When must disclosure of costs be provided under Part 3.4?

• A. Only after the matter is completed
• B. Before, or as soon as practicable after engagement
• C. Only if requested by the client
• D. At the first court hearing

Answer: (B)

The main point is that clients must be told about the likely costs of the service at a point where they can make informed decisions about proceeding. Under Part 3.4, you should provide disclosure of costs before engaging the matter, or as soon as practicable after you take on instructions. This timing ensures the client knows how fees will be calculated, what the approximate range of costs might be, and what charges to expect, so they can assess affordability and obtain consent before incurring significant expenses.

Providing this information before engagement is ideal because it supports informed consent and budgeting from the outset. If you can’t finalize the exact figure right away, you still need to give a clear provisional estimate and outline the charging basis, with a plan for updating the client as the matter progresses. This approach avoids surprising the client with a bill later and aligns with the ethical obligation to be transparent about costs.

Disclosing only after the matter is completed, or only upon request, or waiting until the first court hearing would defeat the purpose of early transparency and could lead to disputes or lack of informed consent.