Detailed assessment of costs determines the amount of legal costs recoverable following litigation. This guide explains the CPR Part 47 process, including bills of costs, Points of Dispute, proportionality challenges and provisional assessment.

Guideline Hourly Rates (GHR) are the benchmark figures used by courts in England & Wales when assessing solicitor hourly rates during detailed assessment of costs. This guide explains the guideline rates table and how courts apply them in practice.

Court of Appeal guidance in Attersley v UK Insurance Ltd on the costs consequences of late acceptance of Part 36 offers and the interaction with fixed recoverable costs.

A practical reference guide to the Intermediate Track costs table (CPR 45.50), including Stages S1–S16, Band 1–4 figures, and trial advocacy fee rules.

A practical guide to Intermediate Track Fixed Recoverable Costs including Band 1–4 figures, costs tables and trial advocacy fees. Learn how complexity band allocation affects recoverable costs in claims between £25,000 and £100,000.

Electronic bills of costs require clear phase and task structure to align with Precedent H and support effective detailed assessment. This guide explains preparation, analysis and common issues in electronic bills.

Expert fees are a major disbursement risk in litigation. This guide explains how paying parties challenge necessity, proportionality, scope and duplication to reduce expert costs at detailed assessment.

Counsel’s fees are a major driver of costs exposure. This guide explains how paying parties challenge leading counsel, duplication, and disproportionate advocacy costs at detailed assessment using proportionality and delegation principles.

Fixed recoverable costs after Part 36 settlement remain a key battleground in police litigation. This Senior Courts Costs Office decision clarifies when FRC applies, when intentional tort claims escape the regime, and how paying parties can use procedural timing to reduce exposure at detailed assessment.

Delegation challenges reduce costs by attacking senior fee earner time, duplication and grade mismatches at detailed assessment.

Proportionality is a key tool for paying parties to reduce a bill of costs through global assessment, delegation analysis and evidence-based challenges.

he CCMS Secure Browser introduces workflow risks that can delay Legal Aid claims and affect cashflow. Structured billing processes are essential to protect recovery.

Paying parties can significantly reduce costs by challenging hourly rates, proportionality and scope through structured Points of Dispute and detailed assessment strategy.

The Intermediate Track has transformed litigation costs for claims between £25,000 and £100,000. Recoverable costs now depend on the court’s allocation of a case to one of four complexity bands — a decision that can significantly affect financial exposure. Understanding how banding works, and how parties argue for higher or lower classifications, is essential for protecting recoverability and managing costs risk.

When will a court award indemnity costs and how does that affect detailed assessment? A practical guide to conduct, risk, and recoverability in costs disputes.

When can litigation costs become irrecoverable? The answer often lies not in the amount claimed, but in how the work was conducted, by whom, and under what authority. This article explains how conduct of litigation, delegation, supervision, and regulatory compliance can affect recoverability at detailed assessment — and why firms should address these risks long before a costs dispute arises.

The Mazur appeal raises important questions about who may lawfully conduct litigation and the consequences for costs recovery. This article examines why the February 2026 hearing matters from a costs perspective, and how issues of delegation, supervision, and recoverability are likely to be scrutinised during assessment.

The Legal Aid Agency has published an updated snapshot of current civil processing dates. This update provides helpful insight into expected timescales for applications, amendments and billing, particularly following the recent reinstatement of the online portal. Understanding these timelines allows firms and costs teams to plan billing, manage cashflow and set realistic expectations around costs progression and payment.

The 2026 Guideline Hourly Rates update affects London and National bands. This article compares the 2025 and 2026 figures and explains how hourly rates are challenged and assessed in costs disputes.

The Legal Aid Agency has confirmed that the Average Payment Scheme will end in January 2026, with recoupments starting shortly afterwards. Legal aid providers should now prioritise preparing and submitting legal aid costs claims via CCMS to minimise the financial impact of recoupment and avoid cashflow disruption. Early preparation will be critical as contingency arrangements are brought to a close.