The right person for the job

• The perils of using an unregulated costs draftsman were laid bare in Kapoor (deceased) v Johal [2024] EWHC 2853 (SCCO).

The importance of specialism can be found in a simple rhetorical question: would you instruct a bricklayer to install a new boiler?

Specialism and regulation are not marketing gimmicks but a cornerstone of public trust in the legal profession. So why do some solicitors continue to instruct unregulated costs draftsman, instead of qualified and regulated costs lawyers?

Not a trifling thing

There is no evidence that unregulated draftsmen are cheaper or provide a higher quality of work. Indeed, they are limited to acting as agents for the solicitor and cannot go on the record for the receiving party. A bill of costs is not a trifling thing, and errors are not of no consequence. A finding that a bill of costs has been miscertified, or worse still, a finding of misconduct