Application of costs

[Derwent]

I really dont know what to do.

they have said they will only accept £1000

And its something I cant afford

 

Obviously it's your call but I would now forget all about making any further offers and concentrate on defending the application. If you are confident that you can demonstrate that your withdrawal was for valid and reasonable reasons then you shouldn't have too much to fear. In any case, you haven't even had a schedule of costs from them so you don't know what you are offering against - for all you know the bulk of their 'costs' might be disallowable as being in-house. Put it this way, to drop from £5k to £1k in one go suggests to me that they are not entirely confident in their argument or that their costs are a bit spurious. I'd be encouraged by the fact that they have cut their demand by 80%, nobody who was very confident of their position would make such a huge concession.

[SweetLorraine]

Good advice from both smokejumper and Derwent, particularly that these aren't reasonable people, you have already made them well aware of your emotional and financial position after all. Perhaps they are now seeking to exploit your vulnerability.

 

If you can't afford £1k claireloupul, then that option is not open to you.

 

Perhaps you can still explore this one step at a time. Email them and politely ask them to send you a copy of their schedule of costs straight away. If one has been drafted they should let you see it. If they don't you can always draw attention to that unreasonable behaviour at the hearing.

 

By the way Friday emails are a common practice in this line of work - the idea being that they leave you unsettled over the week-end with little/no access to your own (professional) support.

 

Don't worry unduly - that may be what they want you to do.

[SweetLorraine]

Good luck at the hearing tomorrow claireloupul. One way or another it should bring things to a conclusion.

[Derwent]

Just wondered what the outcome of this was if the OP is still around ?

[Pusillanimous]

Claireloupul, you are allowed to tell us that you reached a settlement and thus can no longer discuss the matter...?