Costs Lawyer Services 2

All public sector organisations can access costs law services including law advice and consultancy and negotiation.

Updates

18/08/2023: This agreement replaces RM6137 Cost Lawyer Services

Description

The agreement provides access to costs lawyer services in support of litigation work for the receiving party and/or paying party in England and Wales.

Costs lawyers are qualified experts in legal costs and can help you make informed decisions. They can advise you on issues like:

  • the fees that you pay for legal advice (such as solicitors’ or barristers’ fees)
  • the cost of bringing or defending court proceedings
  • costs incurred by other parties to court proceedings that you might have to pay if you lose

The agreement will offer 3, quality assured, lots providing the following services:

  • consultancy and negotiation
  • estimates and statement of costs
  • advocacy (representation) and/or attending hearings
  • instructing counsel
  • costs law advice

The call off contract period is flexible, though it is recommended to be a maximum of 4 years. The contract should expire no more than 2 years after the framework expiry date.

Benefits

  • fast and responsive action across all services
  • all services are provided across England and Wales
  • highly competitive hourly and daily rates, with maximum risk and reward rates tendered
  • options for fixed fees and/or alternative fee arrangements through direct award and further competition
  • simplified tender documents, templates and standard terms and conditions agreed by all suppliers

Carbon Reduction

Some of the suppliers for this agreement have agreed to comply with the Procurement Policy Note 06/21: 'Taking account of Carbon Reduction Plans in the procurement of major government contracts'. If a supplier has published a carbon reduction plan, you can find it on their individual supplier details page.

Products and suppliers

There are 11 suppliers on this agreement

Lot 1: General Costs Law Services
Access legal advice for all aspects of costs law. Services can include:

  • work relating to budgets

  • costs statements

  • costs managements

  • costs validation

  • assessment

  • dispute resolution

  • hearings.

Expires:

8 suppliers

Lot 2: Clinical Negligence Specialist Services
Access all services provided in lot 1 but only in relation to clinical negligence.

Expires:

8 suppliers

Lot 3: Security Clearance Specialist Services
Access all services provided in lot 1 but also includes extra obligations for security and data such as all personnel having security clearance at SC level.

Expires:

4 suppliers

How to buy

Before buying from this agreement you will need to read the buyers guide document. This

document includes further information on direct award and further competition which are

available across all lots on the agreement.

Further competition

You can choose to use your own eSourcing tool or our CCS eSourcing portal to run and manage your further competitions. To use our portal for the first time you will need to register for an eSourcing account.

For more information, read the eSourcing portal guidance document.

To run a further competition you should:

  1. identify the suppliers who can meet your needs by considering the expression of interest responses you received from suppliers
  2. develop the specification of your needs
  3. use framework schedule 6 to refine your contract deliverables (what you need)
  4. develop your further competition award criteria
  5. invite all identified suppliers to submit a tender in writing either by email or through your preferred eSourcing tool
    1. you can find contact details for each supplier in the products and supplier section
  6. set a time limit for the submission of tenders
  7. take into account the time needed to create and submit tenders and the complexity of your needs

Direct award

To place a direct award you will need to:

  1. develop a clear specification of your needs (this provides the mandatory requirements for suppliers to fulfil your needs and shows which supplier provides the best value for money)
  2. award the call-off contract by sending the successful supplier a completed and signed framework schedule 6, you can do this electronically (for example, by email)
  3. notify CCS of your award by emailing us
    1. you must include ‘RM6284 – Direct Award’ in the subject line.
    2. you should include in your email: your contract name, contract length, total value of your contract and the name of the successful supplier

Documents