Legal Definitions - taxation of costs

Taxation of Costs

Taxation of costs is the process of determining the amount of expenses related to a legal case that the winning party is entitled to receive as compensation.

For example, if a plaintiff wins a lawsuit against a defendant, the plaintiff may be entitled to recover certain expenses incurred during the litigation process, such as court filing fees, deposition costs, and expert witness fees. These expenses are typically referred to as "costs" and are subject to taxation by the court to determine the appropriate amount of compensation.

Another example could be a defendant who successfully defends against a lawsuit. In this case, the defendant may also be entitled to recover certain costs associated with the defense, such as attorney fees and expenses for gathering evidence.

The examples illustrate how taxation of costs works in practice. When a party prevails in a legal case, they may be entitled to recover certain expenses incurred during the litigation process. However, the amount of compensation is not automatically determined. Instead, the court will review the expenses and determine which ones are reasonable and necessary, and then fix the amount of compensation accordingly. This process is known as taxation of costs.