Newsletter – March 2023

From the CEO

In February we received approval from our oversight regulator, the Legal Services Board, to make changes to our Training Rules. This approval is a significant milestone in creating a new regulatory framework for qualifying as a Costs Lawyer. Working closely with the profession, we have developed rules that will make the qualification process more flexible and attractive, while still providing assurance that all new qualifiers meet the expected standards. Here’s an overview of what you can expect.

The key changes that arise from this approval include:

  • Establishment of transparent, consistent processes and criteria for accrediting training providers to deliver the Costs Lawyer Qualification. These criteria are collated in a new Accredited Study Provider Scheme Handbook, available on our website.
  • Introduction of Assessment Outcomes, which are linked to the knowledge and skills in the Costs Lawyer Competency Statement. Training providers will need to design assessments for the Costs Lawyer Qualification that test these Assessment Outcomes.
  • Removal of unnecessarily prescriptive regulations that dictated the length, structure, content, delivery method and entry requirements for the Costs Lawyer Qualification. These factors will now be determined by the training provider –ACL Training – in response to the needs of students and employers.
  • Improved flexibility and clarity around the requirements for Qualifying Experience. This includes a reduction in the amount of experience needed from three years to two years, while ensuring that experience is recent and relevant. Costs Lawyers will also be able to apply for a practising certificate prior to completing their Qualifying Experience but after finishing the Costs Lawyer Qualification, bringing more people into regulation sooner and thus upholding standards among new qualifiers.

These changes will allow us to support ACL Training as it develops a modern and engaging new course offering for future practitioners over the coming months. You will be hearing more from us and from ACL Training about the new course soon, including at ACL’s April conference in Manchester. If you have any questions in the meantime about how these changes will affect you, your staff or your profession, please contact us.

Kate Wellington

CEO

Regulatory News

Join our Advisory Panel

Last year we established an Advisory Panel of Costs Lawyers to provide feedback on issues that don’t lend themselves to formal consultation and to provide market insights. We are very grateful to the Costs Lawyers on the panel and have found their feedback invaluable. We are now looking to expand the panel’s membership.

Issues put to the group so far have included testing of the new Register of Costs Lawyers, compliance with sanctions against Russia and a short survey on the costs and benefits of regulation. Feedback is sought by email, with a clear deadline, and there is no obligation to respond if you’re busy. If you’re interested in joining the panel, please contact Jacqui Connelly.

The latest from Legal Choices

Legal Choices is a collaboration between the legal services regulators in England and Wales, designed to help consumers navigate the complex legal landscape. In conjunction with colleagues, we recently published a report on progress against the second year of the website’s current development strategy.

The report highlights that the website has been visited more than 1.3 million times in the past 12 months and videos on the site were watched 1.7 million times. Costs Lawyers contribute to the funding of Legal Choices through practising fees. Last year, the total contribution from the profession was £5,800, or approximately £8.50 per Costs Lawyer.

ACL survey reminder

We recently sent an email on behalf of the Association of Costs Lawyers to all regulated Costs Lawyers who are not ACL members with information about their survey on barriers and incentives to membership. The survey deadline has been extended until 8 March. If you are not currently an ACL member, and have not yet responded, they would be very grateful for your feedback.

Spotlight on… the latest from LawCare

In this newsletter, we turn our spotlight on the latest updates and opportunities from our colleagues at LawCare. Elizabeth Rimmer, Chief Executive of LawCare, looks at ways that Costs Lawyers can get involved.

“LawCare offers free, confidential, emotional support to anyone working in the law. As a Costs Lawyer, you can use our services at any time. But even if you don’t personally need support right now, there is a lot going on at LawCare that you can get involved with, and we have various resources and information that might be useful to your practice. I wanted to take this opportunity to highlight some of our recent and upcoming work that is relevant to all lawyers.”

Read More

Up and Coming…

Expect more from us shortly on:

  • A consultation on changes to the Costs Lawyer Code of Conduct
  • Our first annual risk review for the profession
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