We communicate news to Costs Lawyers primarily through our periodic newsletters. This Latest News page is used to ensure timely announcement of important information when a newsletter is not due.

Latest News

CLSB regulatory performance

20th February 2024
Today the CLSB received top marks from the Legal Services Board in its latest assessment of the UK legal regulators’ performance. The only other organisation to achieve this was the Solicitors Regulation Authority – the largest of the sector’s regulators – proving that regulators of all shapes and sizes […]

Costs Lawyer practising certificate fee 2024

23rd October 2023
Following public consultation, the Legal Services Board has approved a practising fee of £290 for Costs Lawyers in 2024. The LSB’s Decision Note can be viewed here. Applications for a 2024 practising certificate will be sent to currently regulated Costs Lawyers by email in early November.

Consultation: Costs Lawyer practising fee for 2024

19th July 2023
The CLSB has opened a consulation on the practising certificate fee for Costs Lawyers in 2024. We propose to set the fee at £290 in 2024. The full consultation paper and annexes are available on our website and provide further information about how the fee is set, collected and used, […]

Consultation: Costs Lawyer Code of Conduct

19th May 2023
The CLSB has opened a consultation on changes to the Costs Lawyer Code of Conduct, the core principles of professional conduct to which Costs Lawyers must adhere, fostering public confidence in individual practitioners and the profession as a whole. From 2019 to 2023, the CLSB carried out a systematic […]

Vacancy: Director of Policy

5th April 2023
The CLSB is looking for an experienced regulatory policy expert to join our small collaborative team as Director of Policy, working flexibly approximately two days per week. The job description, person specification and application process are available here. Deadline for applications: 30 April 2023.

Approval of new Training Rules

20th February 2023
The Legal Services Board has approved new Training Rules for Costs Lawyers. The Training Rules are part of the new qualification framework developed by the CLSB, which aims to ensure prospective Costs Lawyers receive high quality, relevant training and assessment, and to assure the CLSB that every graduate is […]

CLSB regulatory performance

12th January 2023
The Legal Services Board has published a report of its November 2022 assessments, showing the CLSB is the only legal regulator providing sufficient assurance across all of the standards. The report says the CLSB is a “well-run regulator” and “has been able to demonstrate a range of good practices […]

Outcome of the consultation on regulatory arrangements for the Costs Lawyer Qualification

1st November 2022
CLSB has published the outcome of our consultation on the regulatory arrangements for the Costs Lawyer Qualification. Thank you to everyone who responded. In light of the responses, we intend to implement the qualification framework as proposed in the Scheme Handbook, subject to the amendments described in the consultation […]

Costs Lawyer practising certificate fee 2023

27th October 2022
Following public consultation, the Legal Services Board has approved a practising fee of £281 for Costs Lawyers in 2023. The LSB’s Decision Note can be viewed here. Applications for 2023 practising certificates will be sent to currently regulated Costs Lawyers by email in early November.

Consultation: Regulatory arrangements for the Costs Lawyer Qualification

24th August 2022
The CLSB has opened a consultation on changes to its regulatory rules for the Costs Lawyers Qualification (CLQ), which is the professional qualification that an individual must obtain before they can practise as an authorised Costs Lawyer. The proposed changes are intended to align the CLQ with the new […]

Consultation: Disciplinary Rules and Procedures

29th July 2022
The CLSB has opened a consultation on changes to the Disciplinary Rules and Procedures for Costs Lawyers, following a scheduled review, to better align our processes with those of the Legal Ombudsman. The full consultation paper explains the proposed changes and raises questions that you might like to consider as […]

Consultation on the practising fee for Cost Lawyers in 2023

21st July 2022
The CLSB has opened a consultation on the 2023 practising certificate fee for Costs Lawyers. The CLSB proposes to keep the fee static at £281. The consultation paper provides further information about how the fee is set, collected and used. Views on the proposals are sought from Costs Lawyers and […]

How could Costs Lawyers reduce the costs of legal services?

23rd June 2022
The CLSB has published its final report from its project funded by the Regulators’ Pioneer Fund: How could Costs Lawyers reduce the costs of legal services? The project, guided by the CLSB’s framework for good consumer outcomes and the Competition and Markets Authority’s findings in its Market Study on […]

CLSB responds to oversight body’s plans on ongoing competence

10th March 2022
The CLSB has published its response to the Legal Services Board’s consultation on a draft statement of policy, aimed at ensuring ongoing competence of legal professionals. The CLSB welcomes the LSB’s research and leadership in this area, but has warned the oversight body against being overly prescriptive and adopting […]

UK government sanctions on Russia: implications for Costs Lawyers

4th March 2022
The CLSB is advising all Costs Lawyers to be alert to any implications for their practice arising from the UK Government’s recent announcement of sanctions on Russia. All Costs Lawyers must play their part in safeguarding the UK and protecting the reputation of the legal services industry. Breaching the […]

Outcome of the consultation on the Costs Lawyer Competency Statement

2nd February 2022
CLSB has published a new Competency Statement for Costs Lawyers at the point of qualification. Thank you to everyone who responded to our consultation on the draft statement for such constructive and helpful feedback, which we took on board in producing the final version. The consultation outcome report has […]