How are costs handled in interim applications?

• A. Summary assessment where the judge decides who pays and how much; costs should be agreed in advance; costs payable within 14 days unless the court orders otherwise; if agreed, unlikely to be rejected unless disproportionate.
• B. Costs are always paid by the claimant.
• C. Costs are irrelevant to interim applications.
• D. Costs are fixed automatically without assessment.

Answer: (A)

Costs for an interim application are decided as part of the interim order, using a summary assessment. The judge determines who pays the costs of the application and the amount, rather than leaving it to a later, full costs battle. Parties are often encouraged to agree the costs upfront, and the court will typically approve that agreement unless the amount is clearly disproportionate to the work done. The order usually requires payment of those costs within a short period, commonly 14 days, unless the court orders a different timetable. This approach keeps the process efficient and ensures the costs reflect the outcome of the application itself.