Timothy Phillips, Law Costs Draftsperson
When a judge, in court, makes an order for “costs, to be assessed”, I prepare a document or spreadsheet called a bill of costs – for a judge to assess.
When the Court of Protection appoints you as a professional deputy, I help you to get paid for all your work:
- I prepare a bill that breaks down and justifies your costs.
- I upload the bill to the Senior Courts Costs Office for them to assess.
When someone else has to pay your costs, I help you to recoup as much as possible:
- I prepare a bill that breaks down and justifies the costs.
- If the payer serves points of dispute, I prepare a reply, to defend the bill.
- If the payer offers a compromise, I advise you how much a judge might allow, to help you to decide whether to accept the offer.
- If the payer does not offer enough, I go to an assessment hearing, to justify the costs.
When you have to pay someone else’s costs, I help you to pay no more than you need to:
- I prepare points of dispute, to challenge the bill.
- I advise you how much a judge might allow, so you can offer an appropriate compromise.
- If the payee does not accept your offer, I go to an assessment hearing, to persuade the judge to reduce the bill.
Currently (Winter 2024 – 2025) I turn round most work (including budgets, bills, points of dispute and replies) within a fortnight.
About
- Studied at the University of Wales in Bangor from 1987 to 1990
- Graduated with a degree of Bachelor of Arts with second class (division 1) honours in applied linguistics in 1990
- Studied at the College of Law (now the University of Law) in Chester from 1990 to 1992
- Passed the Common Professional Examination (law conversion course) in 1991
- Passed the Solicitors’ Final Examination in 1992
- Worked as a trainee solicitor for David Hughes & Bryan Solicitors (now Breese Gwyndaf Solicitors) in Barmouth (in Gwynedd) from 1992 to 1994
- Was admitted as a solicitor on 1 November 1994 and still am on the roll of solicitors (non-practising)
- Worked as a trainee law costs draftsperson for Wigg & Co. (Costs Drafting) Limited in Tunbridge Wells (in Kent) from 1995 to 1996
- Worked as a law costs draftsperson for Alex Milne Law Costing Services Limited at their offices in York from 1996 to September 2018 (when they closed)
- Work as a self-employed law costs draftsperson since October 2018
- Am a member of the Law Society of England and Wales
I have been to 80 assessment hearings – at the Senior Courts Costs Office and other courts all over England and Wales. There, I have argued and heard judges’ decisions and reasons on thousands of points of dispute. This experience helps me to predict judges’ decisions.
Pricing
After I gauge the work involved, I can suggest either a fixed fee or a formula. Here are some examples:
Budget
The sum of
£300
+
0.85% of the total budget
Bill of costs (payable by one party to another)
The sum of
£500
+
5% of your solicitor’s costs (not including counsel’s fees, other disbursements or VAT)
Points of dispute
The sum of
£1,000
+
1.5% of the total bill
I do not charge VAT (as my turnover is below the threshold for registration).
Glossary
- costs: A client pays costs to their solicitor for legal services – and someone who loses a civil dispute pays costs to reimburse the winner.
- law costs draftsperson: A law costs draftsperson (or costs draftsman) is a lawyer who specialises in costs.
- budget: A budget (or costs budget) is a spreadsheet that breaks down the costs of work that a solicitor will or might do.
- bill of costs: A bill (or bill of costs) is a spreadsheet or document that breaks down the costs of work that a solicitor has done. Here are examples of bills of costs payable by one party to another, as a spreadsheet and as a document, and out of the funds of someone who lacks mental capacity to make decisions.
- points of dispute: When you receive a bill of costs, you can challenge it – using a document called points of dispute. Here is an example.
- reply: When you receive points of dispute to your bill of costs, you can respond – using a document called a reply.
- assessment hearing: When a bill of costs is in dispute, a judge at court decides what to allow – at an assessment hearing.
Contact
Email timothy@phillipscosts.co.uk – and hear back from me (within a few hours, usually)
Phone 07931 944 654
Or write to Timothy Phillips, 1 Catherine Court, York YO10 3DJ