Services

Legal Aid Costs Drafting Services – Expert Costs Lawyers for Crime & Civil Legal Aid

At Powell Spencer & Partners, our specialist Legal Aid Costs Drafting Department provides a complete, end-to-end costs service for legal aid firms across England and Wales. As a leading legal aid practice, we have first-hand experience dealing directly with the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) and a deep understanding of the complexities of legal aid costs, audits and compliance.

We assist criminal and civil law firms with accurate, efficient, and compliant legal aid billing — helping you increase profitability, reduce rejections, and meet all contractual requirements.

Why Choose Our Legal Aid Costs Drafting Service?

Our dedicated costs team offers:

• Qualified Costs Lawyers with over 10 years of experience

• Specialist expertise in all areas of legal aid costs

• Hands-on support with LAA audits, core reviews, and legacy cases

• A full managed service from file receipt to successful bill payment

• Practical advice to avoid contract notices, KPI-linked issues, and avoidable rejections

• Flexible instruction options: in-person, file collection, or electronic delivery

We are committed to helping legal aid firms streamline their operations and maximise recoveries.

Systems & Software Expertise

We work on all major LAA systems, including:

• CCMS (Civil Case Management System)

• Submit a Bulk Claim (SaBC)

• Crown Court Claim Defence Service (CCCDS)

We also work seamlessly with leading legal case management software such as:

• ALB

• Bedrock

• DPS

• LEAP

• SOS

This allows fast turnaround, accurate data extraction and a reduction in LAA query rates.

Our Legal Aid Costs Drafting Services

Criminal Legal Aid Costs

We provide specialist drafting and submission services for all criminal legal aid matters, including:

• Lower crime bills (Police Station, Magistrates’ Court, Advice & Assistance)

• Crown Court billing including PPE calculations, re-determinations & appeals to the Costs Judge

• Defence Costs Order (DCO) claims

• Confiscation / POCA claims

• Court Appointee claims

• High-cost criminal case plans and CCFS events model plans

• 
  

Civil Legal Aid Costs

Our civil legal aid costs service includes:

• Legacy Claim 1 / Claim 1A preparation

• Claim 2 forms for inter partes recovery

• Bills of Costs for detailed assessment

• High-cost case plans and CCFS model case plans

• CCMS claim preparation and submission

• Inter partes costs (six-column Bill of Costs for detailed assessment)

How Our Costs Drafting Service Helps Your Firm

• Reduce turnaround times

• Avoid LAA rejections and KPI penalties

• Increase profitability through accurate, optimised billing

• Delegate time-consuming costs work to experts

• Stay fully compliant with LAA contract requirements

• Receive expert guidance on audit preparation and appeals

We work with firms of all sizes — from specialist legal aid practices to full-service firms requiring outsourced costs support.

Our Fees

We offer competitive, market-leading rates.Legal aid costs drafting is usually charged as a percentage of profit costs recovered, ensuring excellent value and complete transparency.