The requirements of the Part 47 Practice Direction summarised in section 8 of this Guide (paper bills) continue to apply to electronic bills to the extent that they are not incompatible with the specific provisions introduced, in November 2017, for electronic bills, though in provisional assessments it is not necessary to file more than one paper copy of an electronic bill.

When electronic bills are served or filed at the court, they must be served or filed in hard copy, in a manageable paper format as shown in the pdf version of Precedent S referred to at paragraph 5.A1 of the Part 47 Practice Direction. The word “manageable” refers, for example, to the fact that it may be impracticable to print the full bill detail at page 14, so that the “print version” at page 13 should be used instead.

A pdf copy of Precedent S is included with the online version of the Part 47 Practice Direction but any accurate, manageable printed copy will be acceptable. A copy of the full electronic spreadsheet version must at the same time be provided to the paying party and filed at the court by email or other electronic means. The email address for filing electronic bills at the SCCO is sccoebills@hmcts.gsi.gov.uk

Where the Part 47 Practice Direction requires or recommends division of a paper bill into parts, electronic bills (unless the format of the bill already provides the requisite information, for example in identifying the costs within each phase) should incorporate a summary in a form comparable to the “Funding and Parts Table” in Precedent S to provide the information that would otherwise be provided by its division into parts.

The requirement, where a costs management order has been made, to file and serve a breakdown of the costs claimed for each phase of the proceedings is not required if the same information is already fully provided in an electronic bill.

Excerpt from the Senior Courts Costs Office Guide 2021