Questions to ask about legal costs

The work and the professional fee

• What work and stages does this instruction cover?
• How will the professional fee be calculated?
• What work or expense falls outside the amount discussed?
• If a conditional arrangement is proposed, exactly which charges depend on the outcome and which conditions apply?

VAT, outlays and payment dates

• Is VAT included in each figure, and what total is payable?
• Which medical, expert, barrister or court-related charges are anticipated?
• Who pays each expense initially, and when is payment due?
• Who remains responsible if an expense is not recovered from another party?

Success, failure and stopping

• What would I pay if the matter succeeds or settles?
• Could costs recovered from another party leave a shortfall?
• What would remain payable if the matter does not succeed?
• When could I become liable for another party’s costs?
• What are the costs consequences of stopping proceedings or changing solicitor?

The written record

• Where are these answers set out in the costs notice or agreement?
• How will a significant increase in likely costs be communicated?
• What information will I receive before another professional is engaged?
• How will recovered costs and any remaining balance appear on the bill?

Make the answers usable

Bring the notice or agreement to the discussion and note the paragraph beside each answer. Where a figure is an estimate, ask which assumptions it depends on. Where a cost is excluded, ask whether a separate estimate or explanation is available.

Keep copies of later updates and receipts. Before a major step, revisit any answer affected by new information. A short written clarification can be more useful than relying on a remembered conversation. The purpose of this checklist is to help you understand costs, not to suggest that any particular arrangement or outcome is available.

Page prepared: 27 October 2026.