Consolidated practice directions

 
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4. General Division - Civil 
 
PD 4.7.4 
Supreme Court of Western Australia 
Consolidated Practice Direction
4.7.4
Applications for a costs assessment - Part 10 Division 8 of 
the 
Legal Profession Act 2008
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Introduction 
1. 
Under pt 10 div 8 of the 
Legal Profession Act 2008
(the Act), an application 
to a taxing officer for an assessment of the whole or any part of a bill for 
legal costs may be made by: 
(a) a client; 
(b) a third party payer; 
(c) a law practice; or 
(d) a law practice that retains another law practice to act on behalf of a 
client. 
2. 
This practice direction sets out the procedure for an assessment under 
the Act. A guide to how to complete an application for assessment of 
costs form is attached to this Practice Direction at 4.7.4.1. 
3. 
Applications made out of time are dealt with in Practice Direction 4.7.5. 
Conferral 
4. 
Prior to applying for an assessment by a taxing officer the applicant in 
relation to an invoice or invoices for legal services (the invoice) must 
confer with the other party. This conferral can be in writing, in person 
or by telephone. 
5. 
In order to constitute sufficient conferral it is necessary for the applicant 
to adequately identify: 
(a) the bill; 
(b) the items in the bill in dispute; 
(c) the total value of the items in dispute; and 
(d) the reason that each item is in dispute. 

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4. General Division - Civil 
 
PD 4.7.4 
Supreme Court of Western Australia 
Consolidated Practice Direction
6. 
The applicant must then prepare a memorandum (sample attached to 
this Practice Direction at 4.7.4.2), to be filed with the Court describing 
the conferral (memorandum of conferral).