Costs Draftsman / Lawyer

Douglas Scott Ltd; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Hybrid working

Generous annual leave

Family-friendly benefits

Employee Assistance Programme

Pension

Life assurance

Income protection

Wellbeing initiatives

Cash plan

Private medical insurance

Training opportunities

Chargeable hours target

Job summary

Douglas Scott Ltd is seeking an experienced Costs Lawyer to join its Court of Protection and Personal Injury team in Sheffield. You will work with the Costs and Billing function, managing bills of costs through the SCCO process and supporting a busy, client-focused practice.

The ideal candidate has at least 2 years’ experience in a Court of Protection environment, strong SCCO knowledge, and proven ability to prepare and manage bills of costs while meeting deadlines.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 2 years' experience working as a Costs Lawyer or Law Costs Draftsperson within a Court of Protection environment.
• Strong knowledge of the SCCO and costs assessment process.
• Experience preparing and managing bills of costs.
• Excellent attention to detail and a structured approach to your work.
• Ability to manage your own workload and prioritise effectively.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• A professional and commercially minded approach.
• The confidence to work with a range of internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong Microsoft Office skills, particularly Excel.
• Experience with Costsmaster would be beneficial.
• Previous experience working against financial, billing or performance targets would be advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Preparing, serving and submitting bills of costs through the SCCO.
• Managing key dates and ensuring all relevant deadlines and procedural requirements are met.
• Liaising with internal teams and external parties, including costs draftsmen, counsel and the SCCO.
• Reviewing cost assessments and dealing with negotiations, responses and appeals as required.
• Advising colleagues on costs recovery processes and best practice.
• Maintaining accurate billing information, spreadsheets and time records.
• Working towards agreed financial and performance objectives.
• Keeping your knowledge of costs law, recovery and assessment procedures up to date.
• Supporting the wider team with training and knowledge sharing where appropriate.

Skills

SCCO knowledge

Bills of costs

Excel

Communications skills

Time management

Stakeholder management

Attention to detail

Tools

Costsmaster

Job description

Costs Lawyer – Court of Protection & Personal Injury

Location: Sheffield

Working Pattern: Hybrid / Agile

Salary: Competitive, dependent on experience

We are currently working on behalf of a highly regarded specialist law firm that is looking to appoint an experienced Costs Lawyer to join its established Court of Protection and Personal Injury team in Sheffield.

This is a great opportunity for a Costs Lawyer or Law Costs Draftsperson with relevant Court of Protection experience to join a supportive and well-established team, working on a varied caseload and playing an important role in maximising costs recovery for clients.

The Role

You will work closely with the firm's wider Costs and Billing function, providing a dedicated costing service and managing bills of costs through the Senior Courts Costs Office (SCCO) process.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Preparing, serving and submitting bills of costs through the SCCO.
• Managing key dates and ensuring all relevant deadlines and procedural requirements are met.
• Liaising with internal teams and external parties, including costs draftsmen, counsel and the SCCO.
• Reviewing cost assessments and dealing with negotiations, responses and appeals as required.
• Advising colleagues on costs recovery processes and best practice.
• Maintaining accurate billing information, spreadsheets and time records.
• Working towards agreed financial and performance objectives.
• Keeping your knowledge of costs law, recovery and assessment procedures up to date.
• Supporting the wider team with training and knowledge sharing where appropriate.

About You

The successful candidate will have a minimum of 2 years' experience working as a Costs Lawyer or Law Costs Draftsperson within a Court of Protection environment.

You'll ideally have:

• Strong knowledge of the SCCO and costs assessment process.
• Experience preparing and managing bills of costs.
• Excellent attention to detail and a structured approach to your work.
• The ability to manage your own workload and prioritise effectively.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• A professional and commercially minded approach.
• The confidence to work with a range of internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong Microsoft Office skills, particularly Excel.
• Experience with Costsmaster would be beneficial.
• Previous experience working against financial, billing or performance targets would be advantageous.

What's on Offer?

Our client places a strong emphasis on creating a supportive, collaborative working environment while recognising the importance of maintaining a healthy balance between work and life outside of the office.

The package includes:

• Competitive salary
• Hybrid/agile working
• Generous annual leave entitlement with holiday purchase options
• Enhanced family-friendly benefits
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Pension scheme
• Life assurance
• Group income protection
• Employee wellbeing initiatives
• Cash plan
• Private medical insurance
• Professional development and training opportunities
• Approx. 1,200 chargeable hours per year

About the Firm

Our client is an established specialist legal practice with a strong reputation for providing expert advice and high-quality client service.

You'll be joining a friendly and collaborative team where colleagues are encouraged to share ideas, develop their expertise and contribute to the continued success of the business.

The firm is committed to creating an inclusive workplace where people are supported and able to develop their careers. Reasonable adjustments are available throughout the recruitment process for candidates who require them.