Authors: Sean McAnally
Published: 23 June 2021
Pages: 29

Introduction

Civil litigation contains few certainties. One, however, is that it is expensive.
As relationships, both private and commercial, become more complex so, too, do the
proceedings that ensue when the legal rights and obligations arising out of such
relationships must be identified, applied and enforced. The single most expensive part of
such proceedings is almost invariably legal fees. Naturally there are also what are called
disbursements which are those fees or costs incurred in respect of matters such as filing
documents in court, retaining agents to undertake research or serve documents and organise the multitudes of documents that are commonplace.
 

Content outline

• Overview of NZ's costs regime
• Departures from scale
• Security for costs
• Discontinuances
• Enforcement of costs
• Applications for costs
• Costs calculations