Jennings - Costs Draftsmen - Criminal Department

Criminal

At Jennings our costs draftsmen prepare all types of criminal bills including Advice & Assistance, police station and stand by, Advocacy Assistance, Court Duty Solicitor and Magistrates' claims. We also prepare Crown Court bills and are increasingly involved with graduated fees and Defendant's Costs Orders. Our consultants have considerable experience in substantial and complex matters, including undertaking Serious Fraud Panel work and high profile murder cases and Appeals.

We deal with the costing of all Magistrates' and pre­Magistrates' work for firms of solicitors. We provide a non­chargeable service in the preparation of the CDS6 consolidated form at the end of each month, ready for the monthly payment from the Legal Services Commission.

Consequently, we are able to give a running total of the solicitors' profit costs during any given month.

In relation to Magistrates' claims, we have devised a CDS6 Schedule to be returned to solicitors, together with their file of papers and the completed form CDS11, to enable them to retain their file. We have also created a form for police station and duty solicitor attendances, which can be submitted to us by email or fax, thus ensuring this particular work is included on the composite form CDS6. This approach satisfies both our solicitor clients' requirements and those of the Legal Services Commission.

Our costs draftsmen are increasingly assisting clients in relation to their Legal Aid audit. When costing files, we review them from the perspective of the Legal Aid auditor as, at some stage, any audit decision could have a dramatic impact on the consultant carrying out criminal work.

Costs Draftsmen at Jennings are experienced in dealing with the issue of enhancement and providing justification for the same, taking into account factors such as complexity, specialized knowledge and responsibility. We are able to advise on appropriate rates, fee-earner categories for work and predeterminations. Our specialists ensure that the charging rates that we use for the Defendant's Costs Orders will be accepted, to avoid the need for re-determination.

Our specific services in this area include:

»Preparing Legal Aid and private bills of costs for all Courts.

»Preparing the CDS6 consolidated form at the end of each month.

»Creating bills for payment out of central funds.

»Advising on and drafting letters of justification for enhancement.