General Services

It is essential in modern litigation to ensure Costs Budgets are accurate and professionally prepared to ensure future costs are properly accounted for to maximise recovery at the conclusion of your case. Just as crucial is to ensure your opponents Costs Budget is reasonable and appropriate reductions are maximised. Instructing Alternative Costs will ensure you receive expertly prepared Costs Budgets from an experienced team, versed in all claim types, and accounting for all case scenarios. We will also prepare detailed analysis of your opponents Budget, draft and negotiate Budget Discussion Forms and advocate on your behalf at CCMC.

Our service will include:

• Consultation with you to ensure accurate estimate of future costs
• Efficiently and precisely drafted Costs Budget to protect your position and maximise recovery
• Written advice on your opponent’s Budget and completion of Budget Discussion Form (Precedent R)
• Negotiation of Budgets with your opponent
• Attendance at any CCMC dealing with Costs Budgeting
• Vital applications to amend your Budget when your case takes an unexpected turn
• Prioritising any work in line with Court deadlines; if you find yourself in the unfortunate position of overlooking preparation of the Budget, we will ensure your position is protected under our Urgent Budget Service.

Dedicated file handlers are allocated to each file with responsibility of the case from cradle to grave, providing continuity to our clients and specific contacts available to answer any questions.

Initial detailed review and advice of each case in order to identify any issues to provide independent and accurate advice for settlement parameters.

Regular file progression in order to negotiate maximum reduction in costs claimed and keep costs of assessment to a minimum.

Professionally prepared bespoke Points of Dispute when required with robust arguments to protect our client’s position.

Nationwide advocacy to avoid the requirement to instruct Counsel, with proven track record in achieving maximum reductions to our clients’ liability for costs.

Bills and Schedules of Costs professionally drafted by experienced Draftsmen.

Costs Negotiation with regular progression of files to ensure swift progress of cases and reduction in costs of detailed assessment.

Robustly prepared Replies to Points of Dispute, individually crafted to each particular case and identifying areas of weakness in the paying parties’ arguments, always ensuring best possible arguments to maximise recovery at assessment.

Realistic advice on value of each file and risks of proceeding to provisional or detailed assessment, mitigating the risks of the same.

Expert knowledge of costs rules and case law ensures our clients are able to rely on advice received to achieve the best possible outcomes.