In the news

  • Jackson rewind?
  • 16/05/2013
  • Labour’s shadow justice minister Andy Slaughter has told the Westminster Legal Policy Forum that it was too early to judge the effectiveness of the Jackson reforms and the ongoing changes to fixed fee claims. (read more...)
  • Costs Budgeting Mistakes
  • 23/04/2013
  • The High Court has handed down a decision concerning the revision of costs budgets under the management pilot in the Technology and Construction Court warning in Murray & Anor v Neil Dowlman Architecture Ltd [2013] EWHC 872 (TCC) that... (read more...)
  • Solicitors who fund disbursements not liable for third party costs orders
  • 11/04/2013
  • The Court of Appeal has ruled in Flatman v Germany; Weddall v Barchester Health Care Ltd [2013] EWCA Civ 278 that solicitors who fund clients' disbursements "without more" does not incur any potential liabilty to an adverse costs order. (read more...)
  • Clinical Negligence ATE regulations redrafted
  • 02/04/2013
  • Following concerns raised by the Statutory Instruments Joint Committee over The Recovery of Costs Insurance Premiums in Clinical Negligence Proceedings Regulations 2013 the Ministry of Justice has now laid new regulations. (read more...)
  • Jackson is here!
  • 01/04/2013
  • There is no going back. The majority of the Jackson Reforms are now in force. (read more...)
  • New Model CFA, but be warned!
  • 28/03/2013
  • The Law Society has published a new Model CFA for use in personal injury and clinical negligence cases. (read more...)
  • Concern over recoverability of ATE insurance in clinical negligence cases
  • 20/03/2013
  • The Statutory Instruments Joint Committee have reported The Recovery of Costs Insurance Premiums in Clinical Negligence Proceedings Regulations 2013 for appearing to be "..of doubtful vires and (to the extent that the vires exist) making an unexpected use of the power under which they were made." The Report concludes that... (read more...)
  • MPs defeat challenge to CFA regulations as latest changes to CPR are published
  • 12/03/2013
  • The new regulations governing conditional fee agreements (CFAs) cleared their final hurdle yesterday after the government defeated a last-ditch Labour challenge to them. (read more...)
  • The Offers to Settle in Civil Proceedings Order 2013
  • 30/01/2013
  • The Offers to Settle in Civil Proceedings Order 2013 has been laid before parliament and comes into force on 1 April 2013. (read more...)
  • The Recovery of Costs Insurance Premiums in Clinical Negligence Proceedings Regulations 2013
  • 30/01/2013
  • The Recovery of Costs Insurance Premiums in Clinical Negligence Proceedings Regulations 2013 have been laid before parliament and come into force on 1 April 2013. (read more...)
  • Court of Appeal overturns Senior Costs Judge in landmark decision on costs budgeting
  • 28/01/2013
  • To the surprise of some the Court of Appeal has overturned the Senior Costs Judge's ruling in Sylvia Henry -v- News Group Newspapers LTD [2012] EWHC 90218 (Costs). (read more...)
  • APIL and MASS launch judicial review over portal fee cut
  • 25/01/2013
  • The Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) and the Motor Accident Solicitors Society (MASS) have this afternoon issued a judicial review of the government’s proposal to cut the basic RTA portal fee from £1,200 to £500. Read the full Litigation Futures article here. (read more...)
  • The Civil Legal Aid (Costs) Regulations 2013
  • 23/01/2013
  • A draft of The Civil Legal Aid (Costs) Regulations 2013, which make provision about costs orders in civil proceedings in favour of or against a legally aided party and, in certain circumstances, against the Lord Chancellor has been published. These come into force on 1st April 2013.  (read more...)
  • The Damages-Based Agreements Regulations 2013
  • 23/01/2013
  • The Ministry of Justice has published the draft Damages-Based Agreements Regulations 2013, which come into force on 1st April 2013. (read more...)
  • The Conditional Fee Agreements Order 2013
  • 23/01/2013
  • The Ministry of Justice has published the draft Conditional Fee Agreements Order 2013, which comes into force on 1st April 2013. Transitional provisions have been included to make clear that the 25% cap on the success fee that lawyers can take from personal injury clients’ damages, excluding those for future care and loss, does not apply to CFAs entered into before 1st April, but only if: (read more...)
  • Chaos ahead warns the president of the London Solicitors Litigation Association
  • 22/01/2013
  • The president of the London Solicitors Litigation Association, Francesca Kaye, has said that the absence of rules, regulations and practice directions with just 10 weeks to go before implementation of the Jackson reforms is "wholly unacceptable" and threatens to tip the civil litigation system into chaos.  Ms Kaye predicted that the delay in publishing the rules and practice directions, lack of IT and administrative resources in court and lack of time for the judiciary to get up to speed was adding up to "a perfect storm where the current crisis would be tipped into chaos". Read the full Litigation Futures article here.  (read more...)
  • Dramatic climbdown from Grayling as portal extension is delayed
  • 24/12/2012
  • In a dramatic climbdown, the Lord Chancellor Chris Grayling has agreed that extension of the RTA portal to higher-value motor and employer's and public claims will now not happen in April 2013. (read more...)
  • Small claims limit for RTA claims set to increase?
  • 11/12/2012
  • The government has today finally unveiled its long-awaited consultation paper on increasing the small claims limit for road traffic personal injury cases from £1,000 to £5,000. (read more...)
  • e-Petition Against Government’s Proposal On Fixed Recoverable Costs In Personal Injury Matters
  • 05/12/2012
  • An e-petition against the government's proposals regarding fixed recoverable costs in personal injury claims has been created here. It closes on 28 November 2013. (read more...)
  • Civil Litigation Costs Reforms
  • 19/10/2012
  • Further details of how the Jackson reforms are to be implemented have been released by the government[http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/publications/policy/moj/civil-justice-reforms-full-package.pdf].    The reforms will be implemented in April 2013 through Part 2 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (the Act), and associated orders and regulations and changes to the Civil Procedure Rules, subject to a delayed implementation for mesothelioma claims, which will not come into effect until a review has been undertaken, and insolvency claims, which will not come into effect until April 2015). In short:    (read more...)
  • Simmons and Castle
  • 12/10/2012
  • The Court of Appeal has revisted its earlier July 2012 judgment in which they controversially announced that with effect from 1st April 2013 general damages in tort cases would increase by 10% from current levels. Following an application by the Association of British Insurers in August to intervene the court was invited to reconsider whether the 10% increase should only apply to cases where the claimant's funding arrangements for his or her legal costs had been agreed after 1st April 2013. (read more...)
  • New Offices
  • 04/09/2012
  • We are delighted to announce our move to new larger offices as of today. The move is part of our ongoing expansion and will allow us to continue providing the service our clients have come to expect for many years to come.   (read more...)
  • New ACL Website
  • 01/06/2012
  • The Association of Costs Lawyers has launched its new website. Take a look. (read more...)
  • Costs Management
  • 01/06/2012
  • The Hon Mr Justice Ramsey has delivered the 16th Implementation Lecture in relation to Sir Rupert Jackson's reform package, concerning Costs Management. He unveiled additions to CPR3 (3.11 to 3.18), a new Practice Direction 3E and amendments to Section 6 of the Costs Practice Direction. The changes are intended to give effect to the Sir Rupert's proposals for costs management based on four essential elements, namely: (read more...)
  • New Test for Proportionality
  • 31/05/2012
  • Lord Neuberger has unveiled the new test to be applied in relation to costs which are challenged as being disproprtionate. The new test - to be contained in CPR 44.4(5) - will come into force in April 2013 and will read as follows: (read more...)
  • JR challenge to legal aid cuts in medical negligence claims
  • 22/09/2011
  • The charity Action against Medical Accidents (AvMA) is seeking to judicially review the government's proposals to axe legal aid for victims of medical negligence. Read here and complete the online petition. (read more...)
  • Government to ban referral fees
  • 09/09/2011
  • *Justice Minister Jonathan Djanogly has announced that the government is to ban referral fees* (read more...)
  • BS EN ISO 9001 : 2000
  • 20/04/2010
  • We are proud to announce that following an assessment by an independent organisation T M Costings Ltd has been successful in achieving ISO 9001 Certification. This Internationally recognised prestigious award for quality is an International Standard in use worldwide as the benchmark for Quality. The award recognises our commitment to an exceptional quality of service. With only around 3% of UK business holding this Certificate T M Costings Ltd  are now at the forefront of quality service and customer care. (read more...)
  • Guideline Hourly Rates 2011
  • 11/04/2011
  • The Master of the Rolls has received a recommendation from the Advisory Committee on Civil Costs on an increase to the Guideline Hourly Rates for 2011. (read more...)
  • New Member of Team
  • 07/04/2011
  • We are pleased to announce a further new member of our rapidly explanding team, Tracy Simmonds who joins us from the in house costing department of a leading personal injury firm. (read more...)
  • New Member of Team
  • 11/03/2011
  • We are pleased to welcome to the team our newest recruit, James Wilson, who joins us as a trainee. (read more...)
  • Consultation: Reform of civil litigation funding and costs in England and Wales
  • 18/11/2010
  • This MoJ is seeking views on implementing a package of Lord Justice Jackson's proposals for reforming conditional fee agreements and other aspects of civil litigation funding and costs. (read more...)
  • New Member of Team
  • 01/06/2010
  • We are pleased to announce a new member to the team, Tom Winyard. Tom has been the costs manager of a well established law firm for the past 10 years and brings with him an extensive knowledge and experience of all civil litigation matters. He is a Fellow of the Association of Law Costs Draftsman and shortly anticipates becoming a full Costs Lawyer. (read more...)
  • New Member of Team
  • 01/12/2009
  • Neil joins after 9 years experience with another leading costs drafting firm where he gained considerable experience in both commercial costs disputes and personal injury CFA funded work. He is also widely experienced in attending detailed assessments both at the SCCO and county courts. (read more...)
  • A pivotal decision
  • 25/02/2009
  • This is an important decision concerning the recoverability of costs incurred during an inquest in later civil proceedings. Toby was instructed by Hodge, Jones & Allen in the case of Roach to draft the subject Bill of Costs and attend before Master Hurst on the assessment of costs. (read more...)
  • New member of team
  • 21/01/2009
  • We are proud to welcome our latest team member, Joanna Sinfield. Joanna qualified as a solicitor in 1995 and was in private practice until November 2007. She has been involved in all areas of costs drafting and negotiation since August 2006 with a particular interest and specialism for personal injury CFA funded work. (read more...)
  • Second office
  • 17/10/2008
  • In September 2008 we opened our second office in Wooburn Green, Buckinghamshire. This has given us the additional space to allow us to take on new clients while maintaining and further enhancing our service levels. (read more...)