{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/matrimonial-causes-costs-rules-1988/article-6",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/matrimonial-causes-costs-rules-1988/article-6.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/6",
  "kind": "article",
  "number": "6",
  "heading": "Procedure for taxation",
  "text": "(1) Where a party (in this rule called “the applicant”) is entitled to require taxation of the costs of any matrimonial proceedings, he must within the time specified in rule 4 lodge his bill of costs, together with all necessary vouchers and papers and a copy of the bill for every other party entitled to be heard on the taxation.\n(2) The taxing officer shall send to every such party a copy of the bill together with a notice requiring him to inform the taxing officer, within 14 days after receipt of the notice, if he wishes to be heard on the taxation—\nProvided that the taxing officer shall not be required to send a copy of the bill to an assisted person who has a financial interest in the taxation if he is satisfied that that person has received a copy of the bill and has indicated whether or not he wishes to be heard on the taxation; and an assisted person who has indicated that he does wish to be heard shall be deemed to have been given notice under this paragraph, and to have informed the taxing officer of his wish for the purposes of paragraph (3).\n(3) If a party to whom notice has been given under paragraph (2) informs the taxing officer within the time limited that he wishes to be heard on the taxation, the taxing officer shall fix an appointment for the taxation and give not less than 14 days' notice of the appointment to the applicant and that party.\n(4) If no party to whom notice has been given under paragraph (2) informs the taxing officer within the time limited that he wishes to be heard on the taxation, the taxing officer, unless he otherwise directs, shall send to the applicant a notice specifying the amount which the taxing officer proposes to allow in respect of the bill and requiring him to inform the taxing officer, within 14 days after receipt of the notice, if he wishes to be heard on the taxation.\n(5) If the applicant informs the taxing officer within the time limited that he wishes to be heard on the taxation, the taxing officer shall fix an appointment for the taxation and give 14 days' notice of the appointment to the applicant.\n(6) The foregoing provisions of this rule shall apply to the taxation of a bill which is to be paid out of the legal aid fund under the Act of 1974 subject to the modifications that, if the bill is not also to be taxed inter partes and if the assisted person does not wish to be heard on the taxation, paragraphs (2) and (3) shall not apply, and paragraph (4) shall apply as if the words preceding the words “the taxing officer, unless he otherwise directs” were omitted.\n(7) This rule shall not apply to the taxation of a solicitor’s bill to his own client.\n(8) In this rule, “party entitled to be heard on the taxation” means—\n(a) a person who, whether or not he has acknowledged service or taken any part in the proceedings which gave rise to the taxation, is directly liable under an order for costs made against him, or\n(b) a person who has begun proceedings for taxation in accordance with rule 4, or\n(c) a person who has given the applicant and the taxing officer written notice that he has a financial interest in the outcome of the taxation, or\n(d) a person who is so entitled by virtue of a direction given by the registrar.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1988/1328/article/6",
    "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."
}