Costs management—changes to CPR PD 3E, para 7.4

Table of contents

• How should practitioners address the incurred costs between the date of the costs budget and the end of the case management conference (CMC) (a period in which the costs incurred are to be included in the costs budget as incurred costs)?
• Is it the case that costs budgets will need to be updated on the day of the CMC?
• What implications does this have for Precedent R agreements?
• Should practitioners seek to agree estimated costs for that period of time (between the date of the costs budget and the CMC) and if they stay within that estimate the other side simply agree them as incurred costs at the date of the CMC?
• Do the changes have a more profound impact on budgets in lower value claims that have to be filed with direction questionnaires?

Article summary

Dispute Resolution analysis: Dr Mark Friston, barrister at Hailsham Chambers, discusses what the amendment to the existing CPR PD 3E, para 7.4 means for practitioners involved in costs budgeting.