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Costs Blog
Here are a collection of articles written by Jon Williams (save where otherwise stated), ranging from tales of his experiences in the world of legal costs to more technical/academic pieces on specific topics in this ever-changing area of law. We hope that you find the articles of interest, useful and, on occasion, perhaps even entertaining!
07th Nov 2017
Additional Liabilities and Proportionality
The Court of Appeal has today handed down judgment in the matter of BNM -v- MGN Ltd [2017] EWCA Civ
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05th Feb 2014
A sigh of relief
Without question, the most prevalent topic of discussion amongst litigators and costs practitioners in recent weeks has been that of
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07th Nov 2013
Plebgate Appeal: Yes or No?
With grateful thanks to Gordon Exall (@CivilLitTweet) for tweeting updates received from the hearing at the Court of Appeal, the
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14th Oct 2013
Guideline hourly rates: help or hindrance?
Guideline hourly rates (‘GHR’) are so often misunderstood: paying parties frequently aver that they ought to be strictly adhered to,
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14th Oct 2013
‘Jackson Panic’ coming to the fore – Part Two
We are almost six months on since LASPO and the Jackson costs reforms came into effect and so more and
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16th Sep 2013
Trial and error
Many involved in personal injury litigation and legal costs do not appear to be familiar with or understand the words/expressions
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27th Aug 2013
A Bitter Taste
I have a number of pet hates in ‘costs’, including: Incorrect success fees – why oh why claim a success
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19th Jul 2013
‘Jackson panic’ coming to the fore
The last couple of weeks have shed greater light on the ‘Jackson panic’ prevalent in the run-up to 01/04/13. The
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02nd Jul 2013
New Court Fees: A Lost Opportunity?
And so new court fees came into force yesterday. Sir Rupert Jackson, in his final report (which is fast approaching
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22nd Jun 2013
Fixed costs and exceptional circumstances
Fixed costs in fast-track RTA, EL and PL litigation are nigh. While revisions to the CPR to accommodate such fixed
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20th Jun 2013
Small claims track costs: O’Beirne revisited
The Court of Appeal’s decision in O’Beirne -v- Hudson was welcome guidance and clarity in February 2010 in respect of
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11th Jun 2013
Medical report fees in low-value PI litigation
The issues of reasonable fees for medical reports in low-value personal injury litigation, the use of medical agencies to obtain
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04th Jun 2013
Provisional assessment: court fees
The current fees payable upon requesting a detailed assessment hearing between the parties and in respect of bills of costs
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03rd Jun 2013
Costs: it’s a liability
The Pre-Action Protocol for Personal Injury Claims provides inter alia: 2.10 Once the claimant has sent the letter of claim
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26th May 2013
Open offers to settle costs
PD 8.3 to CPR 47.9 dictates that: The paying party must state in an open letter accompanying the points of
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22nd May 2013
Provisional Assessment: to file or not to file
A current press release/bulletin from a reputable costs drafting firm advises receiving parties’ solicitors to inter alia ensure that their
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18th May 2013
Provisional Assessment: does the cap fit?
One of the very many uncertainties arising from the recent rule changes concerns the maximum level of costs a judge
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17th May 2013
It’s not a game
Just over a year ago, I was instructed to deal with a claimant’s claim for costs following the conclusion of
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