Legal Costs Draftsperson – Case Cost Preparation

Fresher Jobs Hub; Gelligaer; Hybrid; GBP 22,000 - 38,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid/Remote options

Onboarding & training

Paid annual leave

Job summary

Fresher Jobs Hub is seeking a detail-oriented Legal Costs Draftsperson to support legal teams with the preparation, review, and administration of legal costs documentation. You will prepare costs schedules, review billing records, and organise financial information to ensure complete and accurate documents for review or submission.

The role suits candidates in legal administration, litigation support, legal finance, and professional services.

Qualifications

• A degree or qualification in law, legal studies, business administration, accounting, or related field is desirable.
• A legal administration or paralegal qualification may be beneficial.
• Experience or training in legal costs drafting, litigation support, billing, or financial administration is an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Prepare draft costs schedules, bills, cost summaries, and supporting documents using information from legal professionals.
• Review time records, attendance notes, fee-earner entries, disbursements, and other case expenses.
• Organise professional fees, hourly rates, and associated costs per instructions; check calculations before submission.
• Maintain case files and track milestones and deadlines for costs materials.
• Proofread and ensure accuracy of costs documents; ensure templates and client requirements are met.
• Liaise with solicitors, paralegals, and finance teams; respond to queries and escalate discrepancies.

Skills

Numerical skills

Written communication

Attention to detail

Confidentiality

Billing records

Education

Bachelor's degree in law/related field

Legal administration/paralegal qualification

Tools

Microsoft Word

Excel

Outlook

Document management systems

Legal billing systems

Job description

Job Summary

Fresher Jobs Hub is seeking a detail-oriented and organised Legal Costs Draftsperson to support legal teams with the preparation, review, and administration of legal costs documentation. The successful candidate will assist in preparing accurate costs schedules, reviewing legal billing records, organising case-related financial information, and ensuring that legal costs documents are complete, consistent, and ready for review or submission.

This role is suited to candidates interested in legal administration, litigation support, legal finance, and professional services. The Legal Costs Draftsperson will work closely with solicitors, legal executives, costs lawyers, paralegals, and administrative teams to ensure that legal costs are recorded and presented clearly.

The ideal candidate will have strong numerical skills, excellent written communication, a high level of attention to detail, and the ability to manage confidential information responsibly. Previous experience in legal costs drafting is advantageous, although candidates with relevant administrative, finance, billing, or legal support experience may also be considered.

The position offers an opportunity to develop specialist knowledge of legal costs procedures, case documentation, billing practices, and litigation support processes while contributing to the efficient management of legal matters.

Key Responsibilities

Legal Costs Preparation

• Prepare draft legal costs schedules, bills, cost summaries, and supporting documentation using information provided by legal professionals.
• Review time records, attendance notes, fee-earner entries, disbursements, and other relevant case expenses.
• Organise and calculate professional fees, hourly charges, applicable rates, and associated costs in accordance with supplied instructions.
• Check calculations, totals, dates, descriptions, and supporting records to identify discrepancies before documents are submitted for approval.
• Assist in preparing cost estimates, budgets, and reports for individual cases when required.
• Maintain clear records of amendments, revisions, and outstanding information.

Case File Administration

• Maintain organised electronic and physical case files, ensuring that costs-related documents can be retrieved efficiently.
• Collect and organise invoices, receipts, timekeeping records, correspondence, and other relevant financial information.
• Track case milestones and documentation deadlines to support timely preparation of costs materials.
• Follow up with authorised colleagues to obtain missing information, clarify billing entries, and resolve incomplete records.
• Ensure that case documentation is appropriately labelled, version-controlled, and stored according to internal procedures.

Document Review and Quality Assurance

• Proofread draft costs documents for spelling, grammar, formatting, numerical accuracy, and consistency.
• Compare draft schedules against source records to confirm that entries are supported by available documentation.
• Identify duplicated entries, unusual charges, missing descriptions, and calculation errors for further review.
• Incorporate authorised amendments and maintain an accurate record of document changes.
• Prepare final drafts for review by the responsible solicitor, costs lawyer, or other authorised professional.
• Ensure that documents follow applicable templates, client requirements, and relevant procedural guidance.

Legal Team Coordination

• Liaise professionally with solicitors, paralegals, legal secretaries, finance personnel, and other stakeholders.
• Provide administrative support for costs assessments, negotiations, billing queries, and case-related reporting.
• Respond to internal requests for costs information and communicate outstanding requirements clearly.
• Escalate complex discrepancies, disputed entries, or procedural questions to the appropriate supervisor.
• Assist with preparing supporting information for meetings, reviews, and case management discussions.

Compliance and Confidentiality

• Handle sensitive client, financial, and legal information in accordance with organisational policies and applicable data protection requirements.
• Follow established procedures for document retention, secure file access, and information sharing.
• Maintain accurate audit trails for costs calculations and document revisions.
• Work within the limits of the role and refer legal interpretation, specialist costs advice, and formal approval decisions to appropriately qualified professionals.
• Keep up to date with relevant internal procedures and changes in applicable legal costs practices.

Required Skills and Qualifications

Educational Qualifications

• A bachelors degree, diploma, or relevant qualification in law, legal studies, business administration, accounting, finance, or a related field is desirable.
• A legal administration or paralegal qualification may be beneficial.
• Relevant training in legal costs drafting, litigation support, billing, or financial administration is an advantage.
• Equivalent practical experience may be considered where formal qualifications are not essential to the position.

Technical Skills

• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and document management systems.
• Ability to prepare structured schedules, tables, calculations, and professional correspondence.
• Strong numerical accuracy and confidence working with billing records and financial data.
• Familiarity with electronic case management, time-recording, invoicing, and legal billing systems is desirable.
• Ability to review large volumes of documents and organise information systematically.
• Good typing, proofreading, and data-entry skills.

Professional Skills

• Excellent attention to detail and a methodical approach to reviewing information.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Good organisational skills and the ability to prioritise competing deadlines.
• Professional judgement when handling confidential information.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with legal and finance teams.
• A willingness to learn new procedures, software, and specialist legal terminology.

Experience

Entry-Level Candidates

• Fresh graduates with relevant legal, business, finance, or administrative education may apply if the employer offers suitable training.
• Previous office administration, document preparation, data entry, or customer service experience is beneficial.
• Candidates should demonstrate accuracy, reliability, a willingness to learn, and an interest in legal support work.

Experienced Candidates

• Previous experience in legal costs drafting, legal billing, litigation support, law firm administration, or legal finance is preferred.
• Experience preparing costs schedules, reviewing time entries, checking disbursements, or reconciling billing information is advantageous.
• Familiarity with applicable court procedures, costs documentation, and legal billing requirements is beneficial.
• Experience working with solicitors, costs lawyers, or litigation teams will be an advantage.
• The successful candidate should be willing to undertake role-specific training and develop the technical knowledge required to prepare high-quality legal costs documentation.

Working Hours

• Working hours will depend on the employers operational requirements and the agreed employment arrangement.
• Full-Time: Typically 35-40 hours per week, depending on the organisation and jurisdiction.
• Part-Time: Flexible schedules may be available where supported by the employer.
• Standard Schedule: Generally Monday to Friday during normal business hours.
• Deadline Management: Occasional additional hours may be required to meet urgent case deadlines, subject to applicable employment requirements.
• Remote or Hybrid Work: May be available where permitted by the employer, with appropriate secure access to case management systems and confidential records.
• Candidates should confirm the final working schedule, location, employment terms, and remote-work arrangements during the recruitment process.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Knowledge

• Basic understanding of legal administration and case file management.
• Awareness of legal billing, professional fees, disbursements, and costs documentation.
• Understanding of the importance of accurate recordkeeping and supporting evidence.
• Familiarity with confidentiality, data protection, and secure document handling.
• Willingness to learn relevant legal costs rules and procedures applicable to the employers jurisdiction.

Skills

• Ability to prepare clear, structured, and professionally formatted documents.
• Strong arithmetic, spreadsheet, and reconciliation skills.
• Excellent proofreading and document-checking abilities.
• Effective time management and deadline tracking.
• Clear communication with legal professionals and administrative colleagues.
• Competence in identifying inconsistencies and escalating issues appropriately.

Abilities

• Ability to manage multiple case files without compromising accuracy.
• Ability to work with detailed financial and legal information for extended periods.
• Ability to follow instructions, templates, and established procedures consistently.
• Ability to maintain discretion when handling sensitive client information.
• Ability to adapt to changing priorities and urgent requests.
• Ability to accept feedback, correct errors, and continuously improve work quality.

Benefits

• Competitive salary based on qualifications, experience, and responsibilities.
• Structured onboarding and role-specific training.
• Opportunities to develop specialist legal costs and litigation support skills.
• Potential access to hybrid or remote working arrangements.
• Paid annual leave and other applicable statutory leave.
• Professional development opportunities and relevant training programmes.
• Supportive teamwork and exposure to legal and financial administration processes.
• Opportunities to progress into senior legal costs, litigation support, or legal operations roles.
• Performance reviews and opportunities for increased responsibility.
• Access to employer-provided software, systems, and work resources where applicable.

Specific salary details, benefits, and eligibility criteria will be communicated by the hiring employer during the recruitment process. Benefits are not guaranteed unless confirmed in the formal offer.