BEAT THE BUDGET 

The 1st April 2013 saw the advent of costs budgeting for all multi-track cases commenced on or after that day in a county court, the Chancery or Queen’s Bench Division (except the Admiralty and Commercial Courts). The provisions, set out in Rule 3 and its Practice Directions, are designed to enable the courts to manage cases in order to control the amounts being spent in pursuing them. 

WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO DO

A costs budget in Form H has to be prepared and exchanged by each side within the requisite period. The court may then make a costs management order to record the fact of any agreed budgets or, in default of agreement, consider the budgets and revise/approve them. Fail to comply with the provisions and if this were Monopoly you’d go directly to jail - that's to say that there are potentially severe costs consequences if you don't comply.

HOW IT WORKS

The Court exercises control by way of determining a costs budget for matters at costs management hearings. The budgets will need to be monitored and updated as the case progresses. 

The budget must set out separately the costs already incurred and the estimated costs needed to conclude the case.

BUDGET BLUES

There is no need to look for another career just yet. I can help you beat the budget blues by making sure that the budgets you submit are both accurate and kept up to date. You will have to do your bit by planning the future steps required in the case (in a reasonable and proportionate manner, no doubt), which I can then quantify for you in the form of a budget. Voila!