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...

Costs in HKIAC Administered Arbitration (2018 Rules): Tribunal Powers, Fees, Deposits and Cost Awards

Published by a LexisNexis Arbitration expert

Practice notes

This Practice Note provides guidance on Costs pursuant to The Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC) Administered Arbitration Rules 2018 (the 2018 HKIAC Rules; HKIAC 2018).

As outlined in Practice Note: HKIAC (2018)—the HKIAC Administered Arbitration Rules—application and key features, the 2018 HKIAC Rules generally apply to HKIAC arbitrations begun on or after 1 November 2018, unless the parties stipulate otherwise; where proceedings commenced before 1 November 2018, the 2013 HKIAC Rules will generally govern, save where the parties agreed otherwise. A dedicated ‘2018 Schedule of Fees’ applies to arbitrations administered under the 2018 HKIAC Rules. HKIAC has also issued two Practice Notes on Costs of Arbitration, based on HKIAC 2018: Sch 2 (hourly rates) and Sch 3 (sums in dispute). These took effect on 11 March 2019 and apply unless the parties have agreed to a different approach. For an introduction to HKIAC and its organisation, see Practice Note: HKIAC—background to and structure of the institution. In every arbitration, parties and their advisers should at all times keep a close watch on the costs they are incurring, both for their own legal fees and for the fees charged by the institution administering the case. Each institution’s fee structure...

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Web page updated on 21/05/2026

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