Costs Negotiator

Express Solicitors; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

23 days holiday

Training/ACL support

Private medical insurance

Gym facilities

Social budget

Job summary

Express Solicitors in Manchester is seeking a Cost Negotiator for its established costs department. You will manage fixed costs caseloads, review inter partes disputes, and negotiate settlements to secure favorable outcomes.

The role also involves drafting Letters, Costs Schedules, Part 23 Applications and Part 8 Proceedings, and preparing cases for assessment. Hybrid working and career development opportunities are offered.

Qualifications

• 2 to 5 years’ experience of case handling and working to target.
• Good working knowledge of fixed costs claims and the costs process.
• Experience of advocacy at costs hearings is desirable.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to work within a team.
• Excellent time management skills.
• Good IT skills, experience of Proclaim, Excel and Cost Master is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Handle fixed costs caseload, reviewing inter partes disputes and negotiating settlement.
• Draft letters, Costs Schedules, Part 23 Applications and Part 8 Proceedings.
• Liaise with fee earners and management to progress cases.
• Report to supervisor in weekly review meetings.
• Attend costs hearings and prepare cases for assessment.

Skills

Fixed costs knowledge

CPR cost procedures

Advocacy at costs hearings

Communication skills

Time management

IT skills

Tools

Proclaim

Excel

Cost Master

Job description

About Us

Established in 2000, Express Solicitors is an award-winning law firm that deals with personal injury and clinical negligence claims. Based in Manchester, we serve clients nationwide and are currently ranked 64 out of more than 10,000 law firms. We have a 5-star rating on Trustpilot from over 8,000 reviews, which coming from our clients means a lot to us. We are proud of the work we do helping injured people, and this is the core of our business.

The Role

We are currently looking for a Cost Negotiator to join our established costs department of 40 plus.

The position will involve handling a fixed costs caseload reviewing inter partes disputes, developing persuasive arguments making offers, negotiating settlement and preparing cases for summary and detailed assessment.

The role involves:

• Reporting to supervisor in weekly review meetings.
• Working to a caseload, WIP and fee target.
• Reviewing and negotiating fixed costs cases.
• Drafting letters, Costs Schedules, Part 23 Applications and Part 8 Proceedings. Skeleton arguments and written submissions.
• Liaising with fee earners and management.
• Providing assistance to other team members as and when required.

Responsibilities

• Progressive Management a caseload.
• Securing payments on account of costs at the earliest opportunity.
• Ensure that the quality of work produced is to the highest standard.
• Reviewing costs schedules/bills with a view to negotiating Claimants costs, generally disputed fixed costs cases, and settling costs files in a timely manner.
• Negotiating settlement of costs and reporting terms of settlement.
• Preparing bills/Part 23 Applications and/or Replies to Points of Dispute in fixed costs cases.
• Drafting Part 8 and Part 23 Proceedings.
• Preparing cases for assessment hearings.
• Attending costs hearings where appropriate.
• Provide technical support to the costs team on fixed costs disputes.
• Maintaining the highest client care and service standards.

Person Specification

• A good working knowledge of fixed costs claims and the costs process.
• A good working knowledge of CPR Cost related procedures, Pre-Action Protocols, and case law for fixed costs disputes.
• 2 to 5 years’ experience of case handling and working to target.
• Ability to deal with advocacy at costs hearings on fixed costs matters (not essential but desirable.)
• Good commercial awareness and a professional attitude.
• Ability to work to time scales and cope under pressure.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to work within a team.
• Excellent time management skills.
• Good IT skills, experience of Proclaim, Excel and Cost Master is desirable.

The role also offers excellent career development prospects for the right candidate, as the firm offers training contracts or support through the ACL qualification, for those candidates who prove themselves.

Salary & Hours

• Salary of £30,000 to £40,000, dependent on experience
• Our standard working hours are 8:30am to 5:30pm Monday-Thursday and 8:30am to 5pm Friday.

Hybrid Working

Flexible hybrid working pattern

23 Days Holiday

Rising to 26 days, plus bank/public holidays.

Extra Holidays

3 holiday buy backs and an extra day for your birthday after service length requirement.

Looking After Your Health

Private medical insurance available after 2 years’ service, annual flu jab and Employee Assistance Programme.

Looking After Your Well-being

24/7 onsite Gym, Netball/Football team, 10km Manchester team and more.

Work Life / Balance

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

Recruitment Process

Interviews will be conducted by MS Teams and will include scenario-based questioning.

Our employees are our most important asset, we rate skill and ability above all else and our recruitment policy encourages applications from all.