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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
Our Detailed Assessment Paying Party Services
We act for paying parties defending bills of costs at detailed assessment, including challenges to hourly rates, proportionality, fee earner delegation, conduct, and recoverability. Our approach combines CPR-compliant Points of Dispute, strategic negotiation, and robust advocacy to reduce exposure and control litigation spend.
For an overview of our defence work see Paying Party Costs Lawyers
What Is Detailed Assessment?
Detailed assessment is the process by which the court determines the amount of costs payable by one party to another. It follows service of a bill of costs and considers whether the costs claimed were reasonably incurred, reasonable in amount, and proportionate to the issues.
Our Detailed Assessment Defence blog/page explains the procedure and available challenges.
Our Paying Party Services
Drafting Points of Dispute
We prepare CPR-compliant Points of Dispute that:
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challenge hourly rates and grade
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attack duplication and over-lawyering
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raise proportionality and conduct arguments
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address budget compliance and departures
See Points of Dispute for Paying Parties.
Negotiation and Settlement Strategy
Most costs disputes settle before hearing. We:
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narrow issues
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quantify risk
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apply evidence-based challenges
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advise on Part 36 strategy where appropriate
Advocacy at Detailed Assessment Hearings
Our Costs Lawyers provide representation at:
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provisional assessments (when required)
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oral detailed assessments
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costs management and consequential hearings
We advance arguments on proportionality, delegation, and recoverability.
Core Areas of Challenge
Guideline Hourly Rates and Grade
We analyse whether the rates claimed exceed the guideline figures, whether the grade is justified, and whether senior fee earners carried out routine work.
➡️ Guideline Hourly Rates
Proportionality
Even reasonable costs can be reduced if disproportionate. We apply the global test to secure stand-back reductions.
➡️ Proportionality challenges.
Fee Earner Delegation and Status
We challenge inappropriate senior time, duplication of attendance, lack of supervision, and status issues following Mazur v Charles Russell Speechlys.
➡️ Fee earner delegation challenges
➡️ Recoverability and conduct
Budget Compliance
We assess whether phases exceed the approved budget, whether there is good reason to depart, and whether assumptions support the work claimed.
Conduct and Indemnity Costs
Where conduct is relied upon, we test the factual basis, causal link to costs incurred, and proportionality of the sums claimed.
➡️ Recoverability and conduct
Why Early Instruction Matters
Early paying-party input allows:
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better scoping of exposure
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targeted Points of Dispute
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stronger negotiation position
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reduced risk of adverse outcomes
Late instructions limit the arguments available.
Who We Act For
We act nationwide for:
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local authorities
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insurers
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police autorities
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commercial defendants
with particular expertise in high-value inter partes disputes.
➡️ Paying Party Costs Lawyers
Urgent Deadlines
We accept urgent instructions where:
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the 21-day deadline for Points of Dispute is approaching
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a bill has just been served
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a provisional assessment is listed
Typical Outcomes
Our paying party detailed assessment work regularly achieves:
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reductions to hourly rates
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removal of duplicated or unnecessary work
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global proportionality cuts
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settlement below the sums claimed
Instructing Us
If you are defending a bill of costs, early specialist input can materially reduce exposure at detailed assessment.
➡️ Contact our Paying Party Costs Lawyers
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