Why Legal Aid Claims in Care Proceedings Are Being Reduced (And How to Avoid It)

Editor’s Note Reductions to Legal Aid claims in care proceedings are often described as inevitable. Many firms have come to expect them as part of public law practice, even where the work carried out was clearly necessary. This article examines why Legal Aid claims in Care & Supervision proceedings are being reduced so frequently, and, […]

Common Billing Errors in Care & Supervision Legal Aid Claims

Editor’s Note Care and supervision proceedings are among the most demanding areas of legal practice, both emotionally and procedurally. Yet the complexity of the work is not always reflected in how Legal Aid claims are assessed or paid. This article examines the most common billing errors in Care & Supervision Legal Aid claims and explains […]

Why Good Costs Drafting Is a Commercial Asset, Not an Admin Task

Editor’s Note In many law firms, costs drafting is still viewed as an administrative necessity rather than a commercial function. Bills are produced at the end of a case, often under time pressure, and assessed as a compliance exercise rather than a strategic one. This article challenges that mindset and explores why, in modern UK […]

What Judges Really Care About When Assessing Costs

Editor’s Note Costs assessment in England and Wales is often approached as a technical battleground, governed by rules, practice directions, and case law. But anyone who regularly appears before Costs Judges knows that the outcome is rarely dictated by black-letter law alone. Judicial instincts, experience, and a strong sense of fairness play a decisive role. […]

Common Reasons Bills of Costs Are Still Being Reduced on Assessment

Introduction For costs professionals in England and Wales, reductions on detailed assessment are nothing new. Yet despite decades of guidance, case law, and increasingly sophisticated cost drafting tools, Bills of Costs continue to be reduced — often in predictable ways. What’s striking is not that reductions occur, but that many arise from the same recurring […]

The New CCMS Portal: What It Means for Legal Aid Billing and Costs Drafting

Introduction For legal costs professionals working in Legal Aid, few systems have as much day-to-day impact as the Client and Cost Management System (CCMS). When CCMS changes, even subtly, the effects are felt immediately by Costs Draftsmen, Costs Lawyers, and billing teams across England and Wales. The rollout of the new CCMS portal marks one […]