The COP E-Bill was introduced on 1 November 2022 and a new feature was added by way of an expandable box headed “Non-Welfare cases – Value and breakdown of P’s assets (if known)”. This is to specifically show, for example, the split between properties, bank accounts, investments and other assets.
It is imperative that the financial information is clear for the Costs Officer to review on assessment to ensure that the CPR 44.3 provisions are adhered to. The Court will only allow costs which are proportionate to the matters in issue. If the costs are disproportionate, they may be disallowed or reduced.
This is supported by the guidelines laid down in the Office of the Public Guardian’s Professional Deputy Costs Guidance of 2016, outlining that a professional Deputy is entitled to general management costs which are;
- Reasonable, and;
- Proportionate to the total value of the client’s estate
Most of these details are outlined in the Deputyship Report and it is important to provide the Report or the details to your Costs Draftsperson to include these details within the Bill of Costs.
Georgia Clarke, Senior Costs Draftsperson
