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Litigation and Expert Reports
Future Care and Costings Report
A Future Care and Costings Report, also known as a Care Needs Court Report, explains a person's current and future care needs, how those needs can be met and what the support is likely to cost. Nellie Supports brings assessment findings, care planning and provider costings together in a reasoned expert report for litigation, settlement discussions and long-term planning.
Independent care needs court reports for solicitors, deputies, insurers and families across England and Wales.
At a glance
Purpose
Current and future care needs and costs
Report
Independent expert opinion
Instructions
Solicitors, deputies, insurers and families
Assessment
In person or remotely where suitable
Coverage
England and Wales
£2,750 + VAT
Published report fee; scope confirmed at instruction
Case-specific
Timescale agreed after reviewing the evidence
England and Wales
Assessment in person or remotely where appropriate
Independent evidence
Care needs, recommended provision and costings
Plain-English explanation
What is a Future Care and Costings Report?
It is an independent assessment of the support a person needs and a reasoned account of how that support could be provided and costed. It draws together the person's circumstances, functional needs, existing arrangements and relevant expert evidence.
The care plan describes the practical support required: what help is needed, how often, for how long and with what level of skill or supervision. The costings then show the sources and assumptions used to price that support.
A report for proceedings is prepared around the questions in the instruction. The resulting evidence can inform a schedule of loss, settlement discussions or a deputy's longer-term planning. It does not determine the outcome of a claim or application.
Care needs and mental capacity are different questions
A person may need substantial care and still be able to make their own decisions. This report assesses care and support needs. A separate, decision-specific mental capacity assessment can be scoped where the instruction also requires one.
Common instructions
When you may need a care needs court report
A report may be needed when a claim or court application depends on understanding the support a person needs now and is likely to need in the future. Instructions commonly arise after serious injury or clinical negligence, or where a deputy needs independent evidence to inform care planning.
The instruction should identify the questions to be answered, the relevant proceedings and any deadline. We review that scope before starting, including which issues need input from medical, therapy, accommodation or other specialists.
Personal injury claims
Independent evidence is needed to explain the care consequences of injury and inform the assessment of current and future losses.
Clinical negligence claims
The instructing team needs a reasoned account of care requirements, using the relevant medical and other expert evidence.
Court of Protection matters
A deputy or solicitor needs evidence to inform decisions about care arrangements, provision or longer-term costs.
Family and financial remedy proceedings
Care needs and their financial implications are relevant to issues identified by the instructing solicitor.
Settlement discussions
The parties need transparent recommendations and cost assumptions that can be examined and compared.
Changing care arrangements
Existing support may no longer match the person's needs, and independent assessment is required within the agreed legal instruction.
Assessment scope
What the assessment considers
The assessment looks at the person's everyday life and the practical support needed. Relevant areas may include:
Personal care, mobility, transfers and daily living tasks
Cognition, communication, prompting and supervision
Behavioural and psychological needs affecting care
The home environment, access and accommodation needs
Support already provided by family, carers and services
Likely future changes, informed by the appropriate expert evidence
Every cost should connect to a need
A provider's hourly rate is only one part of a care costing. The report must explain the task, frequency, duration, staffing and assumptions behind the proposed arrangement, and identify any specialist input still required.
1
What expert evidence must do
For civil proceedings, reports are prepared with reference to CPR Part 35 and Practice Direction 35. The expert's role is to assist the court within their expertise.
Provide independent opinion within the expert's professional competence
Identify the evidence, material instructions and assumptions relied on
Explain the reasoning, limitations and any relevant range of opinion
Include the required declarations and statement of truth for civil expert reports
2
The limits of the instruction
Recommendations are based on assessed needs and the available evidence. A care expert should identify where a conclusion depends on another specialist's opinion, particularly prognosis, therapy, accommodation or life expectancy. The report explains its assumptions and any gaps that prevent a firm conclusion. For Court of Protection or family proceedings, the report must address the applicable procedural requirements and the court's directions.
Civil expert evidence: CPR Part 35 and Practice Direction 35. The report's scope and format are agreed for the relevant proceedings.
Read the official CPR Part 35 and Practice Direction 35.
Expert evidence
Independent evidence for the court
Enquiry and scope
Send the key questions, relevant proceedings, location and deadline. We review the instruction and identify the professional input needed.
Quotation and evidence review
We agree the terms, fee and timetable, then review the supplied records and request any material evidence that is missing.
Assessment and care planning
The assessor meets the person, gathers relevant accounts and develops recommendations grounded in their needs and circumstances.
Costing and report preparation
Care recommendations are costed using provider information and relevant services. The report explains its calculations, sources and assumptions.
Quality review and secure delivery
The report is checked for clarity and consistency before secure delivery. Further questions or additional work are considered within an agreed scope.
What happens next
From instruction to a costed report
The person's participation
An assessment built around the person
The person's own views and daily experience are central to understanding what effective support would look like.
Time to participate
The pace and length of the assessment take account of fatigue, distress and the person's ability to engage.
Accessible communication
We use clear language and appropriate adjustments to help the person describe their needs and preferences.
Family and carer input
People who provide support can explain what happens between appointments, with their accounts identified separately.
A suitable setting
The format and location are chosen to allow a meaningful assessment, with in-person visits used where appropriate.
Evidence base
Evidence we review
The records required depend on the instruction. A useful bundle may include:
Letter of instruction
The issues to address, procedural context, relevant directions and report deadline.
Medical and expert evidence
Relevant diagnoses, functional effects, prognosis and opinions from other instructed specialists.
Care plans and support records
Existing packages, daily notes, risk assessments and reviews showing how needs are currently met.
Family care information
Accounts of tasks, frequency and time spent providing unpaid support, with the basis of estimates explained.
Provider costings
Current quotations, rates and service information relevant to the proposed support and location.
Funding and accommodation records
Relevant decisions, existing provision and evidence about the person's living arrangements.
Your report
What you receive
A structured report connecting the evidence to each care recommendation and its associated cost. The agreed scope determines which components are included.
The instruction, issues addressed and evidence considered
The person's circumstances, views and assessment findings
Current care needs and the support already being provided
Recommended care tasks, staffing, frequency and duration
Future scenarios and the expert evidence supporting them
Provider costings, calculations and stated assumptions
Relevant family care, benefits and funding considerations
Reasoned conclusions, limitations and the required declarations
Service or evidence | Suitable for | What is included |
|---|---|---|
Care assessment and planning | Practical decisions about care and support | Assessment findings and a care plan to inform day-to-day arrangements. |
Future Care and Costings Report | A legal instruction requiring care and cost evidence | Assessment, recommendations and transparent costings within a structured expert report. |
Additional specialist evidence | Issues outside the care expert's scope | Separate input on matters such as medical prognosis, therapies, accommodation or life expectancy, where required. |
Preparing an instruction
What to send with your instruction
A clear instruction helps us identify the work required and agree a realistic timetable.
Questions and deadlines
Set out the issues the expert should address, the proceedings and any existing court directions.
Relevant evidence
Provide an indexed bundle where possible, including medical reports, care records and existing expert opinions.
Assessment arrangements
Tell us where the person lives, who can coordinate access and what communication or other adjustments may help.
Scope of further work
Identify whether clarification, updated evidence or later expert work is anticipated so its scope can be discussed.
Future Care and Costings Report
£2,750 + VAT
Assessment of care needs, recommendations and associated costings, presented in a structured report for the agreed instruction.
The written quotation confirms the scope, timetable, VAT, travel and any other charges.
Additional work or specialist input
Quoted to the instruction
Some cases require further evidence, supplementary reporting or input from another professional discipline.
We identify this with the instructing party and agree the scope and fee before additional work begins.
Fees and scope
Report fee and additional work
The published report fee is £2,750 + VAT. Your quotation confirms the work included and the delivery timetable after we review the instruction and available evidence.
For families
We explain the assessment, listen to the person's experience and recognise the support relatives already provide. The report describes care in practical terms.
For professionals
We work to a defined instruction, identify the evidence relied on and explain the link between needs, recommended provision and costs.
Who we work with
Support for families and instructing professionals
Clear assessment and transparent reasoning help everyone understand how the care recommendations have been reached.
Why instruct Nellie Supports?
Practical care expertise
Recommendations reflect how support can be arranged and delivered in everyday life.
Transparent costings
The report identifies the source and basis of the figures used.
Independent conclusions
Professional opinion follows the evidence, including where it differs from the instructing party's expectations.
Clear reasoning
Needs, provision and costs are connected so the analysis can be examined.
Wider professional input
Relevant expertise is identified where the instruction extends beyond the care assessment.
Quality review
Reports are checked for clarity, consistency and a coherent explanation of the conclusions.
The situation
Following a serious injury, a person needs help with personal care, preparing meals and getting out safely. Relatives are providing much of that support, but the solicitor needs a clearer picture of the care required over time.
The assessment
The assessor speaks with the person and family, reviews the care records and medical evidence, and separates hands-on assistance from prompting and supervision. Provider quotations inform the cost of the proposed support. Any future change in need is tied to the relevant expert evidence.
The report
The report sets out the tasks, support hours, care arrangements, costs and assumptions so the instructing team can examine the basis of the recommendations and identify any evidence still needed.
Illustrative example only. This does not describe an individual client or promise a litigation outcome.
How care needs become a costed plan
Frequently asked questions
Care needs court report questions
What does a Care Needs Court Report include?
The agreed scope commonly includes assessment findings, a care plan, current and future care recommendations, provider costings and relevant family care or funding considerations. The report explains the evidence and assumptions behind its conclusions.
Who can instruct a report?
We accept enquiries from solicitors, deputies, case managers, insurers and private individuals. The purpose of the instruction and any requirements for court use are clarified before the work starts.
Are reports prepared for CPR Part 35?
For civil expert instructions, reports are prepared with reference to CPR Part 35 and Practice Direction 35. Other proceedings require their own applicable rules and directions to be considered.
How much does the report cost?
The published fee is £2,750 + VAT. We confirm the scope and any travel, additional work or specialist input in the written quotation.
How long does a report take?
The existing service timetable is usually a few weeks, depending on complexity and the availability of evidence. We agree a timetable after reviewing the instruction. If there is an urgent deadline, raise it at the first enquiry so availability can be checked.
Is the assessment in person or remote?
Assessments are usually carried out in person where possible. A remote assessment may be appropriate in some circumstances; the format is agreed around the needs of the person and the instruction.
How are future care costs calculated?
Recommendations are linked to the care tasks, frequency, duration and staffing required. Provider information and relevant service costs inform the figures. Future scenarios depend on the available expert evidence, with assumptions made explicit.
Do you consider unpaid family care and funding?
Yes, where relevant to the instruction. The report can describe support provided by relatives and consider benefits, statutory provision or NHS Continuing Healthcare. Funding possibilities are distinguished from confirmed arrangements.
The official rules governing expert evidence in civil proceedings.
The official guidance on expert duties and the contents of civil expert reports.
Explore related services for litigation and expert instructions.
Further reading
Guidance on expert evidence
Independent social care needs assessment and care planning by a registered social worker, for families, deputies and attorneys.
An individualised expert opinion on life expectancy, with the evidence, assumptions and reasoning explained.
Every stage of the CHC pathway, from the first eligibility check to the Independent Review Panel and retrospective claims.