Local Authority & Government Departments
Public bodies are increasingly obliged to reduce their expenditure, including on litigation costs, even though they are facing a wide variety of proceedings which can often result in adverse Costs Orders. Aestima works with a number of Government Departments and Local Authorities, and thus are sensitive to the needs of such bodies and how best to meet those needs.
Are you hampered by a lack of resources that prevents the required attention to claims for costs?
Aestima can assist you, giving you time to focus on your caseload. Our experience in this particular area can reduce your liability to pay unreasonable or disproportionate costs. We do this by calling on the expertise of our costs consultants who have worked with public bodies over many years.
Are you being met with extremely high demands for legal costs from successful claimants?
Our comprehensive legal costs service means that we deal with all types of claims, including Judicial Reviews and general liability claims. This practical experience ensures effective challenges to costs can be made, taking into account more esoteric issues such as the claimant’s funding arrangements. This approach ensures your outlay on legal costs is reduced and allows your budget to be redistributed to more deserving services.
Case Scenarios
Instructions were received from a public body to oppose multiple claims for costs. Many of the claims received were from one firm of third party solicitors and over time Aestima were able to build a valuable data base. This detailed knowledge has been built on the manner in which the third party solicitors conduct their cases. This vital information is used in all instructions and a consistent and robust approach is taken to opposing the costs. This has resulted in successful reductions being consistently achieved, first on assessment and then more recently during negotiations.