Itemised bills under the Uniform Law: when a client can ask, and what the request changes

A lump sum bill is allowed under the Uniform Law, and a client who receives one can ask for an itemised bill instead. The request has short deadlines on both sides, and it changes the date from which you can sue for the costs.

Lump sum or itemised bill

A bill may be in the form of a lump sum bill or an itemised bill.

Who can ask, and by when

If a bill is given by a law practice in the form of a lump sum bill, any person who is entitled to apply for an assessment of the legal costs to which the bill relates may request the law practice to give the person an itemised bill.

A request for an itemised bill must be made within 30 days after the date on which the legal costs become payable.

The law practice must comply with the request within 21 days after the date on which the request is made in accordance with subsection (2).

Diary both dates when a lump sum bill goes out: the last day a request can arrive, and 21 days from any request that does.

If the person making the request is liable to pay only a part of the legal costs to which the bill relates, the request for an itemised bill may only be made in relation to those costs that the person is liable to pay.

What every bill must carry

Section 192 says "A law practice must ensure that a bill includes or is accompanied by a written statement setting out" two things: "the avenues that are open to the client in the event of a dispute in relation to legal costs", and "any time limits that apply to the taking of any action referred to in paragraph (a)".

Under section 188(1), the bill or its covering letter must either "be signed by a principal of the law practice designated in the bill or letter as the responsible principal for the bill" or "nominate a principal of the law practice as the responsible principal for the bill".

If a principal does not sign or is not nominated as the responsible principal for a bill given by a law practice, each principal of the law practice is taken to be a responsible principal for the bill.

A law practice must not make a charge for preparing or giving a bill, and any charge made for that purpose is not recoverable by the law practice.

How a request moves the recovery date

Section 194(2) says "A law practice must not commence legal proceedings to recover legal costs from a person who has been given a bill until", among other things, "at least 30 days after the later of" two dates: "the date on which the person is given the bill", or "the date on which the person receives an itemised bill following a request made in accordance with section 187".

Because it is the later of the two, an itemised bill given in answer to a request starts that 30 day wait again from the day the client receives it.

Interest and the six month limit

A law practice must not charge interest under this section on unpaid legal costs unless the bill for those costs contains a statement that interest is payable and of the rate of interest.

A law practice must not charge interest under this section or under a costs agreement on a bill given more than 6 months after the completion of the matter.

Section 195(6)(a) makes an exception where "the law practice has provided a lump sum bill within the 6-month period after completion, but the client or an associated third party payer requests an itemised bill outside of the 6-month period". A lump sum bill sent in time protects the interest even if the itemised version is requested later.

The costs assessment window

Under section 198(3), an application for costs assessment "must be made within 12 months after" either "the bill was given to, or the request for payment was made to, the client, third party payer or other law practice", or "the legal costs were paid if neither a bill nor a request was made".

Between bills

A law practice may give a person an interim bill covering part only of the legal services the law practice was retained to provide.

A law practice must give a client, on reasonable request, without charge and within a reasonable period, a written report of the legal costs incurred by the client to date, or since the last bill (if any), in the matter.

This article is general information about the Uniform Law, not legal advice, and does not take account of your practice's circumstances. It quotes the Legal Profession Uniform Law from the Victorian authorised version incorporating amendments as at 11 October 2023, and is current as at 15 September 2026. The Uniform Law applies in New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia; other states and territories have their own legislation. Check the current legislation and the Uniform Rules before relying on any of it.