In provisional assessments (see Section 13) costs awards are limited to £1,500 plus any VAT thereon and the appropriate Court fee and a statement of the receiving party’s costs, for provisional assessment purposes, is filed with the bill. Offers must be filed in sealed marked envelopes and considered as necessary at the conclusion of the assessment (see the Part 47 Practice Direction (para 14) and CPR 47.15).

A request for an oral hearing which relates only to the costs of the provisional assessment will be determined on written submissions (Part 47 Practice Direction (para 14.6)), the costs of that procedure being in the court’s discretion.

If an assessment hearing is requested, the requesting party must (unless otherwise ordered) achieve an adjustment of at least 20% in its favour, failing which it will bear the costs of and incidental to that hearing (CPR 47.15(10)).

Extract from the Senior Courts Costs Office Guide 2018