Coshott v Spencer [2016] NSWDC 43

District Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Coshott v Spencer [2016] NSWDC 43 Hearing dates: 28 January 2016 Date of orders: 08 April 2016 Decision date: 08 April 2016 Jurisdiction: Civil Before: Gibson DCJ Decision: (1) Summons dismissed. (2) Plaintiff pay defendant's costs. (3) Liberty to apply in relation to costs, such liberty to be exercised in 28 days. (4) Exhibits retained for 28 days. Catchwords: COSTS – appeal under s 384 Legal Profession Act 2004 (NSW) – third party payer – whether costs assessor had power to determine third party payer issue – whether referral by Manager under s 357 requires a determination by the Manager that the claim is "valid" – whether costs assessor's change in determination of third party payer status occurred in circumstances amounting to absence of procedural fairness Legislation Cited: Legal Profession Act 2004 (NSW), ss 302A, 350, 356, 357, 358, 359, 361, 367 and 384 Cases Cited: Bellevarde Constructions Pty Ltd v CPC Energy Pty Ltd [2011] 12 DCLR (NSW) 304 Boyce v McIntyre [2009] NSWCA 185 Clare v Australian Community Pharmacy Authority [2015] FCA 653 Colbron v Freeman [2014] NSWSC 1210 Commissioner for Australian Capital Territory Revenue v Alphaone Pty Ltd (1994) 127 ALR 699 Griffith v Australian Broadcasting Corporation [2013] NSWSC 750 Legal Services Commissioner v Wright [2012] 2 Qd R 360 Meads v Meads [2012] ABQB 571 SAS Trustee Corporation v Woollard [2014] NSWCA 75 Thurai Rajah Lawyers v Villanueva & Anor [2001] NSWSC 596 Wende v Horwath (No 2) [2015] NSWCA 416 Wentworth v Rogers [2006] NSWCA 145 Texts Cited: M Brabazon SC, "Legal Costs: Solicitors' Relations with Counsel and Clients" (NSW Bar Association, 2010) G E Dal Pont, "Law of Costs"(3rd ed., 2013, LexisNexis) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Plaintiff: Ronald Coshott Defendant: Keith Robert Spencer Representation: Counsel: Plaintiff: Mr O Jones Defendant: Mr R P V Carey