Your Strategic Partner in Legal Costs with 30+ Years of Experience
Independent, outcome-focused costs support across Legal Aid, Court of Protection, public law and personal injury matters
About SPH Costs
SPH Costs is a specialist costs firm providing procedural, drafting, and advisory support to solicitors across England & Wales. The firm acts for both receiving and paying parties, delivering specialist costs services across contentious and non-contentious regimes including detailed assessment, legal aid and CCMS costs, Court of Protection work, and costs budgeting.
The experience outlined below reflects the professional background from which the firm’s specialist practice has developed. That history informs the way costs issues are approached today, with a focus on procedural accuracy, proportionality, and a practical understanding of how costs are assessed in practice.
Our Background and Experience
SPH Costs was established by practitioners with long-standing experience in the costs sector. That experience includes extensive work in inter partes litigation costs for both paying and receiving parties, where costs issues are frequently contested and subject to close judicial scrutiny.
This work has involved the preparation and challenge of bills of costs, drafting and responding to points of dispute, advising on recoverability and settlement strategy, and dealing with detailed assessment hearings and appeals. Acting for paying parties has provided detailed insight into the arguments that attract judicial scrutiny and the deficiencies that commonly lead to reductions.
While personal injury and other civil litigation costs formed a significant part of the firm’s early work, the procedural principles and assessment considerations involved are not confined to any single practice area. That foundation continues to inform the firm’s approach across all areas of costs work.
Our Specialist Costs Focus Today
SPH Costs now operates as a national specialist costs practice. Current work includes acting for paying and receiving parties in detailed assessment proceedings, legal aid and CCMS claims, Court of Protection general management costs, non-contentious costs matters, and complex civil costs disputes.
The firm also advises on costs budgeting under CPR Part 3, including Precedent H preparation, negotiation, and related issues. In each area, the focus is on presenting or challenging costs in a manner that reflects the applicable procedural framework and judicial expectations.
Files are managed electronically and advice is provided remotely, allowing specialist costs support to be delivered to solicitors across England and Wales. We are instructed by solicitors on matters conducted nationwide, with support provided without geographic limitation.
Directors and Senior Costs Lawyers
Shaun Higginbotham — Founder and Managing Director (Costs Lawyer)
Shaun began his career in the costs sector in 1988 with a firm of law costs draftsmen and later became Head of Costs and lead Costs Advocate at a regional solicitors’ practice. He founded SPH Costing Services in 1995 and was part of the first group admitted as Costs Lawyers under the Costs Lawyers Standards Board regime. With over three decades in the profession, Shaun has overseen the handling of substantial volumes of civil costs work for both paying and receiving parties across a wide range of matters.
Andrew Armson — Operations Director (Costs Lawyer)
Andrew has worked in costs since 1993 and joined SPH in 1998. He qualified as a Costs Lawyer in the first tranche of admissions and has extensive experience acting as an advocate in detailed assessment hearings, appeals, and related proceedings in courts up to the Supreme Court. His work includes acting for local authorities and public bodies, particularly in relation to paying party work and complex housing and civil costs disputes.
Andrew Jones — Director and Senior Costs Practitioner
Andrew joined the costs sector in the mid-1990s following earlier experience as a claimant personal injury lawyer. He has since worked exclusively in costs and advises on a broad range of civil costs matters for both paying and receiving parties, including drafting, budgeting, negotiation, and strategic advisory work.
Senior Specialists
Dawn Morgan — Senior Costs Draftsman, Court of Protection Specialist
Dawn has been with SPH Costs for over 30 years and is a senior law costs draftsman with particular expertise in Court of Protection work. Her primary focus is the preparation and assessment of general management costs and other Court of Protection costs, working closely with solicitors and professional deputies on complex and high-value matters. General management costs in the Court of Protection are dealt with Annually.
In addition to her Court of Protection practice, Dawn undertakes complex personal injury bills and costs budgets and has extensive experience in legal aid costs. Her long-standing involvement across multiple costs regimes provides a detailed understanding of procedural requirements and specialist assessment principles.
Legal Aid Costs Team
SPH Costs maintains a dedicated Legal Aid costs team specialising exclusively in civil Legal Aid and CCMS work. This team operates within the distinct procedural framework governing Legal Aid Agency assessment and provides focused support on compliance, recoverability, and complex cost structures.
Elisse Bradbury — Legal Aid Manager
Elisse leads the firm’s Legal Aid practice and has responsibility for overseeing Legal Aid and CCMS work, including complex and high-cost cases. She works closely with instructing solicitors to ensure claims are prepared accurately and in accordance with current guidance.
Serena Nolan — Senior Legal Aid Costs Draftsman
Serena specialises exclusively in civil Legal Aid costs and has over 25 years’ experience working in the costs sector. As part of the dedicated Legal Aid team, she undertakes the preparation and management of Legal Aid bills and CCMS claims, supporting solicitors on compliance, assessment requirements, and complex cost structures.
Approach to Costs Work
Costs work is procedural at its core. Effective handling requires more than accurate time recording; it requires judgment, structure, and an understanding of how costs are scrutinised on assessment. Acting for both paying and receiving parties allows costs issues to be assessed realistically from all angles, supporting early identification of risk and proportionate resolution.
The firm’s approach is focused on clarity, compliance, and presenting costs in a manner that assists the court or assessing officer and reflects applicable procedural requirements.
Nationwide Support for Solicitors
SPH Costs acts for solicitors across England & Wales. Proceedings issued in any court or jurisdiction can be supported without regard to physical location, with all work conducted using secure electronic files and remote communication. This reflects the way modern costs practice operates and allows specialist expertise to be accessed consistently and efficiently on a national basis.
Contact
Further information about the firm’s specialist costs services, or initial discussions regarding costs support, can be obtained by contacting SPH Costs using the firm’s published contact details below.