Costs budgeting: Teaching old dogs new tricks (Pt 1)

CPR 3.12 to 18 and PD.3E are the key to case management under the new post-Jackson regime. Quite simply, all competent civil litigation practitioners, old and new, must learn how to budget and manage their costs within agreed budgets, or budgets approved by the judge. Judges must learn how to approve and manage budgets that are “proportionate” to what is at stake. Well that all sounds simple but how?

First...what is a “Budget”?
The CPR glossary describes it as an: “An estimate of the reasonable and proportionate costs (including disbursements) which a party intends to incur in the proceedings.” This mirrors the definition of Standard (cp Indemnity) costs in CPR 44.3.

Second...learn the 12 Rules (like the old 12x table!)

1. Budgets must be filed by the date specified in the notice served under rule 26.3(1), or, if no such date is specified, seven days before