Costs Draftsperson/Costs Lawyer

Our Costs and advocacy team deals with all elements of costs from low value disputes, fixed recoverable costs and high value and complex costs matters across a broad spectrum of commercial and personal injury litigation. We routinely attend CCMC’s and application hearings to deal with all aspects of the claim, not just those issues limited to costs. We are on hand to advise throughout the life cycle of the claim from initial reserving and estimates, through the budgeting process and at the conclusion whether that be to recover or dispute costs. Please note this role can be based in our Manchester, Liverpool, London, or Birmingham offices.

The successful Costs Lawyer will have at least 5 years' experience in costs litigation. Ideally the candidate will be a qualified costs lawyer and have previous experience in both Defendant and Claimant work to include advocacy, drafting costs budgets, bills of costs, Points of Dispute, Replies, negotiating settlements, drafting Schedules of Costs and handling high value matters in both personal injury and commercial litigation.

They will be able to prioritise their workload effectively, work well within a team and possess excellent attention to detail. They will also have strong communication and negotiation skills as well as being able to work efficiently under pressure. This is a great opportunity for someone looking to progress their career within legal costs This list is not intended to be exhaustive and you will be expected to perform other duties and have other responsibilities that fall within the wider remit of the role. You will also ensure that you comply with the relevant Weightmans and client policies and procedures and consistently work in accordance with our values.

This list is not intended to be exhaustive and you will be expected to perform other duties and have other responsibilities that fall within the wider remit of the role.

You will also ensure that you comply with the relevant Weightmans and client policies and procedures, and consistently work in accordance with our values.

You will have previous experience and a genuine and demonstrable interest in the above area of work.

We also require you to have/be:

• Drafting costs budgets
• Assessing bills of costs
• Drafting Points of Dispute
• Drafting bills of costs
• Drafting Replies
• Negotiating settlements
• Drafting Schedules of Costs
• Manage a caseload
• Advocacy

If you meet our criteria and think this is a job where you could bring enthusiasm and commitment, then we look forward to receiving your application.

Weightmans is a Top 40 law firm with offices throughout the UK. Having been recognised as the leading legal employer and 5th overall employer at the annual Britain's Top Employers awards 2025 and achieved record rankings in Chambers UK.

We are proud to be an accredited living wage employer.

The independent research showed "Weightmans provides exceptional employee conditions, nurtures and develops talent throughout all levels of the organisation.

We are truly committed to fostering a culture of equality and diversity, where everyone in the firm is respected and recognised on merit for the work that they do.

We strongly encourage applications from people of all ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations and disabilities. Please let us know if you require any reasonable adjustment at any stage of the application process.

Please feel free to note your preferred pronouns in your application.

Work for a firm where people matter – work for Weightmans – We See the possibility in you.

As well as being immensely proud of the work we carry out for our clients and the culture we provide to our people we offer a wide range of benefits including;

• 28 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays (pro-rated for part time) / Lateral Hires will differ*
• Hybrid working including provision of home office equipment*
• Healthcare cover/ Medicash
• Pension plan
• Life Insurance 4 x salary
• Interest free travel loan scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme including counselling, legal and consumer advice service
• Discounted gym membership
• Discounted dental scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Offers & discounts
• Great reward and recognition scheme

*there are a small number of roles that cannot be performed from home, your Recruitment Adviser can confirm.

* lateral hires and Legal Director’s annual holiday entitlement and benefits will differ from those above

Please note

• We encourage candidates to speak to us direct/apply direct for the opportunities we have available.  
• Any reference to experience or PQE in our adverts or job descriptions is to be used as a guideline only. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and with different levels of experience who can demonstrate that they fulfil the requirements of the role.
• The successful candidate appointed to this role will be subject to our standard background checking process, and any offer of employment made is conditional upon successful completion of those checks. Further details can be obtained from the Recruitment team.
• We are open to part time/job share applicants.

Recruitment agencies (PSL /non-PSL)

Weightmans operates a strict 'preferred supplier list' (PSL) and is committed to working closely with the recruitment agencies that feature on that list. As such, Weightmans does not accept speculative or unsolicited CVs, profiles or any other introductions from both our PSL and non-PSL agencies. If a PSL or non-PSL agency chooses to submit a speculative or unsolicited CV, profile, or introduction without instruction from a member of Weightmans’ recruitment team, we will reserve the right to treat the introduction as a gift and contact the candidate directly without accepting or entering into the agency’s terms nor being liable for a recruitment fee.

Eligibility to work in the UK

Eligibility to work in the UK will be verified in the final stages of the selection process. All candidates must either already have a right to work in the UK before commencing employment or meet the Home Office criteria for Visa sponsorship. Candidates who require sponsorship should evaluate the Home Office eligibility criteria for a Skilled Worker visa before applying.