In times when money and resources are ever constrained, legal
costs are certainly to the forefront of clients' minds. This
note aims to highlight some ways in which parties to construction
and engineering contracts can reduce their potential costs'
exposure in circumstances where a dispute has arisen and dispute
resolution proceedings are inevitable or unavoidable.
The costs of a dispute can be quite significant and include a
party's legal costs (solicitors' and barristers' fees),
experts' fees, costs of other third party advisers,
stenographers' fees, internal management costs including the
time and resources of key personnel within the organisation. This
list can be multiplied by two if a paying party is on the receiving
end of an adverse costs order meaning that it is not only
responsible for its own costs but also for the winning party's
costs.
