A bill of costs is a detailed list of expenses stemming from or associated with litigation. As such, it is used in cases where reimbursement of court costs is requested. When costs are awarded, this list is used as a tool to determine the extent of the losing party's responsibility for repayment.
Bill of Costs Explained
In some cases, the submission of a bill of costs is a multi-step process:
- To begin with, the successful litigant(s) present the list and supporting documentation to the losing party or parties for review.
- At this point, the losing party or parties may either agree to reimburse the costs as presented, or dispute some or all of them.
- Contesting any or all of the costs results in a formal review by an administrative judge, called a taxation of costs.