Costs Schedule (N260): pseudonymise fee-earner and client details before submission – UK GDPR-compliant anonymisation
The Statement of Costs (N260) filed on summary assessment names the solicitor's fee earners, clients, and sometimes third-party funders, all of whom have personal-data interests; anonym.legal pseudonymises fee-earner names and client identifiers in draft N260s circulated for internal costs-review, preserving the billing narrative and time entries.
When this applies
Applies when a solicitor is preparing a draft N260 Statement of Costs for internal review before filing, or when sharing costs information with costs counsel, and wishes to limit internal exposure of fee-earner or client personal data.
How anonym.legal handles it
- Upload the draft N260 Statement of Costs in DOCX, PDF, or spreadsheet format.
- Configure the party-names allow-list to retain the firm name and counsel's name in clear if required.
- anonym.legal pseudonymises fee-earner names, client names, and any third-party-funder references.
- Time entries, rates, disbursements, and totals are preserved in full.
- A reversible mapping is stored with EU data residency.
- Re-identify from the mapping key before filing the N260 with the court.
What you provide
- Draft N260 Statement of Costs (DOCX, PDF, or XLSX)
- Party-names allow-list (if certain names should be retained in clear)
Limitations & cautions
- The N260 filed with the court must contain accurate and complete information — always re-identify before submission.
- anonym.legal does not review the accuracy of the costs claimed, applicable rates, or compliance with the applicable Practice Direction on Costs.
FAQ
Does anonym.legal support spreadsheet format N260s?
XLSX and CSV formats are supported alongside DOCX and PDF. Formulae and cell references in spreadsheets are preserved; only personal-identifier text content is pseudonymised.
Can I share the pseudonymised N260 with a costs draftsman?
Yes — a pseudonymised N260 is appropriate for sharing with a costs draftsman for review. Ensure the draftsman is aware that the filed version must be re-identified.
Are disbursement entries (counsel's fees, expert fees) pseudonymised?
Named recipients of disbursements — such as counsel or experts — are pseudonymised unless added to the party-names allow-list.