Bankruptcy Act
(Chapter 20, Section 166)
Bankruptcy (Costs) Rules
R 2
G.N. No. S 270/1995

REVISED EDITION 2002
(31st January 2002)
[15th July 1995]
Citation
1.  These Rules may be cited as the Bankruptcy (Costs) Rules.
Rules of Court to apply
2.  Subject to these Rules and any other written law, the provisions of the Rules of Court (Cap. 322, R 5) relating to costs shall apply, with the necessary modifications, to the allowance and taxation of costs in bankruptcy proceedings.
Non-contentious business
3.  Subject to these Rules and any other written law, the Legal Profession Act (Cap. 161) shall apply to a solicitor’s remuneration for non-contentious business in relation to a bankrupt or his estate.
Production of vouchers
4.  A voucher shall be produced on taxation for every payment failing which such payment shall be disallowed.
Where same solicitor is employed for 2 or more persons having same interest
5.—(1)  Where the same solicitor is employed for 2 or more persons having the same interest, and separate papers are delivered, or other proceedings are had by or for 2 or more such persons separately, the Registrar shall consider in the taxation of such solicitor’s bill of costs whether such separate papers or other proceedings were reasonable.
(2)  The Registrar shall allow such part of the costs occasioned thereby as he thinks is reasonable, and any doubts which the Registrar may have as to whether the costs were reasonably incurred shall be resolved in favour of the paying party.
Contents of bill of costs
6.—(1)  Every bill of costs must set out in 3 separate sections details of —
(a)the work done in the cause or matter, except for the taxation of costs;
(b)the work done for and in respect of the taxation of costs; and
(c)all disbursements made in the cause or matter.
(2)  The costs claimed for under paragraph (1)(a) and (b) shall be indicated as one global sum for each section of the bill, while the costs claimed for under paragraph (1)(c) must set out the sum claimed for each item of disbursement.
(3)  Every bill of costs must be headed in the cause or matter to which the bill relates, with the name of the party whose bill it is, and the judgment, direction or order under which the bill is to be taxed, the basis of taxation and whether the bill is to be taxed between party and party or solicitor and client.
(4)  A bill of costs must be endorsed with the name of the solicitor who drew up the bill and the address of his firm.
Costs to be allowed in accordance with Schedule
7.—(1)  Subject to these Rules, costs shall be allowed in the cases to which the Schedule applies in accordance with the provisions of the Schedule unless the court otherwise orders.
(2)  Without prejudice to the generality of paragraph (1), the costs to be allowed to a debtor’s solicitor who has acted for the debtor in the obtaining of a bankruptcy order on a debtor’s petition shall be as provided in the Schedule unless the court, on application by the debtor’s solicitor by way of summons-in-chambers, orders otherwise.
[G.N. No. S 270/95]