main duties and responsibilities:
Caseloads and collaboration
1. Ensure the highest quality of costs recovery service is always provided
2. Supporting fee-earners with client costs estimates and budgeting
3. Advice on fee arrangements with clients
4. Advice to fee earners on levels and prospects of costs recovery
5. Provide other technical costs guidance
6. Manage a costs caseload of claimant costs files
7. Provide update reports on caseloads and progress
8. Build and maintain good working relationships with the fee earners, the finance and accounts teams, and all other staff
Document preparation
9. Budgets (Precedent H/T)
10. Statements of Costs (N260) for summary assessment
11. Electronic Bills of Costs (Precedent S)
12. Prepare documents for provisional and detailed assessment proceedings
13. Draft Points of Dispute and Replies
Hearings and settlement
14. Attend Costs Management Hearings
15. Attend Interlocutory Costs Hearings
16. Attend Detailed Assessment Hearings
17. Negotiate and settle claims for costs, maximising costs recovery
Professional development
18. Actively keep up to date with developments on all areas of costs law
19. Attend necessary training, seminars, and events
Personal Specification
Essential
20. Genuine interest to work with a leading claimant law firm and passionate about providing access to justice to all
21. Minimum 4 years’ experience of working in civil litigation costs recovery
22. Knowledge of funding agreements and associated rules and case law
23. Experience of drafting bills and dealing with negotiations, costs proceedings and costs advocacy, with minimal supervision
24. Up to date knowledge of Costs Assessment Guidance, Civil Procedure Rules (CPR) and legislation
25. Excellent negotiation and influencing skills
26. Excellent analytical skills and attention to detail
27. Excellent communication skills (verbal and written)
28. Professional approach, able to deal with fee-earners, clients, other professionals and court services
29. Can work both independently, and as part of a team
30. Ability to prioritise and manage multiple cases to strict deadlines
31. Experienced user of IT packages ( Costsmaster, Outlook, Word and Excel)
Desirable
32. Knowledge of Legal Aid Costs/Claims
33. Experience of using case management systems
34. Experience of handling own costs caseloads from start to finish
35. Experience of working in house within a law firm
36. Professionally qualified or working towards a qualification, Costs Lawyer, Solicitor or Legal Executive