Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

Key definition

Costs definition

What does Costs mean? In litigation, costs are the legal fees, disbursements, court fees and VAT incurred in bringing, defending or appealing a claim, and the sums a court or tribunal may order one party to pay another for those liabilities. The concept is governed by procedural rules and case law rather than a single statutory definition: England and Wales (CPR 44–47), Northern Ireland (RCJ Ord 62), Scotland (where the equivalent term is expenses), and Ireland (Legal Services Regulation Act 2015 and the Legal Costs Adjudicators). The general approach is broadly consistent, subject to local terminology and procedure. Typical features include the discretionary rule...

Completing Precedent T to vary costs budgets: practical step-by-step guidance under CPR 3.15A (England and Wales)

Published by a LexisNexis Dispute Resolution expert

Practice notes

This Practice Note offers guidance on completing Precedent T. It is the court form parties must Use when obtaining party Agreement and/or the court’s approval to alter their agreed or approved Budgeted Costs. Note that, before 1 October 2020, parties did not need to complete a costs precedent when seeking to vary a costs budget. This Practice Note should be read alongside Practice Note: Costs budgets—revision and variation. Accordingly, a costs precedent is now required when varying a budget.

Which CPR provisions apply?

The applicable rules sit in CPR 3.15A(1)–(6), and guidance in CPR PD 3D, para 11, also applies. These are the provisions governing both revisions and variations.

What is Precedent T?

Precedent T is the prescribed court form a party must use when revising, upwards or downwards, its budgeted costs (CPR 3.15A(3)). The party proposing variations (the revising party) should try to agree those changes with the other party, and must file Precedent T at court with the last approved or agreed costs budget, providing an explanation of any areas of dispute between the parties. Precedent T is provided in spreadsheet format; the first sheet follows a similar layout to that used in Precedent R (budget discussion report)...

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Web page updated on 21/05/2026

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