Costs Lawyer
Professional Qualification

The Costs Lawyer Professional Qualification (CLPQ) is a two-year, part-time programme designed for those looking to qualify as a Costs Lawyer while continuing to work. This CLSB-accredited course provides the specialist legal knowledge and practical skills required to manage costs disputes, advocate in court, and advance in the legal profession.

With a flexible online learning format, the course allows professionals to balance study with work while gaining industry-recognised accreditation.

The full qualification will take 2 years of part time study to complete. During this time, you may also be gaining work experience in costs law, but you may also choose to gain your experience following course completion.

The full qualification is broken down into three individual awards made up of several individual modules. The awards can be completed as a continuous period of study, but there is flexibility to ‘step off’ individual awards or modules depending on other commitments in discussion with the ACLT team.

The actual time spent studying will vary according to the your experience or prior knowledge and will include time spent preparing for any formal sessions, private study, engaging in relevant work-based learning and preparation for formative assessments.

Year 1 – Diploma in Civil Practice

• Contract Law (Year 1 part 1) 8 week module
• Tort (Year 1 part 1) 4 week module
• Civil Litigation (Year 1 part 2) 8 week module
• Professional Standards & Ethics (Year 1 part 2) 8 week module

Year 2 – Diploma in Costs Law & Practice

• Costs Pleading & Process (Year 2 part 1) 12 week module
• Legal Aid (Year 2 part 1) 4 week module
• Practice & Procedure in Specialist Forums (Year 2 part 2) 12 week module
• The Lawyer-Client Relationship & Funding Arrangements (Year 2 part 2) 12 week module

Year 2 – Award in Costs Advocacy

• Costs Advocacy (Year 2 part 1) 4 week module

The course is delivered predominantly via online learning. The course will begin with an online induction via videoconferencing, enabling you to meet with both your peers and tutors.

ACLT uses an online learning platform, Canvas, to enable easy access to learning materials, tutor interaction and administrative support.

Central to the course design is the recognition that many students will be in full-time employment juggling both study and work.

The materials have been devised to ensure you are able to study on your own, either at home or wherever suits you – reading, watching or listening to the material supplied, undertaking activities and assessments with regular weekly support from your tutor. You will also get the opportunity to interact with other students through the online learning environment, videoconferencing and discussion forums.

To qualify from the course you must complete and pass all assessments. These may involve written assignments, examinations and in-person and online activities.

Successful completion of all assignments within a year will enable progression to the next year of study.

The pass mark for all assessments is 50% in line with other professional qualifications.

Year 1:1
Contract Law & Tort – Exam

Year 1:2
Civil Litigation – Assignment
Professional Standards & Ethics – Assignment & Seminar

Year 2:1
Costs Pleadings and Process – Assignment
Legal Aid – Assignment
Costs Advocacy – 1 Online seminar & 1 In-person seminar

Year 2:2
Practice and Procedure in Specialist Forums – Exam
The lawyer-client relationship and funding arrangements – Exam

Age

The recommended minimum age of an applicant to start the Costs Lawyer Professional Qualification is 18. Students must be 18 at the date on which study will commence with ACLT. This recommendation is in line with courses of a similar equivalent academic level e.g. undergraduate law degree.

If requested by ACLT, applicants will need to provide proof of their date of birth before their application is considered.

Qualifications

The CLSB Training Rules 2023 and the CLSB Accredited Study Provider Handbook 2023 does not stipulate minimum entry requirements for the CLPQ. However, ACLT must ensure that its admissions and entry criteria safeguard students from enrolling in a course of study that they are unlikely to complete or that does not meet their needs.

A prior qualification is not required for entry onto the CLPQ. However, as the CLPQ is assessed at RQF Level 6 it is recommended that students are able to demonstrate prior qualification to at least Level 3 on the Regulated Qualification Framework (RQF) and at least a Grade C or 4 in GCSE English Language and Mathematics or equivalent. Candidates unable to demonstrate qualification higher than Level 2, but with very good work experience relevant to costs law may also be eligible.

Candidates must submit electronic (scanned) evidence of their highest level of academic achievement, including those specific to relevant exemptions at time of application.

If you have any questions relating to entry requirements specific to your situation, please contact support@acltraining.co.uk so that we can advise.

Applicants from overseas

ACLT does not hold a licence from the UK Visa and Immigration (UKVI) to sponsor students for a Student visa (formerly known as Tier 4 (general) Student visa), therefore cannot sponsor international students onto its programmes who require a Student visa to study in the UK.

Applicants who do not require sponsorship to study in the UK, but whose first language is not English, must be able to demonstrate a level of English language proficiency above C1 level on the Common European Framework. This is due to the linguistic complexity of the subject matter. If you are an applicant whose first language is not English, or are not a national of a majority speaking English country and / or have not completed secondary or degree level study in English, you will need to demonstrate that you have a recognised English Language qualification equivalent to a minimum overall IELTS Academic score of 7.5 with a minimum of 7.0 in each area.

ACLT uses data from ECCTIS organisations: UK ENIC (formerly UK NARIC) and the UK Centre for Professional Qualifications (UK CPQ) to assess overseas academic and professional qualifications. Applicants may be required to obtain a Statement of Comparability for the purposes of their application at their own cost.

Applicants should ordinarily be domiciled in England and Wales. For those working in a relevant legal overseas setting seeking to qualify as a Costs Lawyer, ACLT reserves the right to take advice from the CLSB to deem eligibility for entry onto our courses, and not withstanding any issues pertaining to right to study in the UK.

View Our Admissions Policy Here

Applications for any exemptions must be made at the time the course application is made.

Exemptions from periods of study and assessments.

You may be granted exemptions from the assessments which assess the knowledge and skills set out in the CLSB competency statement where you can demonstrate you have completed a qualification that involved the development of competences and achievement of assessment outcomes that are equivalent to aspects of the CLPQ.

Any qualification must be a fully completed qualification; exemptions will not be awarded for partially completed qualifications. Where an exemption is granted from the assessment outcomes the applicant will be exempt from the relevant ACLT assessments and period of study

There are currently two types of qualification exemptions available.

Exemptions for listed qualifications from periods of study and assessments.

Where an applicant can show that they have successfully completed one or more listed qualifications, they are entitled to claim exemptions from certain elements of the qualification.

Approved listed exemptions include:

Qualification: LLB/GDL/SQE1 – Exemption: Contract & Tort (Year 1.1)

Qualification: Legal Practice Course (LPC)/SQE2 – Exemption: All of Year 1

Qualification: Bar Practice Course (BPC)/Bar Practice Training Course (BPTC) – Exemption: All of Year 1 and Costs Advocacy

*exemption fees apply

Exemptions for unlisted qualifications from periods of study and assessments.

If a qualification is not included in the above listed qualifications, an applicant must provide evidence to demonstrate that the qualification, on the basis of which the exemption/s is being sought, meets the following criteria:

At least 75% of the learning outcomes and assessment criteria for the relevant ACLT module(s) must be covered within the qualification

The level of the qualification must be comparable or higher to that of the ACLT module for which exemption is being sort
The qualification must have substantive coverage of the English legal system
The rigour of assessment for the qualification must be appropriate to the level and content of the ACLT module.

All those considering making an application for an exemption based on a qualification that is not listed above or in the ACLT Exemptions policy, including any applicants who have previously studied on, but not completed, previous iterations of ACLT courses, are advised to discuss their applications with ACLT staff who will advise on exemptions.

International Qualifications

Exemptions based on overseas qualifications will only be granted where applicants can demonstrates that the qualifications are comparable to those granted to applicants who have obtained qualifications in England and Wales. If your qualification is in a language other than English all documentation submitted must be translated into English. Please ensure your documents are certified by a professional fluent in both languages. Please then upload your scanned original language documents and your certified translations as part of your electronic application. We do not accept paper copies.

ACLT uses data from ECCTIS; UK ENIC (formerly NARIC) and the UK Centre for Professional Qualifications (UK CPQ) to make overseas comparisons for overseas qualifications.

If you have questions about which exemptions are possible, please contact support@acltraining.co.uk

The person undertaking the qualification is personally liable for their tuition fees for the whole academic year at the time of application or re-enrolment irrespective of whether they are being sponsored through the course.

2025/26 Course fees for September 2025 and February 2026 intakes:

Year 1 fees: £2480 + VAT

Year 2 fees (including Award in Costs Advocacy): £4240 + VAT

Programme total: £6720 + VAT

Course fees will be invoiced for in advance, for the year of study about to be undertaken. For students joining in e.g. Year 1, the course fees for Year 2 will be invoiced for upon successful completion of Year 1, prior to Year 2 commencing.

The year’s course fees include the fees for all materials, access to Canvas online learning environment, online inductions, tutorial contact time, any seminar and revision sessions and first attempts at all assessments including examinations.

Over the duration of the CLPQ, other expenses or fees may be incurred that are not covered by course fees.

Other possible fees not covered by course fees include:

• Non-refundable application fee
• Exemption fees
• Resit assessment fee
• Assessment deferral fee
• The cost of any travel or accommodation required to attend face to face assessments including examinations or practical seminars

Application fee

In addition to the fees mentioned above, a non-refundable administration fee of £50 is payable at the time of making your application to cover the processing of your application.

Exemption fees

Should you have prior qualifications which exempt you from elements of the qualification, you are not required to pay the relevant course fee, but you are required to pay exemption administration fees as follows:

One module: £50 + VAT

• One part year (Year 1.1): £100 + VAT
• One full year (Year 1.1 & 1.2): £200 +VAT

If you have questions about fees or exemptions, please contact support@acltraining.co.uk