What is a bill of costs in civil law?

A bill of costs is a common element of civil law proceedings in the District of Columbia. It is an itemized list of the costs associated with an action (or inaction) in a civil case. Generally, it defines the amount of money the plaintiff or defendant is seeking for costs such as filing fees, deposition costs, service of process, attorney’s fees, witness fees, witness travel, and other costs associated with the claim or defense. Bills of costs are typically filed after the judicial decision has been made in the case. The party that prevails (or “prevailing party”) is usually entitled to recover costs associated with their conduct of the case from the losing party. In some cases, a judge may require a deposit of costs to insure the losing party pays the costs according to the bill of costs filed. The prevailing party must submit their bill of costs to the court for approval. The court will then make a decision on the bill of costs, determining whether or not the costs requested are reasonable and necessary. If the court approves the bill of costs, the prevailing party will be required to submit a formal bill of costs to the other party in order to enforce payment. The bill of costs helps ensure that parties to civil law proceedings in the District of Columbia are aware of the costs associated with the proceedings, and that those costs are recoverable from the losing party. This helps ensure that the claims are heard in a fair and equal manner, with one party not bearing an excessive burden of costs from the other.

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What is a bill of costs in civil law?

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