How is the value of a claim calculated under CPR 16.3(6)?

• A. The value includes interest accumulated and the legal costs in pursuing the claim.
• B. The value is calculated by multiplying the claimed amount by a fixed factor.
• C. The value is its financial worth disregarding interest accumulated, the legal costs in pursuing the claim, the costs involved in pursuing any counterclaim, and any amount for contributory negligence.
• D. The value ignores any contributory negligence.

Answer: (C)

CPR 16.3(6) defines the value of a claim as its financial worth, disregarding certain extras that can distort the true size of the claim. Specifically, you take the amount the claimant seeks and do not add or include interest that has accrued, the legal costs of pursuing the claim, the costs involved in pursuing any counterclaim, or any amount arising from contributory negligence. This keeps the value focused on the core sum claimed, not on litigation expenses or potential reductions due to negligence.

This matters because it standardizes how cases are categorized and budgeted, using the actual claim amount rather than a total that would include costs or offsets. For example, if the claim amount is £60,000, even if there could be £5,000 of interest and £8,000 of costs, or a £7,000 contributory negligence reduction, those figures are not included in the value under this rule. The same applies to any counterclaim costs—the value remains the base claimed amount.