{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/matrimonial-causes-costs-rules-1988/article-3",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/matrimonial-causes-costs-rules-1988/article-3.json",
  "legislation": "uksi/1988/1328",
  "legislation_title": "The Matrimonial Causes (Costs) Rules 1988",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/matrimonial-causes-costs-rules-1988",
  "path": "article/3",
  "kind": "article",
  "number": "3",
  "heading": "Powers of registrars and others to tax costs",
  "text": "(1) Without prejudice to a taxing master’s powers, under R.S.C. Order 62, rule 19(1), to tax the costs of or arising out of any cause or matter in the Supreme Court, including matrimonial proceedings, and subject to the provisions of this rule, the costs of matrimonial proceedings may be taxed as follows—\n(a) a registrar of the divorce registry may tax the costs of any matrimonial proceedings in that registry which are treated as pending in a divorce county court, and any matrimonial proceedings in the High Court;\n(b) a Grade 7 officer or senior executive officer of the divorce registry, who is authorised in that behalf by the President, may tax the costs of any proceedings within the scope of that authority that a registrar of the divorce registry may tax under sub-paragraph (a);\n(c) the registrar of a district registry may tax the costs of any matrimonial proceedings in the High Court which are proceeding in that registry;\n(d) a Grade 7 officer or senior executive officer of a district registry who has previously served in either of such capacities for at least two years in one of the offices mentioned in paragraph (2), and who is authorised in that behalf by the Lord Chancellor, may tax the costs of any proceedings within the scope of that authority that the registrar of the district registry may tax under sub-paragraph (c);\n(e) a registrar of a divorce county court may tax the costs of any matrimonial proceedings in that court;\n(f) a clerk of a divorce county court who is authorised in that behalf by the Lord Chancellor may tax the costs of any matrimonial proceedings in that court if the amount of the bill of costs does not exceed £500.\n(2) The offices mentioned in paragraph (1)(d) are the Supreme Court Taxing Office, the divorce registry, and the following district registries—\nBirmingham\nBristol\nCardiff\nLeeds\nLiverpool\nManchester.\n(3) A Grade 7 officer or senior executive officer of the divorce registry or of a district registry, or a clerk of a divorce county court, shall not have power to tax a solicitor’s bill of costs in pursuance of an order under the Solicitors Act 1974.\n(4) Where a party to proceedings objects to a bill of costs or any part of it being taxed by a Grade 7 officer, a senior executive officer or a clerk under paragraph (1)(b), (d) or (f), he shall, before the taxation begins, deliver to the registrar of the divorce registry or of the district registry or of the divorce county court, as the case may be, written reasons for his objections and, if sufficient reason is shown to the registrar, he shall tax the bill or the relevant part of it himself.\n(5) Where no objection is made under paragraph (4), a registrar may nevertheless reserve to himself the taxation of the whole or a part of a bill of costs unless the court has directed otherwise.\n(6) On a taxation under paragraph (1)(b), (d) or (f), a Grade 7 officer, a senior executive officer or a clerk shall comply with any directions given to him—\n(a) in relation to a taxation in the divorce registry, by a registrar of the divorce registry;\n(b) in relation to a taxation in a district registry, by the registrar of that district registry; and\n(c) in relation to a taxation in a divorce county court, by the registrar of that divorce county court.\n(7) Unless the context otherwise requires, any reference in the principal rules, or in any rules applied by the principal rules, to “the registrar” in relation to the taxation or assessment of any costs shall be construed as a reference to the taxing officer.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f1",
      "text": "1974 c. 47."
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1988/1328/article/3",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T16:01:54.670589+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}