The New Costs Regime In Queensland

In 2007, two Practice Directions changed the system of legal costs recovery in Queensland in one of the two traditional avenues for resolution of commercial building disputes: the Supreme Court of Queensland.

The Practice Directions

The first of the relevant Practice Directions (No 3 of 2007) is intended to encourage parties to a dispute to agree the amount of costs that would otherwise have to be assessed (or 'taxed' in the language of the old system). Practice Direction No 3 also provides that, where it would avoid undue delay and expense, the court may fix the costs for the parties rather than send them away to assess or tax the costs, provided that the parties can provide enough information for the court to reliably fix the costs.