insurers' rights

I read with interest the remarks of your panel of district judges concerning the role and status of law costs negotiators (see [2001] Gazette, 6 September, 45).We are a firm of solicitors established solely to deal with costs issues, and we have a close relationship with law costs negotiators.In the past it was not uncommon for law costs draftsmen to attend taxation hearings on behalf of their principal and, as far as we are aware, no objection was ever raised to this practice.We cannot see why law cost negotiators, who in our experience often employ members and/or fellows of the Association of Law Costs Draftsmen, should not likewise attend at detailed assessment hearings.Furthermore, some insurers will delegate authority for the settlement of the claimant's solicitor's costs to cost negotiators and in such circumstances the cost negotiators would be on a footing with the insurer's in-house claims department and accordingly have the right to represent the insured.Under the new costs regime introduced by the Access to Justice Act 1999, the claimants' solicitors became entitled to charge by result.We must say that we consider it rather rich for them to object to the insurer who, at the end of the day must settle their claim for costs, appointing a cost negotiator who also is paid by results.After all, the control of legal costs is both in the interest of the profession and the public.Simon Caro, Costs Advocates, London W1