New South Wales Consolidated Regulations

UNIFORM CIVIL PROCEDURE RULES 2005 - REG 20.26

20.26 Making of offer

(cf SCR Part 22, rules 1A, 2, 3 and 4; DCR Part 19A, rules 1, 2, 2A, 3 and 4; LCR Part 17A, rules 2 and 5)

(1) In any proceedings, any party may, by notice in writing, make an offer to any other party to compromise any claim in the proceedings, either in whole or in part, on specified terms.

(2) An offer under this rule--

(a) must identify--

(i) the claim or part of the claim to which it relates, and

(ii) the proposed orders for disposal of the claim or part of the claim, including, if a monetary judgment is proposed, the amount of that monetary judgment, and

(b) if the offer relates only to part of a claim in the proceedings, must include a statement--

(i) in the case of an offer by the plaintiff, as to whether the balance of the proceedings is to be abandoned or pursued, or

(ii) in the case of an offer by a defendant, as to whether the balance of the proceedings will be defended or conceded, and

(c) must not include an amount for costs and must not be expressed to be inclusive of costs, and

(d) must bear a statement to the effect that the offer is made in accordance with these rules, and

(e) if the offeror has made or been ordered to make an interim payment to the offeree, must state whether or not the offer is in addition to that interim payment, and

(f) must specify the period of time within which the offer is open for acceptance.

(3) An offer under this rule may propose--

(a) a judgment in favour of the defendant--

(i) with no order as to costs, or

(ii) despite subrule (2)(c), with a term of the offer that the defendant will pay to the plaintiff a specified sum in respect of the plaintiff's costs, or

(b) that the costs as agreed or assessed up to the time the offer was made will be paid by the offeror, or

(c) that the costs as agreed or assessed on the ordinary basis or on the indemnity basis will be met out of a specified estate, notional estate or fund identified in the offer.

(4) If the offeror makes an offer before the offeree has been given such particulars of the offeror's claim, and copies or originals of such documents available to the offeror, as are necessary to enable the offeree to fully consider the offer, the offeree may, within 14 days of receiving the offer, give notice to the offeror that--

(a) the offeree is unable to assess the reasonableness of the offer because of the lack of particulars or documents, and

(b) in the event that rule 42.14 applies to the proceedings, the offeree will seek an order of the court under rule 42.14(2).

(5) The closing date for acceptance of an offer--

(a) in the case of an offer made two months or more before the date set down for commencement of the trial--is to be no less than 28 days after the date on which the offer is made, and

(b) in any other case--is to be such date as is reasonable in the circumstances.

(8) Unless the notice of offer otherwise provides, an offer providing for the payment of money, or the doing of any other act, is taken to provide for the payment of that money, or the doing of that act, within 28 days after acceptance of the offer.

(9) An offer is taken to have been made without prejudice, unless the notice of offer otherwise provides.

(10) A party may make more than one offer in relation to the same claim.

(11) Unless the court orders otherwise, an offer may not be withdrawn during the period of acceptance for the offer.

(12) A notice of offer that purports to exclude, modify or restrict the operation of rule 42.14 or 42.15 is of no effect for the purposes of this Division.