The most efficient way of Assessing Costs that you will ever find!
HOW IT WORKS WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOWCyberChamber is a cutting-edge legal technology company based in Queensland, Australia. Our founders bring together extensive expertise in Law, Adjudication, Arbitration, and IT Engineering, creating a synergy of legal and technological excellence.
Our Costs Assessment Technology, subject to an Australian Patent Application (IP Rights No. 2023255042), is engineered for seamless use across multiple jurisdictions. We have the capability to tailor and optimize our technology to comply with procedural rules in any jurisdiction, including arbitral rules, across states, territories, countries, or institutions.
While our roots are in Queensland, we are gearing up to launch our Costs Assessment Application in the Sunshine State as our initial step. Stay tuned for more updates on our innovative legal solutions.
We’re pleased to announce that we do not charge Queensland Costs Assessors or Arbitrators for using our Costs Assessment Application.
Our commitment stems from our broader array of legal technologies designed for use by the legal profession both in Australia and internationally.
Our revenue model allows us to offer the Cost Assessment Application completely free of charge and without any hidden conditions to our Queensland practitioners initially.
This is just the beginning of our journey to support legal professionals in Queensland and beyond.
Solicitor-Client costs necessitate striking a balance between the client’s right to scrutinize their lawyer’s bills and the lawyer’s entitlement to fair compensation for their services.
We recognize that less experienced clients may be susceptible to experiencing ‘bill shock’ when presented with their lawyer’s fees, prompting them to seek an assessment of these fees.
However, it’s possible that the Costs Assessor may ultimately determine that the lawyer’s fees are indeed ‘fair and reasonable’. Consequently, these clients could find themselves responsible for covering both the costs of the assessment and their lawyer’s original fees.
With our time-saving technology, CyberChamber aims to mitigate the costs associated with assessments, potentially reducing the financial burden on clients.
Conversely, if the Costs Assessor determines that the lawyer should bear the costs of the assessment, CyberChamber can also assist in minimizing the extent of the lawyer’s liability.
Party-Party costs often mark the final battlefield in litigation, and the expenses associated with a Party-Party Costs Assessment can be significant. In such assessments, the Costs Assessor must determine the party responsible for bearing these costs.
CyberChamber’s innovative Costs Assessment Technology is geared towards reducing the expenses involved in these assessments. For the party obligated to cover the costs of the assessment, CyberChamber aims to minimize their financial liability.
Our QLD Costs Assessment Application addresses several concerns raised by the judiciary, including the timely provision of a Costs Assessor’s adjustments or written reasons as mandated by UCPR rules 737A and 738, respectively. Additionally, it addresses the issue of the Costs Assessor’s fees for providing written reasons and ensures the adequacy of these reasons.
By enhancing the quality and efficiency of Party-Party Costs Assessments, CyberChamber aims to decrease the likelihood of subsequent reviews of the Costs Assessor’s work, facilitating a clearer understanding of the reasons behind the allocation of costs.
Furthermore, while Cost Assessors are unable to charge for the preparation of ‘adjustments’ under UCPR 737, our Costs Assessment Application can generate this document instantly with just the click of a button.
Our Costs Assessment Application is relevant to QLD Arbitrators due to the provisions in the Commercial Arbitration Act 2013 (QLD), which empower the Arbitral Tribunal to “tax or settle” the Costs of the Arbitration (see section 33B(4)). If the Arbitral Tribunal hasn’t handled the costs, the court may assess them (see section 33B(4)).
However, we believe QLD Arbitrators are best suited for this task.
QLD Arbitrators may benefit from taxing the Costs of Arbitration themselves rather than deferring to the courts for several reasons:
- Avoiding additional jurisdictional issues associated with court involvement.
- Eliminating the need for additional drafting according to the UCPR.
- Reducing filing costs, court fees, and assessors’ fees.
- Ensuring consistency with institutional arbitration rules.
- Leveraging the arbitrator’s firsthand knowledge of the arbitration process and reasonable expenses.
- Streamlining the assessment process without the constraints of UCPR.
- Expediting the appointment of the Arbitrator as assessor without potential conflicts or discord between parties.
- Providing transparency in fees, unlike the variance seen with court-approved costs assessors.
- Maintaining agreed-upon limitations on appeals or reviews.
Concerns about confidentiality can be addressed by redacting critical comments to protect sensitive communications made during the Arbitral proceedings.
CyberChamber efficiently manages any Schedule of Costs and automates the compilation and production of Costs Awards at any stage of the Arbitration.
All the time-saving features offered by CyberChamber for Solicitor-Client and Party-Party Costs Assessments are equally applicable to the assessment of Arbitration Costs, whether handled by the Arbitral Tribunal or a court-appointed Costs Assessor under the CAA.
