Senior Courts Costs Office (SCCO)
Contact Us Today
What is the Senior Courts Costs Office (SCCO)?
The Senior Courts Costs Office is based in the Royal Courts of Justice, London, and is a distinct part of the
Decisions from the SCCO are therefore considered binding, and given that the most senior costs judges sit here, guidance is often provided by the SCCO on up to date costs issues. Most recently this has included best practices in relation to costs budgeting, and when guideline hourly rates had not been updated between 2010 and 2020, advice was provided in respect of Court of Protection work as to inflationary-related rates which would be approved.
Detailed Assessment & Part 8 Proceedings
In reference to the Senior Courts Costs Office Guide (last updated in 2023 at the time of writing), the SCCO is the default location for detailed assessment proceedings not just in relation to the County Court in London, but in relation to any costs orders made in the following relevant Courts: Barnet, Brentford, Bromley, Central London, Clerkenwell and
Shoreditch, Croydon, Edmonton, Ilford, Kingston, Mayors and City of London, Romford, Uxbridge, Wandsworth and Willesden.
Part 8 proceedings can be issued in any location, and the SCCO is a pertinent choice to commence costs proceedings for pre-issue settlement matters, if the Bill is of high value or an issue of complexity needs to be addressed.
What are Detailed Assessment Proceedings?
Detailed assessment is the process by which the parties and Court undertake a forensic analysis of the legal costs claimed following the resolution of the substantive dispute, in order to come to a conclusion as to how much should be payable by one party to the other.
Whilst the detailed assessment of costs is a Court process, in most cases, it does not result in a further Court hearing being required. On most occasions, costs are agreed between the parties via negotiations however, if resolution cannot be reached, input may be required from the Senior Courts Costs Office to objectively quantify the costs claimed.
Contact Details for the Senior Courts Costs Office
Further details for the SCCO can be found here with main contact details being as follows:
Email: SCCO@justice.gov.uk (individual clerks/civil servants/costs officers have specific email addresses, and you would be best calling the SCCO and asking for the contact details for the clerk of a specific case to progress any matter forward);
General Admin Tel: 020 7947 6605 & 7124
Address – Royal Courts of Justice, Strand, London, WC2A 2LL
How Can ARC Costs Assist with Costs Assessments?
As independent costs experts (including experienced Costs Draftsman and Costs Lawyers), we can represent paying or receiving parties in relation to detailed assessment proceedings in the Senior Courts Costs Office.
If you are a Receiving Party, we are able to assist with the preparation and negotiation of Costs Budgets, as well as the settling and negotiation of any 3 column or electronic Bill of Costs on conclusion of the case, including the preparation of any legal arguments in the form of Points of Reply if necessary.
If you are a Paying Party, we provide valuation advice, and can prepare Points of Dispute to set out the legal means by which the other side’s costs can be reduced, and conduct negotiations to reduce the level of the legal costs burden you will face.
Irrespective of which side of the fence you are on, ARC Costs can assist, and our Costs Lawyers are authorised to conduct costs proceedings (and we can go on Court record to do so), and have rights of audience to conduct advocacy on your behalf (at any CCMC or detailed assessment hearing).
To get in touch with the team, email us at info@arccosts.co.uk, or call one of our experts on 01204 397302 and please ask for details on how we can assist.
Request Your Free Quotation
Contact us today for your free, no obligation quotation. Our team are on hand to help.