“Honesty, professionalism and openness; core values that are embedded in our culture and underpin everything we do.”
In 2020, with over a decade of experience in the legal costs industry, I took a leap of faith with my husband, Derek, to establish BarnsChapel Costs. This decision wasn’t taken lightly, and we questioned our sanity in taking such a step mid-COVID pandemic when the country was still feeling the effects of lockdown.
However, our belief in offering superior service as a small, family-run business kept us going.
Having worked in other costs firms, I saw first-hand how clients often received sub-par service, leading to unsatisfactory outcomes. With BarnsChapel, we knew we could do better.
Now, over four years later, we continue to grow, thanks to our wonderful and loyal clients – some of whom I have had the pleasure of working with for over a decade – as well as our many new clients who have trusted BarnsChapel with their costs business.
So, a warm welcome to the BarnsChapel family, where your success is our business, and our pleasure.
Founder & Costs Lawyer
Our team of costs lawyers offers a bespoke service, employing a tried and tested 7-step approach to meeting the unique goals of our clients.
This comprehensive service ensures that we assist our clients in tackling and resolving complex issues related to all aspects of legal costs.
Whether our clients need the preparation of a costs budget, bill of costs, points of dispute, replies to points of dispute, or just practical advice, an experienced costs lawyer at BarnsChapel is available to support every facet of the legal costs process.
1. Thorough Analysis
Our costs lawyers conduct in-depth preliminary analysis of all relevant documentation and case specifics, ensuring precise understanding of requirements and obligations across all costs matters.
2. Strategic Planning:
We develop cost-effective strategies tailored to your specific needs, whether for budgeting, bill preparation, or costs negotiations, creating valuable financial planning tools that align with legal requirements.
3. Procedural Compliance
We ensure all submissions meet strict procedural requirements and deadlines, maintaining complete regulatory adherence throughout the costs process.
4. Balance and Justification
Our team strikes the optimal balance between detail and pragmatism in all documentation, providing clear explanations and justifications that withstand scrutiny from courts and opposing parties.
5. Clear Client Communication
We translate complex costs issues into accessible information, keeping you informed and helping you manage expectations about all potential costs and recovery aspects.
6. Expert Representation
Our experienced team confidently represents your interests in all forums, from negotiations to detailed assessment hearings, providing robust advocacy and sound justifications.
7. Adaptable Approach
We build appropriate flexibility into our strategies to accommodate evolving case developments, ensuring responsive service without compromising on cost-effectiveness or credibility.
Trusted by many leading UK law firms, we provide a proactive, bespoke legal costs service designed to meet the particular needs and objectives of each case.
We are proud that our clients can, and do, have total confidence in our work and the effective costs solutions we offer.
We craft unique strategies for every case, recognising that each client's circumstances require a tailored approach
We break down complex processes into clear, manageable steps, keeping you informed and prepared at every stage of your case.
Our honest, straightforward communication builds lasting partnerships and minimises risks throughout your case journey.
We are committed to achieving optimal results for all of our clients, not quick fixes. When we see potential for better outcomes, we'll guide you towards them.
You will work with one dedicated costs expert from start to finish, ensuring consistent guidance and deep understanding of your case
Louise provides a seamless expert legal costs service. She has a wealth of experience dealing with all aspects of costs disputes.
Louise adopts a practical and commercial approach to achieving the desired result for the client.
I would highly recommend her services.
Louise at BarnsChapel is always a consummate professional with the superb knowledge and judgement necessary to safely navigate cost disputes and negotiations. Louise is the only expert I would trust to deal with costs.
I instructed Louise and BarnsChapel to draft a Costs Budget for my client embroiled in an Unfair Prejudice Petition in the High Court. The parties filed Costs Budgets in the region of £100K. Louise gave me and my client an expert and bespoke service that was second to none. Louise took a proactive approach to drafting my client’s Costs Budget and responding to the other party’s and added significant value to my client’s position in the litigation. I can highly recommend Louise and BarnsChapel’s services.
Louise was very professional, competent, and exceptionally helpful. She showed genuine concern for my stressful predicament. She swiftly negotiated the other sides costs for them to withdraw their legal case against me.
If it wasn’t for Louise, I would have been taken to court with high risks of ending up with a criminal record, losing my career and facing bankruptcy, due to the extortionate legal fees from the other side.
Thank you again Louise for enabling me to get the best outcome in an appalling situation caused by my previous solicitors.
Louise is the most wonderful Costs Lawyer. Her attention to detail is exemplary and I have absolute trust in her judgement and advice. She also doesn’t shy away from a fight when necessary. I also hugely appreciate the fact that she understands the nature of my work and the realities that so often get overlooked when looking at costs in a clinical negligence case. Louise never does that!
I have used Louise Spurdle for several years now and have always been delighted with the level of service provided. Louise quickly gets to grips with the issues and nuances of any case and provides sensible, helpful, and realistic advice. Louise’s attention to detail is second to none and she is of real value in the costs assessment process. I would not hesitate to recommend Louise and BarnsChapel.
I have worked with Louise on a broad range of costs-related matters including Precedent H Costs Budgets, Precedent R Budget Discussion Reports, Bill preparation, Summary and Detailed Assessment Proceedings and Solicitor-Client Assessments for many years. I have always found her to be organised, efficient, technically knowledgeable, commercially minded, and easy to work with. I would have no hesitation in recommending her services.
I have worked closely with Louise Spurdle on numerous cases of varying complexity over many years and she has always been an extremely professional and able draftsman, maximising profitability, taking a robust but realistic approach to offers of settlement. Louise is clearly someone who grasps the fundamentals of the case from the outset and advances cases using a background of many years’ experience. I am satisfied that it is due to her skill, care, and expertise that we have been able to recover the highest level of costs on cases. I would not hesitate to instruct Louise and BarnsChapel in the future.
Louise in an excellent costs lawyer. She has a first class understanding of the case law and provides advice in a clear, concise, and user-friendly manner. Louise is also an impressive advocate and submits her arguments calmly and persuasively.
Louise Spurdle was successful in setting aside a costs order made against me in complex commercial litigation and thereafter prepared detailed comments and objections to the costs which were sought. At all times throughout the process, she has kept me fully informed and I have no hesitation in recommending the services of her firm.
We have worked with BarnsChapel across a number of High Court and County Court matters. It is always a pleasure to work with Louise – she makes the entire costs budgeting and management process so much easier, is highly knowledgeable and experienced in this area, and always gives me sensible and practical advice.
I have engaged Louise Spurdle’s services for a number of years and have always been extremely happy with her service. Louise is very approachable and swift to respond to questions. She advises in a very clear manner both in relation to budgeting and subsequent assessments. She is tenacious when she needs to be and the results she gets in negotiating costs are exceptional when compared to a number of competitors.
I have always found Louise and the team at BarnsChapel extremely efficient; from arranging prompt collection of files through to their quick turnaround. Their ability to maximise costs and recover them is a testament to their undoubted professionalism underpinned by up to date and reliable cost law advice plus solid and consistent practical advice. All delivered in a very friendly and accessible manner.
Our litigation team has used Louise for many years, both to assist on active matters and to provide in-house training. She is our “go-to” person on all matters costs related and undoubtedly our clients have benefitted as a result.
Louise Spurdle was successful in setting aside a costs order made against me in complex commercial litigation and thereafter prepared detailed comments and objections to the costs which were sought. At all times throughout the process, she has kept me fully informed and I have no hesitation in recommending the services of her firm.
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