Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

Key definition

Detailed assessment definition

What does Detailed assessment mean? The court process for calculating how much one party must pay another after a costs order, by scrutinising a bill of costs and allowing only costs that are reasonably incurred and proportionate. In England and Wales, detailed assessment is a formal procedure under the Civil Procedure Rules (notably CPR Part 47 and associated Practice Directions). It commonly follows an inter partes costs order or a solicitor–client costs challenge. The receiving party serves a bill of costs; the paying party serves points of dispute; replies may follow. A costs judge or district judge then assesses the items (often provisionally on the...

Bills of costs for detailed assessment under CPR 47: requirements, paper/electronic formats (Precedents A-D, S), certification (Precedent F), CE-File, CMO impact, defects and amendments (England and Wales)

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Practice notes

This Practice Note offers guidance on preparing the bill of costs that the receiving party must complete before the start of detailed assessment proceedings, prior to the commencement of detailed assessment. Template bills of costs are provided in CPR PD 47, paragraph 5.1, and vary according to the type of recovery sought (base costs, success fees, LSC costs). The Note also identifies and links through to the relevant costs precedents and to Precedent F, which contains the certificates that must appear within the bill of costs itself. It further includes guidance on how to complete a bill of costs and provides information on using a costs draftsman. Any detailed assessment proceedings should be brought under the provisions within CPR 47 and CPR PD 47, and pursued accordingly.

Importance of providing a clear and accurate bill of costs

The receiving party should produce a clear, sufficiently detailed and accurate bill of costs for detailed assessment. Accordingly, clarity, sufficient detail and accuracy are essential. In Awan v Patel (2025), Master Brown remarked that, in general, a paying party requires a bill of costs in order to understand clearly what it has to pay and to assess the reasonableness of the costs claimed...

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Web page updated on 21/05/2026

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