ACL trainers’ In-house training
Our accredited trainers, recognised by the Association of Costs Lawyers have many years experience in delivering bespoke training sessions on the costs issues that matter to our clients.
We enable you to avoid the time and expense from sending staff to external courses, by attending your offices, or arranging remote training through a format such as Webinar at a time that suits.
Our knowledge and experience ensures that we are able to produce training and any necessary support materials on all costs matters, and we are happy to discuss your particular training requirements to ensure that our training is ideally tailored to meet the needs of your people and your business.
Examples of recent training sessions delivered by our qualified trainers include:
In house sessions with claims handlers at clients’ offices, covering the important features to bear in mind in relation to costs liability from fundamental issues including an overview of costs to more advanced studies; identifying potential costs issues and how they arise and techniques for minimising liabilities.
Mock Detailed Assessments
Improving what you do in practice and how it directly impacts costs.
With approximately 5% of cases ending up at a Detailed Assessment hearing, knowing how to handle yourself during the early stages of the negotiation process often determines whether you reduce your liability, or end up paying more.
Taking the form of a Detailed Assessment hearing, this is an interactive session providing an invaluable opportunity to understand how the actions and approaches taken by claims handlers during the early stages of the claims handling process ultimately impact the outcome of the hearing.
Our senior Cost Lawyers will represent the District Judge’s view, and the Claimant and Defendant solicitors – providing real insight into how these matters typically play out at court. Based on real case scenarios these sessions will include breaks in the observation to emphasise important points and deal with any questions, we discuss useful tips on how a different approach during the claims handling stage could lead to savings, and consider what actions can be taken to ensure that matters conclude in your favour when costs are litigated.
Subject to the number of attendees we are able to run these sessions over lunchtimes at client offices, or at any time that suits. For smaller clients we will happily run this event at a “neutral” venue for attendees from a number of companies.
Cost surgeries (specific case issues)
Targeting specific cases our senior Costs Lawyers look at your open files, advising on individual cases where you may be vulnerable to increased costs liabilities. In our experience, we’ve found that taking this proactive approach to cost risk management enables your team to set up the arguments that will run later and consequently minimise costs as the claims progress.
A highly effective approach to reducing your commercial liability
With an average of sixteen surgeries taking place each year at clients’ offices or at “neutral” locations and at a time that suits, costs surgeries guarantee on-hand, personalised and flexible support and guidance when it matters most.
We can also advise on costs of interim applications and Pre-Action Disclosure applications as part of our service.
Issues that have arisen at cost surgeries include the relevance and importance of identifying and tackling cases with stepped premiums for After the Event Insurance policies. In one case, our timely advice avoided an additional stage premium of £20,000 being claimed which would have taken the case comfortably over the existing modest reserve.
Not all issues referred to us at surgeries have led to such a significant saving. However, we have always enjoyed very positive feedback from clients whose staff have learnt new points in context, and have a far greater understanding of the issues and potential pitfalls that can lead to costs building exercises which can often be difficult to fight at a later stage.
Free case assessment
It’s not realistic or commercially viable to wait for the next scheduled training event or consultation when the costs issue you have needs addressing now.
We understand. Available to all of our clients, our case assessment reviews and helpline ensure that instant easy access to guidance and support is only a phone call away.
Effectively acting as an extension to your own team, our Costs Lawyers take a partnership approach, offering that second opinion and reviewing your options, recommending a course of action that addresses your particular costs issues without the need to formally instruct us.
