'Costs in the application' usually appears as a provision at the end of a set of directions made by the judge during the course of a case.  Most cases don't go straight to a final hearing - there is at least one 'directions appointment' along the way.  

'Costs in the application' means "At this stage I'm not ordering either party to pay the other's costs of today's directions appointment.  If, at the end of the case, a costs order is made, then the costs of today are to be included in the cost...
Continue reading ...