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You can challenge your solicitor鈥檚 bill if you think you鈥檝e been charged too much.

Ask the Senior Courts Costs Office to make a 鈥榙etailed assessment鈥� of your bill. They can reduce your bill if they agree it鈥檚 too expensive.

Before you apply

Try to solve the problem with your solicitor before contacting the court.

You can complain to your solicitor directly by following their complaints procedure.

You can also get free legal help and advice from:

• your local
• your local
• the

When to apply

You must apply to the court before asking for a detailed assessment. You must do this within one month of getting your solicitor鈥檚 bill.

If you do not, you can still apply within a year of getting the bill, but the court might ask you to pay part or all of what you owe upfront. You鈥檒l get back what you鈥檝e overpaid if the judge agrees you鈥檝e been charged too much.

You might also be able to apply if you鈥檝e already paid your solicitor鈥檚 bill or it鈥檚 been over a year since you got it. You can only do this in special circumstances - you must explain what these are when you apply.

Download and fill in 3 copies of Part 8 claim form (N208). You must pay 拢59.

Send a cheque made payable to 鈥�HMCTS鈥� with all 3 copies of your completed form and a copy of your solicitor鈥檚 bill to:

You can apply to your local District Registry (a court that deals with certain High Court cases) instead if you live outside of London.

What happens next

The court will keep one copy of your claim form. The other copies will be sent to you and your solicitor and stamped with an issue date.

You鈥檒l then get an 鈥榓cknowledgement of service鈥� from your solicitor confirming they鈥檝e seen your application.

You鈥檒l be asked to attend a hearing if your solicitor does not think you should have a detailed assessment. You鈥檒l get a 鈥榥otice of hearing鈥� from the court saying when and where the hearing will take place.

You鈥檒l get a letter from your solicitor if they agree to a detailed assessment. Send a copy of this letter to the court.

If your solicitor does not challenge your application, you can ask them to give their consent. If they agree then the court might decide neither of you will need to go to the hearing.

If you have a hearing

Both you and the other side will present your case to a Costs Judge (or a District Judge if the hearing is held outside London).

You must bring with you copies of any documents you鈥檝e sent to the court as part of your application.

The court will decide whether to order a detailed assessment. You鈥檒l get the decision then or by post within a few days of the hearing.

If you disagree with the decision

You can make an appeal if you disagree with the court鈥檚 decision.

You must get permission before you appeal - you can ask the Costs Judge at the hearing.

You can ask the appeal court for permission if you鈥檙e refused or do not ask for it at the hearing. Read leaflet EX340 for more information.

You鈥檒l be given a court order after the hearing that says whether you can have a detailed assessment.

The detailed assessment will take place at another hearing.

Download and fill in request form (N258C). You must also pay a court fee. How much you pay will depend on the size of your solicitor鈥檚 bill.

Other fees

You must pay your own costs and the other party鈥檚 reasonable costs of the detailed assessment, unless:

• the judge reduces your solicitor鈥檚 bill by 20% or more
• there are special circumstances, for example you originally offered to settle the bill for an amount more than the final amount fixed by the court

How much you pay will depend on how much time your solicitor has spent in court - this is usually worked out from their hourly rate.