Legal Costs and Funding

The Legal Costs and Funding Team at Davis Woolfe specialise in providing comprehensive costs-related services to other law firms, corporate clients and individuals. We specialise in complex, high-value cases.

We have considerable experience of dealing with costs issues in a wide range of areas including commercial litigation, property litigation, catastrophic personal injury and clinical negligence cases, contested probate and construction matters for both paying and receiving parties. Our team has been involved in a number of leading cases and also has considerable experience of dealing with costs in more unusual cases, including costs orders made in the EAT and in family proceedings. Our services include:

• Comprehensive costs management services from preparation of Precedent H costs budgets and Budget Discussion Reports, attendance at Costs and Case Management Conferences (CCMCs), applications to revise budgets (Precedent Ts) and ongoing monitoring of expenditure throughout the course of the case
• Preparation of N260, estimates and detailed Bills of Costs, including the new Precedent S electronic Bill of Costs
• Preparation of Points of Dispute, Replies and attendance at detailed assessment and costs appeals
• Comprehensive advisory and negotiation services
• Drafting retainers
• Applications for approval of costs settlements for protected parties
• Court of Protection costs
• Solicitor and own client costs disputes
• Costs mediations
• Fixed recoverable costs advice
• QOCS advice
• Strategic costs advice

Our dedicated team offers a personal service tailored to the client’s needs and work meticulously to ensure that our costs pleadings are drafted to the highest standards. We prepare accurate and comprehensive costs budgets to ensure clients can make informed decisions and maintain financial control over their cases. Our advocates handle a significant number of CCMCs which enables us to provide seamless communication and consistent representation, ensuring robust arguments and favourable outcomes for our clients at CCMC and any subsequent hearings to revise budgets or at Detailed Assessment.

We are equipped to monitor a client’s expenditure against an approved budget as the case progresses. This commitment to precision allows our clients to effectively manage their finances and maintain transparency throughout the litigation process.

We go beyond traditional costs management services. We act as trusted advisors and troubleshooters for our clients, addressing any and all costs-related issues that may arise. Whether it involves time recording, retainers, Qualified One-way Costs Shifting (QOCS), Part 36 offers, fixed costs, or solicitor-client assessments, we provide expert guidance and assistance. We are dedicated to equipping our clients with the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively navigate the complex landscape of costs.

We have embraced technology and accept instructions and files electronically. We understand the importance of efficient and secure communication in today’s digital age. Our firm has robust systems in place to handle electronic instructions and files, ensuring a streamlined and convenient process for our clients.

Please do feel free to contact David Crawley or Helene Crawley-Meltoft at our Manchester Office with any queries on 0161 359 9180.