Costs Draftsman/ Costs Lawyer

Clayton Legal; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 50,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private medical insurance

Death in service

Job summary

Clayton Legal seeks a Costs Draftsperson in Manchester to join a busy costs department of 40+ professionals. You will assist senior case handlers with drafting requirements, including bills for Detailed Assessment, N260 statements, budgets, and risk assessments, with 12 months to five years’ experience in costs work.

The role offers strong career development and ACL qualification support, with hybrid working options after probation.

Qualifications

• 12 months to five years of costs experience with drafting.
• Experience drafting bills and documents for detailed assessment.
• Familiarity with Proclaim and Costs Master software is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Support costs case handlers across drafting needs.
• Draft formal bills for Detailed Assessment.
• Draft N260 statements of costs.
• Assist with drafting Budgets and risk assessments.

Skills

Costs drafting

Budget drafting

Detail oriented

Education

LLB/GDL/LPC desirable

Tools

Proclaim

Costs Master

Job description

About the Firm

Established in 2000, an esteemed award-winning law firm, specializing in personal injury and clinical negligence claims, operates nationwide. Headquartered in Manchester, the firm takes pride in its core mission of assisting injured individuals. With a strong reputation, it currently holds a ranking of 80 out of over 10,000 law firms in the UK. Recognized in the top ten for the Best Law Firm to work for in the UK by Best Companies, the firm also boasts a 5-star Trustpilot rating from over 6,000 client reviews.

Role

The firm is currently seeking a Costs Draftsperson to join its established costs department, comprising over 40 professionals. This role involves supporting senior case handlers with drafting requirements, primarily in an assisting capacity, covering a broad range of drafting needs, including budget work. The ideal candidate will have 12 months to five years of experience, either in-house or with an external supplier of costs drafting services, along with experience in preparing bills and supplementary documents for detailed assessment on fast-track and multi-track cases. Further, the candidate will have budget drafting experience.

This opportunity offers an exciting prospect to work with a thriving in-house team, with the potential to work on higher value cases in the personal injury and clinical negligence field. Additionally, the role provides excellent career development prospects, with opportunities for training contracts or support through the ACL qualification for suitable candidates.

Job Description

• Supporting costs case handlers with a full range of drafting requirements.
• Drafting formal bills for Detailed Assessment.
• Drafting N260 statements of costs.
• Preparing risk assessments.
• Assisting with drafting Budgets.

Person Specification

• 12 months to five years' personal injury claimant costs experience.
• Completion of a legal qualification (LLB, GDL, LPC) desirable.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Drafting skills associated with completing Precedent H, R, and Q, and finalizing formal bills.
• Experience of working to target.
• Flexible approach with the ability to respond to rapid changes in working schedules and priorities. Organizational and clear communication skills at all levels are essential.
• Commitment and hardworking attitude in a pressurized and highly motivated team environment.
• Knowledge of time recording procedures and the Civil Procedures Rules and Detailed Assessment process.
• Analytical skills and attention to detail are essential.
• Computer literacy, including a working knowledge of Microsoft Office packages, is essential.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience of using Proclaim Case Management System and Costs Master software.
• Experience of working in-house.

Salary, Hours & Benefits

Salary: £30,000 to £50,000 depending on experience.

Standard working hours: Monday-Thursday, 8:30am to 5:30pm; Friday, 8:30am to 5pm.

3/2 alternative working from home pattern for staff after probation.

23 days holiday a year, rising to 26 days.

3 holiday buybacks per year after 1 year of service.

Extra day's holiday for your birthday after 2 years' service.

Private medical insurance available after 2 years' service.

Death in Service - 2 x salary.

Active social committee with generous departmental and firm-wide social budget.

Active training culture and various groups and events such as Diversity & Inclusion.

Netball/Football team, 10km Manchester team, and more.

Enhanced Maternity Leave payment for employees with over 1 year tenure