Legal Costs Draftsperson

Holmes & Hills Solicitors; Colchester; Hybrid; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary and bonus scheme

28 days holiday plus bank holidays

Medicash after 1 year’s service

Life Insurance

EAP and wellbeing support

Cycle scheme

Job summary

Holmes & Hills Solicitors is seeking an experienced Legal Costs Draftsperson to join its Clinical Negligence and Personal Injury team. The role is hybrid with at least 3 days per week in the Marks Tey office, working alongside 10 fee earners and 6 support staff to manage costings across a varied caseload.

You will prepare Bills of Costs, cost budgets, and submissions for assessment, while advising fee earners on a wide range of costs matters, ensuring accuracy and timeliness.

Qualifications

• Minimum 2 years' experience in a Legal Costs role.
• Experience handling Clinical Negligence and Personal Injury matters.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong numerical and analytical abilities.
• Excellent organisational skills and workload management.
• Proactive, reliable approach with IT competence in legal systems.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and submit costs for assessment and payment within deadlines.
• Prepare Bills of Costs for Court assessment.
• Manage post‑assessment work and monitor time-critical dates.
• Advise fee earners on costs‑related matters.
• Prepare cost budgets on litigated cases and liaison with staff.

Skills

Legal costs experience

Clinical Negligence & PI experience

Strong communication skills

Numerical & analytical skills

Organisational skills

IT skills with legal systems

Job description

Job Vacancy

We are delighted to offer an exciting opportunity for an experienced Legal Costs Draftsperson to join our successful Clinical Negligence and Personal Injury team. You will become part of a friendly and collaborative team comprising 10 fee earners and 6 support staff, who work closely together to deliver an excellent service to our clients. The successful candidate will play an important role within the team, taking responsibility for providing a comprehensive legal costing service to our clients, while working closely with fee earners and support staff across a varied caseload.

• Please note this is a Hybrid role where you will be required to work in the Marks Tey office a minimum of 3 days per week.

About The Role

This is a varied and rewarding role, offering the opportunity to use your existing legal costs experience while becoming an integral part of a supportive and established team.

You will manage matters throughout the costing process, from preparing Bills of Costs and cost budgets through to negotiations, assessment and post-assessment work. You will also provide advice and support to fee earners on a range of costs-related matters.

Key Responsibilities

Your role will include:

• Preparing and submitting claims for costs for assessment and payment within the required timescales.
• Preparing Bills of Costs for assessment by the Court.
• Managing post-assessment work, including checking assessed bills and monitoring time-critical submission dates.
• Preparing and pursuing appeals against LSC assessments, where required.
• Preparing cost budgets on litigated cases.
• Liaising with and advising fee earners and support staff on a variety of legal costs matters.
• Preparing costs estimates to accompany Allocation Questionnaires and Pre-Trial Checklists.
• Conducting negotiations in relation to costs issues.
• Drafting Notices of Commencement for service of Bills of Costs on paying parties.
• Preparing Points of Dispute and Replies.
• Attending Detailed Assessment Hearings.
• Undertaking other reasonable duties as required by the Partner.

About You

We are looking for an experienced and motivated Legal Costs Draftsperson who enjoys working collaboratively and takes pride in delivering accurate, high-quality work. You will ideally have:

• A minimum of 2 years' experience in a Legal Costs role.
• Experience working on Clinical Negligence and Personal Injury matters.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• A strong eye for detail and a high level of accuracy.
• Excellent numerical and analytical skills.
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise effectively and manage your own workload.
• A proactive, self-motivated and reliable approach.
• Excellent IT skills and confidence working with relevant legal systems.

Why Join Us?

You will be joining an established team where collaboration, professionalism and client care are highly valued. We offer the opportunity to work alongside experienced legal professionals within a supportive environment, where your knowledge and expertise will make a real contribution to the success of the team and the service we provide to our clients. If you are an experienced Legal Costs Draftsperson looking for your next opportunity within Clinical Negligence and Personal Injury, we would love to hear from you.

What We Offer

• Competitive salary and performance related bonus scheme
• A supportive, relaxed and flexible work environment in an experienced and growing team.
• 28 days holiday per year, plus bank holidays
• Medicash after 1 years’ service at an enhanced level
• Life Insurance
• EAP and various other physical and mental wellbeing support services including virtual GP access 24/7
• Family friendly policies such as enhanced maternity and paternity pay plus, family events leave
• Company sick pay
• Cycle scheme

About Us

Holmes & Hills Solicitors is a large regional firm of solicitors with seven offices across Essex and Suffolk and over 200 legal professionals across a number of specialist departments. Holmes & Hills works in partnership with clients across East Anglia, including businesses, individuals, families and local authorities, to build long standing relationships, protect clients' interests and support clients' growth and development.

Working in partnership with businesses and individuals

Holmes & Hills' large team of legal experts work in partnership with individuals and organisations to provide them with truly proactive legal services through personal relationships. Acting as a trusted advisor to clients, we take the time to understand clients' needs and objectives before delivering practical advice through a personal and accessible approach.

Independently recognised as a leading law firm

Holmes & Hills Solicitors is independently recognised by The Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners - two independent directories of the UK’s top law firms - as being a leading supplier of legal services in the region. These accreditations give our clients the confidence that the legal advice and representation they receive from Holmes & Hills is some of the best available. Our clients range from established and growing businesses whose brands are recognised and sold around the world and local authorities across the region, through to families and first-time home buyers.