Cook on Costs is well established as a practical, friendly guide providing clear and straightforward explanations of every aspect (except criminal costs) of the remuneration of solicitors and barristers for every level of reader.

Cook on Costs 2010 aims to explain as well as to inform, whilst being a practical guide through the complexities of all aspects of the costs of contentious and non-contentious legal business. No one who wishes to understand the principles and practice of legal costs should be without a copy.

The 2010 edition brings Cook on Costs up-to-date with all the developments in the past 12 months.

What's new for 2010:

* 12.5% or 100% success fees?
* Solicitor and client estimates
* Costs capping
* BTE and ATE insurance
* Indemnity basis costs
* Costs Rules and Practice Direction udates
* Costs reviews and consultations
* New reported and unreported costs cases, including: Solicitor's retainer was an entire contract; between-the-parties costs in family proceedings; tribunal costs; protective and proportionate costs orders
* Pro bono costs
* PI RTA three stage fixed costs regime
* Abolition of renumeration certificates

PART I - Solicitor and Client;
1. The retainer;
2. Agreements with clients;
3. Form and content of a bill;
4. Solicitor and client VAT;
5. The client's rights;
6. Recovery of costs;
7. The solicitor and third parties;

PART II - Between the parties;
8. Synopsis;
9. Vocabulary;
10. Estimates, capping, protective costs and budgeting;
11. General rules and costs (CPR Part 44);
12. VAT between parties;
13. Security for costs;
14. Offers to settle and payments into court (CPR Part 36);
15. Family proceedings;
16. Getting the right order - and the order right;
17. The Indemnity principle;
18. Interest on costs;
19. Costs of successful non-state funded parties;
20. Arbitration;

PART III - Quantification;
21. Contentious and non-contentious costs - what is the difference?
22. Time;
23. The other factors;
24. Value Judgment;
25. Fixed Costs (CPR Part 45);
26. Small claims track;
27. Fast track;
28. Multi-track;
29. Summary assessment;
30. Detailed assessment;
31. Appeals against assessment;
32. State-funded costs;

PART IV - Sanctions and Penalties;
33. Wasted costs;
34. Misconduct;

PART V - Particular People;
35. Non-parties;
36. Costs payable under a contract;
37. Trustees and personal representatives;
38. Children and patients;
39. Litigants in person;
40. Group (multi-party) litigation orders;

PART VI - Funding;
41. The Community Legal Service;
42. Conditional fees

By His Honour Michael Cook, LLB (Leeds), Partner, Underwoods Solicitors