Claire Green predicts a turbulent start for the newly introduced electronic bill of costs
- The electronic bill of costs is now compulsory in the county court and Senior Courts Costs Office.
- It is required for multi-track claims, but with exceptions.
- It is inevitable that the new bill will be a work in progress for some time, but none of the problems are expected to be insurmountable
Buckle up. The electronic bill of costs became compulsory in the county court and Senior Courts Costs Office on 6 April. It is likely to be a bumpy ride.
Whether it is solicitors caught unaware or untested rules that cause confusion, we expect to see plenty of teething problems as the new provisions settle in.
A quick reminder
First a quick reminder. The new bill is required for all multi-track claims, except those:
- in which the proceedings are subject to fixed costs or scale costs;
- where the receiving party is unrepresented; or
- where the court has otherwise ordered.
It is in the form of Precedent S, although practitioners can use any other spreadsheet
