Business Details
41 Years
experience
Your Trusted Legal Costs Partner in Welling
Established in 1985, P J Bingham has built a reputation as a trusted legal costs consultancy with over four decades of collective expertise. Our team of qualified Costs Lawyers combines traditional knowledge with modern legal and technological insights to deliver maximum recoveries for clients. We specialise in preparing and challenging Bills of Costs across all litigation levels, from Supreme Court cases to County Court actions. Our services include costs budgeting, Legal Aid assessments, and negotiation strategies tailored to both claimant and defendant needs. With Higher Rights of Audience and extensive courtroom experience, we represent clients in Detailed Assessment hearings and Costs Case Management. Our client-centric approach ensures transparent communication, direct telephone/email support, and in-house file handling when preferred.We serve a diverse clientele, including local authorities, solicitors, and high-profile commercial entities, while maintaining a balanced practice in cost recovery and exposure minimisation. Our team's involvement in landmark cases and early adoption of digital cost management processes demonstrates our commitment to industry leadership. We prioritise adaptability to evolving legal frameworks, such as new Bill of Costs formats and CPR amendments, ensuring smooth transitions for clients. This combination of experience, accreditation, and forward-thinking methodology establishes us as specialists in complex legal cost management.
Services
Bills of Costs
Detailed Assessment
Costs Budgeting
Legal Aid Assessment
Points of Dispute
Negotiation Tactics
Costs Litigation
Precedent H Budgets
Solicitor-Client Disputes
High Court Cases
Details
- Year established: 1985
Highlights and features
- We have over 40 years' experience in legal costs management since 1985
- All full-time draftsmen are qualified Costs Lawyers with Higher Rights of Audience
- We handle cases from 10,000 to 500,000+ with proven negotiation expertise
- Our team has represented clients in Supreme Court and Privy Council hearings
- We combine traditional knowledge with digital cost management innovation
Associations and certifications
- Association of Costs Lawyers
Services
Bills of Costs
We prepare comprehensive Bills of Costs for Detailed Assessment across all litigation levels. Our experts ensure compliance with current CPR requirements while maximising recoverable amounts. Services include electronic bill formatting, precedent H budget preparation, and handling both standard and complex cases involving conditional fee agreements or public funding.
Costs Budgeting
Our costs budgeting service covers cases valued 10,000 to 500,000+. We prepare detailed future cost estimates, negotiate with opposing parties, and attend Costs Case Management Hearings. This includes transitioning traditional bills to new format requirements while maintaining strategic advantage for clients during litigation.
Detailed Assessment
We represent clients in Detailed Assessment hearings with Higher Rights of Audience. Services include preparing Replies to Points of Dispute, negotiation tactics, and courtroom representation. Our team handles both claimant and defendant cases, specialising in high-value disputes and complex legal aid matters across multiple jurisdictions.
Costs Litigation
Our qualified Costs Lawyers handle solicitor-client disputes under the Solicitors Act. We provide strategic advice on exposure minimisation when facing cost orders, with experience in six and seven-figure bill challenges. Services include negotiation, documentation review, and courtroom representation in Supreme Court and Privy Council cases.
Legal Aid Assessment
We specialise in Legal Aid Bill preparation and assessment for clinical negligence and personal injury cases. Our services cover Claim One forms, cost breakdowns, and negotiations with NHSLA. We handle both claimant and defendant matters, including complex cases with conditional fee arrangements and multi-million pound awards.
People
Melanie Bingham
Costs Lawyer
Qualified Costs Lawyer with 25+ years' experience in clinical negligence and commercial cases. Holds Higher Rights of Audience and specialises in costs budgeting and Detailed Assessment hearings. Recognised for expertise in precedent H budgets and new format bill transitions.
Kevan Hackett
Costs Lawyer
Over 35 years' legal experience including Treasury Solicitors Office and City firms. Specialises in solicitor-client disputes and assessments under the Solicitors Act. Has represented clients in Supreme Court, Privy Council, and tribunal hearings across diverse jurisdictions.
Philip Bingham
Consultant
Founder with 15 years' litigation experience before specialising in costs. Pioneered in-house bill drafting and established firm in 1985. Noted for landmark cases in clinical negligence and high-profile costs disputes across all major courts.
Questions
What areas of law do you specialise in?
We handle clinical negligence, commercial disputes, media/libel cases, local authority matters, and high court litigation. Our expertise covers both claimant and defendant work across all levels of court and tribunal.
How do you handle costs budgeting for large cases?
We prepare detailed budgets for cases valued £10,000 to £500,000+, including precedent H requirements. Our team negotiates with opposing parties and attends Costs Case Management Hearings to establish cost parameters.
Can you assist with Legal Aid assessments?
Yes, we prepare Legal Aid Bills and Claim One forms, particularly for clinical negligence cases. We handle negotiations with NHSLA and manage both publicly funded matters and conditional fee agreements.
Do you represent clients in Detailed Assessment hearings?
Our qualified Costs Lawyers have Higher Rights of Audience and regularly represent clients in Detailed Assessment hearings across all jurisdictions, including Supreme Court and Privy Council cases.
How do you handle solicitor-client disputes?
We provide strategic advice on exposure minimisation when facing cost orders. Our services include negotiation, documentation review, and courtroom representation for both six and seven-figure bill challenges.
What makes your firm different from other costs consultants?
We combine 40+ years' experience with early adoption of digital cost management processes. Our team holds Higher Rights of Audience and has handled landmark cases, offering both traditional expertise and modern legal technology solutions.
