# The Matrimonial Causes (Costs) (Amendment) Rules 1991 S.I. 1991/530 · made 7 March 1991 These Rules amend the Matrimonial Causes (Costs) Rules 1988 so as to revise the prescribed rates of costs. Made under: Matrimonial Causes Act 1973; Family Law Act 1986 (Section 64) ## Introductory text MATRIMONIAL CAUSES SUPREME COURT OF ENGLAND AND WALES COUNTY COURTS Made 7th March 1991 Laid before Parliament 11th March 1991 Coming into force 1st April 1991 We, the authority having power to make rules of court for the purposes mentioned in section 50 of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973, in exercise of that power and the further power conferred on us by section 64 of the Family Law Act 1986, hereby make the following Rules: ## 1 (1) These Rules may be cited as the Matrimonial Causes (Costs) (Amendment) Rules 1991 and shall come into force on 1st April 1991. (2) In these Rules, unless the context otherwise requires, a rule or Schedule referred to by number means the rule or Schedule so numbered in the Matrimonial Causes (Costs) Rules 1988. (3) These Rules shall apply for the taxation of the costs of work done on or after 1st April 1991. ## 2 In rule 11(3), for the sum “£7.50”, there shall be substituted the sum “£8.00”. ## 3 For Schedule 2, there shall be substituted the following Schedule— “SCHEDULE 2 PART I PREPARATION Column 1 Column 2 Column 3 High Court County Court ITEM 1 Writing routine letters £4.00 per item £3.50 per item 2 Receiving routine letters £2.00 per item £1.75 per item 3 Routine telephone calls £4.00 per item £3.50 per item 4 All other preparation work including any work which was reasonably done arising out of or incidental to the proceedings, interviews with client, witnesses, and other parties; obtaining evidence; preparation and consideration of, and dealing with, documents, negotiations and notices; dealing with letters written and received and telephone calls which are not routine Where the proceedings were conducted in the divorce registry or in another court on the South-Eastern Circuit at the time when the relevant work was done: £44.50 per hour £39.00 per hour All other circuits £41.75 per hour £37.00 per hour 5 In addition to items 1-4 above, to cover the general care and conduct of the proceedings +50% +50% 6 Travelling and waiting time in connection with the above matters £30.50 per hour £28.00 per hour PART II CONFERENCES WITH COUNSEL 7 Attending counsel in conference £35.50 per hour £31.00 per hour 8 Travelling and waiting £30.50 per hour £28.00 per hour PART III ATTENDANCES 9 Attending with counsel at the trial or hearing of any cause or the hearing of any summons or other application at court, or other appointment £35.50 per hour £31.00 per hour 10 Attending without counsel at the trial or hearing of any cause or the hearing of any summons or other application at court, or other appointment £53.50 per hour £50.50 per hour 11 Travelling and waiting £30.50 per hour £28.00 per hour PART IV FEES FOR JUNIOR COUNSEL 12 With a brief on an unopposed application for an injunction, or procedural issue Standard £84.50 £73.00 Maximum £140.00 £121.00 13 With a brief on the trial of a cause or matter or on the hearing of an ancillary application or on a children appointment where the hearing lasts for (a) one hour Standard £127.50 £109.00 Maximum £256.00 £218.50 (b) a half day Standard £176.50 £152.00 Maximum £291.00 £256.00 (c) a full day Standard £352.00 £304.00 Maximum £559.00 £486.00 (d) more than a full day Discretionary Discretionary 14 For each day or part of a day on which the trial of a cause or matter, or the hearing of an ancillary application, or a children appointment, is continued after the first day Discretionary Discretionary 15 Conference (including time reasonably spent in preparation and conference, but not otherwise remunerated) Standard £19.50 per ½ hour Standard £17.00 per ½ hour 16 (a) Complex items of written work (such as advices on evidence, opinions and affidavits of a substantial nature, requests for particulars or answers) Standard £92.00 per item Standard £79.00 per item (b) All other written work Standard £54.50 per item £48.00 per item 17 Except where the court is within 25 miles of Charing Cross or where there is no local Bar in the court town, or within 25 miles thereof, for travelling time Standard £17.70 per hour + expenses Standard £15.20 per hour + expenses PART V TAXATION AND REVIEW OF TAXATION 18 Preparing the bill (where allowable) and completing the taxation (excluding preparing for and attending the taxation) £30.50—£85.50 £30.50—£48.75 19 Preparing for and attending the taxation (including travelling and waiting) Discretionary Discretionary 20 Review by registrar or judge (including preparation) Discretionary Discretionary ” ## Signature Mackay of Clashfern, C. Stephen Brown, P. Mathew Thorpe, J. M. F. Norrie R. L. Ward Gerald Angel W. K. Wills James Holman Hugh Morgan M. J. W. Churchouse J. M. Appleby 7th March 1991 ## Explanatory note (This note is not part of the Rules) These Rules amend the Matrimonial Causes (Costs) Rules 1988 so as to revise the prescribed rates of costs. --- Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1991/530 (the official version) Page: https://openlegislation.uk/matrimonial-causes-costs-amendment-rules-1991 Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.