If there is more than one paying party, the receiving party has no right to a default costs certificate if one or more of the paying parties serves points of dispute. However, the paying parties who serve points of dispute late or who fail to serve them at all have no right to be heard at the subsequent detailed assessment unless the court gives permission (CPR 47.9 and CPR 47.14).

The default costs certificate procedure does not apply to costs of a party funded by legal aid, costs payable out of a fund other than the Legal Aid Fund, or costs to be assessed pursuant to an order under Part III of the Solicitors Act 1974.