Looking for help in your family court proceedings?Bridge The Gap is a free, community-built guide to UK family court, written by litigants and McKenzie Friends, for litigants. Real observations, plain English, and people who can help.
Assumption: "If you lose or turn down an offer, the other side can automatically make you pay their costs."
1 min readThis content reflects observational insights and lived community experiences. It does not constitute legal advice — always consult a qualified professional for your specific circumstances.
Court Reality
The general rule in financial remedy cases is no order for costs (Family Procedure Rules, rule 28.3). Costs are the exception, not the default. The court will only order costs where a party's conduct in the litigation justifies it — things like missing deadlines, ignoring court orders, failing to give full disclosure, running up costs on points that don't matter, or unreasonably refusing to engage. Turning down a proposal is not poor conduct in itself.
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The Gap?
"If you lose or turn down an offer, the other side can automatically make you pay their costs."
Court Reality
3). Costs are the exception, not the default.
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