Taxation of Legal Costs in South Africa provides clear and practical guidance on taxation of costs, which will assist the legal practitioner, the taxing master, the judicial officer and the lay public to determine reasonable costs in line with the existing legal system.

Taxation is about the quantification of legal costs and therein lies the crux of any costs issue. The book explains how the process of taxation exercises control over costs that are legally recovered so that fees and costs are reasonable. Taxation of Legal Costs in South Africa identifies the key aspects of costs and all aspects of taxation. It records and integrates the practices, rules, tariffs and judgments of court to provide a practical resource. The discretion that is applied in taxing bills of costs and the principles relied upon in reviewing taxations are discussed extensively. The book analyses maximum tariffs that legal practitioners may charge, which have a significant impact on both the public and the legal profession. The author also offers practical suggestions for solutions to challenges that arise in practice. Taxation of Legal Costs in South Africa aims to be a practical and complete work on the subject of taxation.

• Table of cases
• Table of statutes
• Taxation in general
• Attorney’s costs and alternative methods to taxation
• Parties at taxation
• Process of taxation
• The taxing master in general
• The discretion of the taxing master demystified
• Review of taxation
• Party and party costs
• Attorney and client costs
• Attorney and own client costs
• Specific costs terminology
• Wasted costs and unnecessary costs
• Pre-litigation costs
• Perusals and copies
• Waiting and travelling costs
• Trial actions
• Applications
• Counsel’s fees
• Counsel’s fees in the High Court
• Two sets of attorneys
• Witnesses and qualifying fees
• Taxation of claims arising from motor vehicle accidents and debt recovery costs, collection charges or commission
• Civil appeals and taxation in the Constitutional Court and Supreme Court of Appeal
• Miscellaneous
• Precedent bills of costs
• Annexures – tariff rules

• Legal practitioners
• The taxing master
• Judicial officers
• The general public