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Local authorities, housing associations, registered providers and other public sector organisations regularly receive substantial Bills of Costs following housing disrepair, public liability and other civil litigation. Without specialist costs advice, paying parties can face significant unnecessary costs exposure.

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SPH Costs acts exclusively in legal costs disputes, helping local authorities, housing associations, ALMOs and defendant solicitors challenge excessive claimant costs through strategic Bill reviews, expertly drafted Points of Dispute, negotiation and representation throughout Detailed Assessment proceedings.

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Whether you have received a single high-value Bill of Costs or manage a large portfolio of recurring claims, we provide practical, commercially focused advice designed to reduce claimant costs whilst protecting your organisation's position.

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Specialist Paying Party Costs Lawyers for the Public Sector

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Local authority litigation presents unique costs challenges. Housing disrepair claims frequently generate detailed Bills of Costs that bear little resemblance to the damages recovered. Claimant firms often seek recovery of substantial solicitor's costs, counsel's fees, surveyor fees and extensive pre-action work, leaving local authorities exposed to significant costs liabilities if Bills are not carefully scrutinised.  Unlike many other civil claims, housing disrepair litigation commonly falls outside the Fixed Recoverable Costs regime. Costs are therefore assessed under the Detailed Assessment process, where careful technical analysis can often produce substantial reductions.

Our costs lawyers act exclusively in legal costs disputes and understand both the legal and commercial pressures facing local authority legal teams.

 

Who We Act For

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We regularly act for:

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• Local Authorities

• Housing Associations

• Registered Providers

• ALMOs

• Public Bodies

• Defendant Solicitors acting for public sector clients

• Organisations managing high-volume housing disrepair litigation

 

Whether instructed on an individual dispute or across an ongoing caseload, we provide consistent strategic advice designed to reduce claimant costs and improve settlement outcomes.

 

Why Local Authorities Choose SPH Costs

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We understand that local authority legal teams operate within tight budgets, demanding procedural deadlines and increasing volumes of housing litigation. Our clients instruct us because we provide:

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• Specialist paying party costs expertise.

• Rapid review of claimant Bills of Costs.

• High-quality Points of Dispute drafted by experienced costs lawyers.

• Strategic advice on settlement and litigation risk.

• Representation throughout Detailed Assessment proceedings.

• Consistent support across recurring housing disrepair claims.

• Commercial advice tailored to public sector decision making.

 

Rather than simply challenging individual items within a Bill, we develop an overall strategy designed to achieve the best commercial outcome.

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Housing Disrepair Costs Expertise

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Housing disrepair litigation continues to generate some of the largest and most technically complex Bills of Costs faced by local authorities. We regularly advise upon:

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• Proportionality.

• Guideline Hourly Rates.

• Excessive solicitor profit costs.

• Incorrect fee earner grading.

• Counsel's fees.

• Surveyor and expert fees.

• Recoverability of pre-action costs.

• Costs following discontinuance.

• Reformulated claims.

• Technical entitlement to costs.

• Assessment costs.

 

Every Bill is considered on its own facts, ensuring the strongest available technical and commercial arguments are advanced.

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Bills of Costs We Regularly Challenge

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Our team routinely reviews Bills involving:

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• Excessive hourly rates.

• Senior fee earners carrying out routine work.

• Duplication between solicitors, counsel and experts.

• Inflated attendance notes.

• Excessive document review time.

• Unnecessary correspondence.

• Excessive internal communications.

• Disproportionate expert fees.

• Surveyor charges.

• Counsel's brief fees.

• Unreasonable success fees where applicable.

• Costs exceeding the value of the underlying dispute.

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Careful analysis frequently identifies substantial opportunities for reduction before Detailed Assessment becomes necessary.

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Our Paying Party Costs Services

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Bill of Costs Review

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Early specialist advice often has the greatest impact.  Our review considers:

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• The underlying claim.

• Procedural history.

• Recoverability.

• Proportionality.

• Guideline Hourly Rates.

• Litigation conduct.

• Likely Detailed Assessment outcomes.

• Commercial settlement options.

Early involvement allows a coherent costs strategy to be developed before formal negotiations begin.

 

Points of Dispute

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Well-drafted Points of Dispute remain one of the most effective tools available to paying parties.

We prepare comprehensive Points of Dispute challenging:

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• Hourly rates.

• Fee earner grades.

• Duplication.

• Expert evidence.

• Counsel's fees.

• Attendance claims.

• Document time.

• Proportionality.

• Technical recoverability issues.

 

Each Point of Dispute is tailored to the individual Bill rather than relying upon generic precedents. 

 

Related Service: Challenge a Bill of Costs

 

Negotiation

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Many costs disputes resolve through negotiation without the need for a contested Detailed Assessment hearing.

Strong technical Points of Dispute frequently improve negotiating leverage and result in:

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• Earlier settlement.

• Significant reductions.

• Reduced assessment costs.

• Greater certainty regarding overall costs exposure.

 

Detailed Assessment Proceedings

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Where settlement cannot be achieved, we continue acting throughout Detailed Assessment proceedings. Our work includes:

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• Replies advice.

• Settlement negotiations.

• Advocacy support.

• Assessment preparation.

• Costs strategy.

• Technical legal argument.

 

We work closely with instructing solicitors to achieve the best possible outcome throughout CPR Part 47 proceedings.

 

Other Local Authority Costs Work

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Although housing disrepair litigation forms a significant part of our work, we also advise local authorities in relation to costs disputes arising from:

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• Public liability claims.

• Highways claims.

• Judicial Review.

• Planning litigation.

• Education disputes.

• Property litigation.

• Commercial disputes.

• Other civil litigation where claimant costs are challenged.

 

Our specialist expertise applies whenever a public body requires advice on paying party costs.

 

Managing High-Volume Housing Disrepair Caseloads

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Many local authorities now manage substantial volumes of housing disrepair claims involving the same claimant firms and recurring costs issues.  Using a dedicated specialist costs practice helps maintain consistency across multiple matters. We assist clients by:

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• Developing consistent costs strategies.

• Identifying recurring over-claiming.

• Challenging repeated hourly rate arguments.

• Monitoring claimant firm trends.

• Improving settlement outcomes.

• Reducing overall claimant costs across portfolios.

• Responding promptly to CPR deadlines.

 

Recent Results

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Approximately £30,000 Saving Without Detailed Assessment

 

Following settlement of a public liability claim worth just under £50,000, the claimant sought approximately £70,000 in legal costs. Following detailed review we challenged:

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• Excessive Grade A fee earner time.

• Duplication involving Counsel.

• Excessive document review.

• Overall proportionality.

 

The matter settled at approximately £40,000.

 

Outcome

• Approximately £30,000 saved.

• Around 43% reduction achieved.

• Contribution towards our client's own costs.

• Detailed Assessment avoided.

 

Housing Disrepair Costs Reduced from £15,500 to Approximately £150 Net

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Following service of a housing disrepair Bill of Costs of approximately £15,500, we challenged:

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• Recoverability of pre-action costs.

• Discontinued proceedings.

• Reformulated claims.

• Proportionality.

• Entitlement to assessment costs.

 

Following Detailed Assessment proceedings and correction of an adverse costs order:

 

Outcome

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• Original Bill: approximately £15,500.

• Amount allowed before adjustments: approximately £3,600.

• Final net liability: approximately £150.

 

This matter demonstrates how technical costs arguments can fundamentally alter the overall financial outcome.

 

Why Instruct a Regulated Costs Lawyer?
 

Unlike many costs draftsmen, Costs Lawyers can go on the court record and conduct costs proceedings on your behalf. This means that, where appropriate, SPH Costs can take conduct of the costs proceedings directly, dealing with the claimant's representatives and the court throughout the Detailed Assessment process.
 

For busy local authority legal teams, this provides several advantages:
 

• A single specialist dealing with the matter from start to finish.

• Reduced administrative burden on the instructing solicitor.

• Direct management of procedural deadlines and correspondence.

• Continuity throughout negotiations and Detailed Assessment proceedings.

• Representation by a regulated legal professional specialising exclusively in legal costs.

 

By instructing SPH Costs, local authority solicitors can concentrate on the underlying litigation while we manage the costs dispute.

 

When Should You Instruct SPH Costs?

 

Early instruction is recommended where:

• A Bill of Costs has been served.

• Points of Dispute are required urgently.

• Costs appear disproportionate.

• Hourly rates appear excessive.

• Surveyor fees require scrutiny.

• Housing disrepair litigation is increasing.

• Settlement negotiations have stalled.

• Detailed Assessment proceedings are anticipated.

 

The earlier specialist costs advice is obtained, the greater the opportunity to reduce claimant costs.

 

Related Services

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Continue your paying party costs journey:

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• Paying Party Costs

• Challenge a Bill of Costs

• Points of Dispute

• Detailed Assessment Strategy

• Bill of Costs Served – What Should Paying Parties Do Next?​

 

Contact SPH Costs

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If your local authority, housing association or public body has received a Bill of Costs, our specialist costs lawyers can help. We advise organisations throughout England and Wales on every stage of the paying party costs process, from initial Bill review through to Detailed Assessment. Whether you require urgent Points of Dispute, strategic negotiation or ongoing support across a portfolio of housing disrepair claims, SPH Costs provides practical, commercially focused legal costs advice.

 

Telephone: 01772 435550

Email: aa@sphcosts.com

 

Contact SPH Costs today to discuss your Bill of Costs.