Part‑time Cost Clerk – Legal Aid Specialist

About the role

We are looking for a part‑time Cost Clerk to join an established legal team in Ashford. The role focuses on preparing and managing Legal Aid cost claims for the Family department, supporting both external draftsmen and internal fee earners.

Key responsibilities

• Coordinate with external costs draftsmen to prepare final bills of costs, providing case materials and ensuring compliance.
• Liaise with fee earners to verify file completeness, accurate fee notes and proper recording of work.
• Maintain internal logs and spreadsheets tracking submitted claims, payments and outstanding queries.
• Check bills of costs and Claim1 forms for accurate inclusion of disbursements throughout the matter.
• Ensure all cost documentation complies with GDPR and firm policies.

Required profile

• 1‑2 years proven experience in Legal Aid costing.
• Strong knowledge of LAA procedures, CCMS, Claim1 forms, fixed‑fee and high‑cost cases.
• Experience working with external costs draftsmen.
• Excellent attention to detail and organisational ability.
• Good written and verbal communication skills.

Required skills

• LAA procedures
• CCMS
• Claim1 forms
• Proclaim (or similar case management system)
• ActionStep (or similar case management system)

What we offer

• Competitive salary £15,000‑£18,000 per year plus bonus.
• 28 days holiday plus UK bank holidays.
• Private medical insurance.
• Professional development and advancement opportunities.
• Supportive, collaborative work environment.