Description
Costs to be paid for detailed assessment when Claimant only beat offer by a small margin
The appellant appealed against a Costs Master's Order requiring him to pay the costs of detailed assessment having won the underlying proceedings. After a long and costly costs proceeding the Master awarded the appellant only £1,176 more than a settlement offer of £85,000 which had been made at the time the appellant's bill of costs had been originally served. It was held that there was no regime built into CPR r.47.18 which governed the costs of detailed assessment, rather an overall assessment of the circumstances was necessary. It was held the Master had undoubtedly been entitled to consider the original offer as reasonable and had not treated Carver v BAA Plc [2008] EWCA Civ 412 which dealt with Part 36 offers as requiring him to come to a particular conclusion.
