We find the best solution for you, not just the obvious
Put simply, we put ourselves in your shoes and give you the advice we would want to be given. We are not afraid to tell you that we can’t help you or that the cost of the solution will outweigh the benefit. Sometimes we tell our law firm clients that they can do the work without us, and explain how. We understand the importance of ROI and proportionality of cost - there is no point in paying us $5000, to recover $6,000.
Particularly if there are doubts about the ability to recover costs, we will look at alternative solutions, other than simply preparing a bill of costs. One example is preparing a limited bill seeking only easily quantifiable disbursements. Another example is the use of gross sum applications.
Our focus is always on finding a pragmatic, commercial solution which maximises return on investment and ties into our client’s business objectives. We work with the legal team to give strategic advice on how the costs issues tie into the bigger picture and should be best approached.
We are renowned for our expertise
Some lawyers are better than others. Our clients tell us we’re the best at what we do. Between us, our lawyers have more than 100 years of experience in legal costs. As a team, we share our knowledge and combined experience to ensure you are receiving the best advice, speedy service, and practical solutions. Part of this involves keeping up to date with the hundreds of Australian decisions on legal costs published each year.
If you look at the cases we have been involved in, you will see these include some of the largest and most complex litigation in Australia.
We know things others don't
We are proactive in the development of costs law in Australia. Liz Harris was the inaugural Chair of the Costs Lawyers committee at the Law Institute of Victoria and, with Debra Paver, remains on the committee. Liz and Antoinette Austin are, with another cost lawyer, drafting a new scale of costs for the Victorian Supreme Court. We regularly make submissions on legal costs issues to government bodies and inquiries, including the Cashman Review, and the Federal Joint Costs Advisory Committee. This helps you because we are aware of likely changes to costing legislation and practice of costs law and take these into account in the advice we give you.
We are all lawyers with practice experience
Unlike some other legal costing firms, we are an incorporated legal practice and all our cost consultants are lawyers with practice experience.
It is important to engage a lawyer for your legal costing because:
We can appear in any court as we hold practising certificates (non lawyers may not be able to appear, or if they do, cannot recover costs of appearing)
We are fully covered by professional indemnity insurance
There is no issue of your waiving legal professional privilege by providing your file to us - particularly important in interlocutory costs and security for cost applications
Our substantial experience in legal practice means we understand what is involved in conducting large and complex matters, and the practical issues that can arise in running a case
Our fee is tied to satisfaction and provides certainty
Wherever possible, we undertake work on a fixed fee basis. This gives you/your client certainty of costs. In all other matters we charge on an hourly basis. There are cost consultants who charge a percentage of the professional costs in a bill.
We don’t do this for two reasons -
This sort of arrangement may be in breach of the Legal Profession Act;
Charging a percentage gives an incentive for the cost consultant to include matters in the bill which are not sustainable on taxation, but will have the effect of increasing the fee paid.
Our fee is tied to your satisfaction with our performance. Our invoices give you the ability to write our fees up or down, depending on how well you thought we did. The only thing we ask it that you tell us why you want to pay us a different amount.
We have the resources to meet your needs
With a team of cost lawyers, and using specialist proprietary software, we can provide a very quick turnaround if required for bills of costs, objections, assessments and advices.
We can also come to your offices to work there – particularly helpful in ongoing matters where you need to have constant reference to the file.
Lastly, if you want to completely outsource your cost recovery, we can do it all – prepare the bill, issue the summons, negotiate the costs, appear on the taxation.
Look at our value added services
Costs law can be somewhat of a mystery for many lawyers, which is why we try and help with some additional services to help our clients.
Legal updates
Through our blog, we keep you up to date with legal developments in costs law.
Help line
We are happy to offer free preliminary advice on cost orders, negotiating costs and options available to you with your cost issues.
Seminars
We offer one free annual costs seminar to all our clients on either compliance with the Legal Profession Act, or File Management to maximise cost recovery
Fact Sheets
We have developed fact sheets to answer many of your cost questions. These can be a great resources for your younger lawyers.
But I can do it myself!
Yes, you can. Just like, in theory, we can draft complex commercial contracts and conduct large scale litigation. But like you, we recognise we would not do as good a job as someone with particular expertise, who knows the “tricks of the trade”. We won’t be as efficient, resulting in greater cost to the client, and the matter will probably take much longer than it should have. So, to enable you to continue to do what you do best, send your costing issues to us and let us do what we do best – getting a great result for you and your client.
As our name says, we deal with legal costs, whether costs between parties, or costs charged by practitioners to their clients. We provide the following services:
