‘Costs’ is used by solicitors in slightly different ways depending on the context. It can mean specifically the fees charged by the solicitor, for example:

“I estimate that my costs will be £500 plus VAT and disbursements.”

It can mean the overall cost of a case, for example:

“By the time the order was implemented, the husband’s costs had mounted to £7,500.”

In the second example, ‘costs’ is used in a general sense to mean the solicitor’s costs and VAT as well as disbursements and possibly counsel’s fees as well. More on costs in future posts.