---
title: "Progress report of legal costs incurred"
url: "https://ailawframework.com/precedents/costs-billing-and-litigation-funding/progress-report-of-costs"
type: "precedent"
site: "AI Law Framework"
id: "a42-progress-report-of-costs"
area_id: "A42"
kind: "letter"
ai_level: "yellow"
version: 1
task_ids: ["A42-A20260923-2", "A42-T1-R1"]
law_stated_as_at: "2026-10-22"
---

# Progress report of legal costs incurred

> Written report, given without charge on a reasonable request, of the legal costs incurred to date or since the last bill, with the figures taken from the ledger.

Canonical page: https://ailawframework.com/precedents/costs-billing-and-litigation-funding/progress-report-of-costs  
Law stated as at: 2026-10-22

Site index for agents: https://ailawframework.com/llms.txt

## Key facts

- Kind: Letter. A letter or email you adapt and send.
- Practice area: [Costs, billing & litigation funding](https://ailawframework.com/precedents/costs-billing-and-litigation-funding.md)
- Jurisdictions: New South Wales
- AI level: Yellow. You and the tool draft together, with you directing. You check every statement you rely on.
- Law stated as at: 2026-10-22
- Status: Maintained. Checked on 2026-10-22 against the 4 authorities it cites, for New South Wales.

## When to use it

Use when the client asks for a report of costs incurred. If another law practice retained you on the client's behalf, report to that practice unless it has stopped acting. This is not a bill and it does not start the time for an itemised-bill request.

## Used for these tasks

- [Compare a draft bill to the last costs disclosure and any updates](https://ailawframework.com/obligations/costs-billing-and-litigation-funding/compare-a-draft-bill-to-the-last-costs-disclosure-and-any-updates.md)
- [Draft a costs disclosure from the matter scope and the scale or estimate](https://ailawframework.com/obligations/costs-billing-and-litigation-funding/draft-a-costs-disclosure-from-the-matter-scope-and-the-scale-or-estimate.md)

## How AI may be used

AI may add up the unbilled time and disbursements from the ledger export. A principal checks the total and whether a fresh costs disclosure is required before the report is sent.

**AI may:**

- Total professional fees and disbursements since the last bill from a supplied ledger or time export
- Place the last disclosed estimate next to that total

**AI must not:**

- Must not call the report a bill or ask for payment
- Must not include time that is not on the export
- Must not decide that the request is unreasonable or that the report can wait

**The lawyer checks:**

- The request is reasonable, the report is free, and it is sent within a reasonable period
- The figures match the records and are described as incurred, not as a bill
- If the total is a significant change from the last disclosure, a s 174(1)(b) notice is sent as well

## Authorities

- [Legal Profession Uniform Law (NSW) s 190 (progress report on reasonable request, without charge, within a reasonable period)](https://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/lpul333/s190.html)
- [Legal Profession Uniform Law (NSW) s 174(1)(b) (a report may show that a significant-change disclosure is now required)](https://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/lpul333/s174.html)
- [Statement on the use of artificial intelligence in Australian legal practice (6 December 2024), on charging for work done by staff](https://www.lawsociety.com.au/sites/default/files/2024-12/LS4590_PSP_Statement_AI_LawSocietyVersion.pdf)
- [Victorian Legal Services Board + Commissioner, news item dated 6 December 2024, publishing the joint statement on the use of artificial intelligence in Australian legal practice](https://lsbc.vic.gov.au/news-updates/news/statement-use-artificial-intelligence-australian-legal-practice)

## Full text and drafting notes

The full text and the drafting notes are not part of this public page. Signed-in firm accounts can read them at https://ailawframework.com/precedents/costs-billing-and-litigation-funding/progress-report-of-costs and through the signed-in MCP connector https://ailawframework.com/mcp/firm.

*Practice guidance for planning and review. Confirm current primary sources and the requirements of the actual matter. This is general information, not legal advice.*