Costs Arguments Toolkit – CPR 44 Statements for Litigants in Person

Court Costs Arguments Pack – Protect Yourself from Unfair Cost Orders

When you’re taken to court, the last thing you need is to be hit with a massive costs bill. This pack gives you ready-made written arguments you can use to challenge or reduce costs under CPR 44.2.

It covers seven key situations where you can ask the court to limit or refuse costs:

• Procedural Irregularities – when the other side hasn’t played by the rules.
• Unreasonable Conduct – when they’ve dragged things out or wasted court time.
• Hardship and Benefits – when paying costs would cause you genuine financial hardship.
• Mixed Success – when both sides won something, but no one won it all.
• Settlement Offered – when you’ve tried to settle but they’ve refused to listen.
• Proportionality – when the costs are excessive compared to the case value.
• 24-Hour Rule – when you were given no real time to respond before being penalised.

Each note is written in plain English so you can copy, adapt, and include the wording in your own application, costs statement, or court response. Perfect for litigants in person who want to argue costs fairly and confidently.

Disclaimer:

This pack is for information and educational purposes only. It does not replace legal advice. Use your own judgment and check that each argument applies to your case before submitting anything to the court.