Costs Lawyer

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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. This includes 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

• Ensure the highest quality of costs recovery service is always provided
• Supporting fee-earners with client costs estimates and budgeting
• Advice on fee arrangements with clients
• Advice to fee earners on levels and prospects of costs recovery
• Provide other technical costs guidance
• Manage a costs caseload of claimant costs files
• Provide update reports on caseloads and progress
• Build and maintain good working relationships with the fee earners, finance and accounts teams, and all other staff

Document preparation

• Budgets (Precedent H/T)
• Statements of Costs (N260) for summary assessment
• Electronic Bills of Costs (Precedent S)
• Prepare documents for provisional and detailed assessment proceedings
• Draft Points of Dispute and Replies

Hearings and settlement

• Attend Costs Management Hearings
• Attend Interlocutory Costs Hearings
• Attend Detailed Assessment Hearings
• Negotiate and settle claims for costs, maximising costs recovery

Professional development

• Actively keep up to date with developments on all areas of costs law
• Attend necessary training, seminars, and events

Personal Specification

Essential

• Genuine interest to work with a leading claimant law firm and passionate about providing access to justice to all
• Minimum 4 years’ experience of working in civil litigation costs recovery
• Knowledge of funding agreements and associated rules and case law
• Experience of drafting bills and dealing with negotiations, costs proceedings and costs advocacy, with minimal supervision
• Up to date knowledge of Costs Assessment Guidance, Civil Procedure Rules (CPR) and legislation
• Excellent negotiation and influencing skills
• Excellent analytical skills and attention to detail
• Excellent communication skills (verbal and written)
• Professional approach, able to deal with fee-earners, clients, other professionals and court services
• Can work both independently, and as part of a team
• Ability to prioritise and manage multiple cases to strict deadlines
• Experienced user of IT packages (Costsmaster, Outlook, Word and Excel)

Desirable

• Knowledge of Legal Aid Costs/Claims
• Experience of using case management systems
• Experience of handling own costs caseloads from start to finish
• Experience of working in house within a law firm
• Professionally qualified or working towards a qualification, Costs Lawyer, Solicitor or Legal Executive