It was originally established in 1977 as the Association of Law Costs Draftsmen,[1][2] but the name was changed in January 2011.

The ACL became an "authorised body" or legal regulator, specifically for law costs draftsmen, on 1 January 2007.

[5] The ACL is governed by a Council, consisting of a Chairman and seven members, all elected for three year terms.

[6] The Legal Services Act 2007 resulted in the creation of an autonomous regulatory arm, the Costs Lawyer Standards Board, which began operating in October 2011.

[10] Another serious threat comes from the possibility of fixed costs in litigation following the Jackson reforms.