Overview

This webinar provides a practical review of key 2025 cases in which litigants (and sometimes their lawyers) have fallen foul of the rules. It highlights where parties have required relief from sanctions and examines the consequences that followed.

The session also explores the practical steps lawyers can take to prevent these issues arising in their own practices, ensuring better compliance and reducing exposure to wasted costs risks.

Learning outcomes

By attending this webinar, delegates will gain:

• An understanding of when and why wasted costs orders are made against solicitors and counsel
• Insight into whether such orders could have been avoided
• Awareness of the consequences of serving documents late
• Key lessons from cases involving late service of skeleton arguments
• Understanding of the implications of serving Particulars of Claim late
• Guidance on the risks associated with late filing of an acknowledgement of service
• Knowledge of when pleadings may be struck out and the approach to relief from sanctions
• Awareness of the costs consequences of breaching a peremptory order
• Insight into why a £1 million claim was automatically struck out and not reinstated
• Understanding of why relief from sanctions was refused when a costs budget was served late
• Lessons from cases involving failure to serve witness evidence on time
• Why the court refused to adjourn an application to allow a claimant to seek relief from sanctions