Get partnered with costs specialists when making costs orders on your pro bono cases

The Pro Bono Expert Support scheme brings specialist expert litigation support to pro bono cases, such as translators, expert witnesses, accountants and strategic communications free of charge to assist pro bono barristers and help their clients achieve justice.  

The National Pro Bono Centre, in partnership with The Access to Justice Foundation and Pro Bono Connect, has now expanded the PBES to offer specialist support to lawyers working on pro bono cases to obtain pro bono costs orders. This means dedicated costs specialist lawyers can now partner with you on your pro bono cases to help obtain pro bono costs orders, and assist with preparing schedules of costs.

Pro bono cost orders are sent to the Access to Justice Foundation (ATFJ) who then distribute grant funding to free legal advice charities throughout the UK, which means your pro bono work can also help even more marginalised people access pro bono support in the future. If they wish to barristers with a successful pro bono costs order can highlight Advocate to the ATJF as their preference for where the pro bono costs sum goes, which will help us reach more people directly in need of our help. 

Costs orders are available in a wide range of courts, tribunals and settlement agreements - find out more here.

How can you access this costs specialist support when working on pro bono cases? 

• Various costs specialists are already on board to help! If you would like to request a specialist to help you make a costs application, please speak to an Advocate Caseworker who can help refer you. Otherwise please contact pbexpertsupport@nationalprobonocentre.org.uk to find out more or obtain a request form.
• Are you a costs barrister? Get in touch with us if you would like to use your skills and expertise to support access to justice in this way.