This new portable and practical guide contains everything that practitioners and judges need to know to conduct a summary assessment of costs in the County Courts, the High Court, and the Court of Appeal. It includes expert commentary and analysis, key extracts from the relevant statutory material and the Civil Procedure Rules 1998, and checklists to assist with preparation. Areas covered include deciding the appropriate order to ask for, the nature of the retainer, funding issues, and what can actually be claimed as costs in litigation.