The Senior Court Costs Office (SCCO) Guide 2023 (the ‘Guide’) was published in July 2023. The Guide contains comprehensive guidance to detailed assessment proceedings and helps people to understand the rules relating to costs generally, as well as practice and proceedings in the Senior Courts Cost Office.
What Does the Senior Courts Costs Office Do?
The Senior Courts Cost Office (SCCO) is a distinct part of the High Court, that is unattached to the King’s Bench Division, Chancery Division and Family Division, and the Court of Appeal. It has the authority to assess costs and expenses incurred in civil litigation to decide how much a successful party can recover from their opponent. It can also assess how much a barrister or solicitor can recover from public funds and how much a client should have to pay their solicitor.
The SCCO undertakes such assessments in cases managed by the Family, Chancery and King’s Beach division of the High Court, as well as in cases handled by the civil division of the Court of Appeal, the County Court in London and tribunals. It can also deal with cost assessments passed on to them from other County Court centres and district registries.
What Does the SCCO Guide 2023 Cover?
As with the SCCO Guide 2021, the 2023 Guide is divided into four parts;
- Part A General Matters – which deals with issues such as entitlement to costs, cost management orders, capping orders and the electronic bill
- Part B Detailed Assessment Proceedings – which deals with the procedures of, and time frames for, starting a detailed assessment, serving points of dispute, serving replies to the points of dispute, and requesting an assessment
- Part C Application – which deals with the process of acquiring and setting aside a default costs certificate, acquiring a payment on account and applications in detailed assessment proceedings and
- Part D Specific Proceedings -which deals with solicitor and client assessments, costs-only proceedings, appeals and litigants in person.
What Changes Have Been Introduced?
The most significant changes introduced in the new Guide are the following;
- updated guidance on entitlement to interest on costs
- updated guidance on final cost certificates and completing the bill of costs.
- further guidance on witness evidence filed in support of applications made in detailed assessment proceedings
- updated guidance in respect of costs in the Court of Protection cases
- the inclusion of Precedent R and T, as well as standard orders for assessments under CPR 46.4 (2) to the Schedule of Costs Precedents.
If you have any questions regarding litigation costs, contact our experienced Dispute Resolution team via email.
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