The Association of Costs Lawyers (ACL) has responded to the publication today of an independent review of legal regulation, Reforming Legal Services: Regulation beyond the echo chambers, by Professor Stephen Mayson, Honorary Professor of Law at UCL.
Claire Green, chair of the Association of Costs Lawyers, says: “Professor Mayson’s recommendations that costs work should be the preserve of properly trained and regulated costs professionals accurately identifies the shortcomings of the current system. He notes how errors from ‘dabblers’, including solicitors, can lead to significant and avoidable shortfalls in costs recovery, to the detriment of lay clients.
“He is right to describe this as an increasingly complex and specialised area of law that requires expert handling, and says that only individually authorised Costs Lawyers should be able to conduct costs litigation and advocacy. We also strongly welcome his call to protect all legal professional titles, including that of Costs Lawyer.
“There is much to digest in his report about the overall structure of legal regulation, and it will hopefully form a major stepping stone to a regime where those needing advice on costs receive it from those who have demonstrated their expertise and have proper consumer protections in place.”