Explanatory note

These Rules amend the County Court Rules (Northern Ireland) 1981 to make a number of changes to the scale costs for solicitor and counsel prescribed in Appendix 2 including:

• a reduction in the number of bands of costs for proceedings commenced by ordinary civil bill and an increase in the amount of costs payable;

• an increase in costs payable in respect of travelling and for drafting a reply to notice for further particulars;

• to otherwise increase costs by 4.3%;

• the introduction of discretionary costs for drafting a notice for particulars;

• combining in one Part the costs for title and equity suits reducing the number of bands of costs;

• provision for enhancing costs by one third in certain complex cases; and

• other minor or consequential changes.