Guide to Detailed Assessment court fees in 2026, including Part 8 issue fees, assessment hearing fees, default costs certificates and common costs recovery issues.
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Detailed assessment proceedings under CPR Part 47 frequently involve multiple court fees which are often overlooked until proceedings are underway.
Solicitors, insurers and litigants dealing with assessment of costs proceedings may encounter fees relating to:
Part 8 issue applications
Default Costs Certificates
Assessment hearings
N244 applications
Appeals
Court of Protection assessments
Understanding the current fee structure is important both for costs budgeting purposes and for assessing recoverability during detailed assessment proceedings.
This guide summarises the current court fees relevant to assessment of costs and Part 8 costs proceedings in 2026.
Part 8 Costs Proceedings Fees
Detailed assessment proceedings are commonly commenced using the CPR Part 8 procedure.
The following fees currently apply:
Application Type | Fee |
Apply to challenge a solicitor’s bill (Part 8 application) | £67 |
Apply for an order in costs-only proceedings (Part 8 application) | £67 |
Although relatively modest, these issue fees are often overlooked when considering the overall costs exposure associated with assessment proceedings.
Default Costs Certificate Fees
Where a receiving party serves a Bill of Costs and the paying party fails to serve Points of Dispute within the required period, the receiving party may apply for a Default Costs Certificate. Current fees are:
Application Type | Fee |
Apply for a Default Costs Certificate | £80 |
Apply to set aside a Default Costs Certificate | £148 |
Applications to set aside Default Costs Certificates frequently arise where deadlines have been missed or where procedural issues emerge during detailed assessment proceedings.
General Application Fees (N244)
Detailed assessment proceedings often involve interim procedural applications.
Current N244 application fees are:
Application Type | Fee |
By consent or without notice | £123 |
On notice | £313 |
These applications may concern:
Extensions of time
Relief from sanctions
Stay applications
Amendments to Points of Dispute
Procedural directions
In substantial costs disputes, multiple interlocutory applications can significantly increase overall litigation spend.
Detailed Assessment Hearing Fees
The largest fees in detailed assessment proceedings are usually the assessment hearing fees themselves. The applicable fee depends upon the value of costs claimed.
Civil Case Assessment Fees
Costs Claimed | Fee |
Up to £15,000 | £398 |
Up to £50,000 | £801 |
Up to £100,000 | £1,192 |
Up to £150,000 | £1,595 |
Up to £200,000 | £1,992 |
Up to £300,000 | £2,988 |
Up to £500,000 | £4,980 |
More than £500,000 | £6,640 |
Family Case Assessment Fees
Costs Claimed | Fee |
Up to £15,000 | £335 |
Up to £50,000 | £675 |
Up to £100,000 | £1,005 |
Up to £150,000 | £1,345 |
Up to £200,000 | £1,680 |
Up to £300,000 | £2,520 |
Up to £500,000 | £4,200 |
More than £500,000 | £5,600 |
The scale of these fees means that proportionality and settlement strategy become increasingly important in higher-value costs disputes.
Legal Aid and Court of Protection Assessment Fees
Separate fees apply in Legal Aid and Court of Protection assessment proceedings.
Assessment Type | Fee |
Legal aid only family case fee | £200 |
Legal aid only civil case fee | £237 |
Court of Protection assessment | £99 |
These lower fees reflect the specialist nature of publicly funded and Court of Protection work.
For Legal Aid costs guidance see: https://www.sphcosts.com/legal-aid-costs-drafting
For Court of Protection costs support see: https://www.sphcosts.com/court-of-protection-bills
Appeal Fees in Costs Proceedings
Appeals from decisions of Costs Officers may attract additional fees.
Current appeal fees include:
Appeal Type | Fee |
General appeals against a Costs Officer | £249 |
Criminal fee appeals | £123 |
Appeals are relatively uncommon but may arise where disputes concern:
Proportionality
Guideline Hourly Rates
Budget departures
Significant reductions
Procedural fairness
Are Detailed Assessment Court Fees Recoverable?
In many cases, court fees incurred during detailed assessment proceedings are themselves recoverable as part of the costs of assessment. However, recovery may depend upon:
Conduct of the parties
Proportionality
Negotiation history
Whether proceedings could reasonably have been avoided
The outcome achieved at assessment
Where a party pursues unreasonable challenges or adopts disproportionate positions, recovery of assessment costs may be affected.
Why Early Costs Advice Matters
Detailed assessment proceedings can become expensive quickly once:
Assessment hearing fees
Counsel’s fees
N244 applications
Negotiation costs
Drafting costs
are taken into account.
Early specialist advice frequently assists with:
Reducing exposure
Narrowing disputes
Improving settlement prospects
Assessing proportionality
Managing procedural deadlines
For paying party support see:https://www.sphcosts.com/challenge-bill-of-costs
Conclusion
Detailed assessment proceedings under CPR Part 47 involve a range of court fees which can significantly affect overall litigation costs.
From modest Part 8 issue fees to substantial assessment hearing fees in high-value disputes, parties should understand the procedural and financial implications before commencing or defending assessment proceedings.
Careful costs management and early specialist advice remain essential to controlling exposure during detailed assessment.
Internal Links
Detailed Assessment Guide:
https://www.sphcosts.com/post/detailed-assessment-of-costs-guide
Challenge a Bill of Costs:
Legal Aid Costs Drafting:
Court of Protection Bills:
