Costs Lawyer/Draftsperson
Croydon, Leeds, London, Manchester
SEO: £47,850 National, £49,314 Croydon/London
HEO: £36,553 National, £38,780 Croydon/London
Much more than the law
The Government Legal Department (GLD) is the largest provider of legal services across government, working with all the main Whitehall departments. From energy to security, from roads to rivers, health to human rights, our work touches on most aspects of public life. From developing and drafting legislation to helping to secure economic and trade relationships, providing legal advice on polices to ensuring value from contracts, our work is stimulating and varied.
The Costs team sits within the Ligation Directorate of the GLD, which delivers litigation services to many UK government departments, executive agencies, and some non-departmental public bodies. The team is a Centre of Excellence which reflects the cross-cutting legal nature of the work.
Our core function is to handle adverse claims, recover legal fees, manage budgeting, and provide specialist advice on costs matters. We deliver services across judicial review, personal injury, clinical negligence, planning, inquests and public inquiries, human rights, employment, land tribunal matters, commercial litigation, and charities law. We attend hearings in a range of courts, including the Senior Courts Costs Office and the Supreme Court.
Frequently, our work is complex and important. It can also be high-profile and, at times, unique. A high level of expertise is required for cost disputes that arise from public law challenges, major inquiries and Supreme Court litigation.
Your role
We are looking to fill five Costs Lawyer/Draftsperson posts in total across both Senior Executive Officer (SEO) and Higher Executive Officer (HEO) grades. In both grades, you will be managing a caseload of cost matters and likely managing a junior member of the team. In a SEO role, you will work mostly autonomously on your casework; develop junior staff; and strengthen client relationships.
In each role, we expect you to provide a good quality, professional and cost-effective service that satisfies customers and contributes to wider objectives. You will bring a good understanding of CPR, litigation processes, key case law and procedure. Crucially, you’ll be on hand to provide advice and guidance to colleagues and clients on costs.
Alongside staying accountable for your own caseload, you will take on additional work, such as assisting with more complex or urgent cases.
We would like to champion our “Centre of Excellence” status by delivering costs training to both internal colleagues and clients.
About you
To be ready for the role, you will have a track record of personally managing varied costs casework – including adverse costs and budgeting – across a range of litigation matters. Also, you’ve worked on complex or urgent work, and supported on larger matters. You are comfortable giving practical written and oral advice to colleagues and clients.
It’s important that you bring a good knowledge of the Civil Procedure Rules, litigation process, costs procedure and relevant costs case law. With your strong technical understanding, you’re able to prepare and review technical costs documents, including schedules, budgets, assumptions, points of dispute and replies. You are able to identify costs risks, advice on tactics, and support effective settlement negotiations. Plus, you have the communication skills to explain cost issues clearly to clients and non-specialists.
Benefits
GLD encourages its people to develop their skills in a nurturing environment. Other benefits include access to a valuable civil service pension and flexible working arrangements.
Our vision is to be an outstanding legal organisation and a brilliant place to work where everyone can thrive and fulfil their potential. This is an exciting time for GLD, with cutting edge legal work on global issues and a transformation agenda which is ensuring the Department exemplifies the Modern Civil Service.
Closing date for applications: Noon Monday 23rd November 2026.
To apply please click on the ‘Apply’ button below.