Welcome to securityforcosts.com.au, the website of David Topp, Barrister at Law and Costs Assessor in the State of Qld.
As the domain name suggests, security for costs forms a substantial part of both my practice and my legal research interests.
I routinely provide expert evidence on quantifications in support of security for costs applicants; Justice Jackson held, at [32], 'Mr Topp’s opinion is enough to act upon for an application for security, in the circumstances presented for decision in this case' http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/cases/qld/QSC/2020/21.htmlI am a published author; my two separate legal texts, Security for Costs in the State of Queensland and Security for Costs in New South Wales, are now finished and available for purchase from me directly.
Both texts are directed at practitioners. Their focus is squarely on the applicable Uniform Civil Procedure Rules for Queensland and New South Wales and associated case law, which is both relevant and recent.
Otherwise the invitation is extended to all readers of this site to contact me to discuss any security for costs queries you might have.
My practice is not solely devoted to security for costs though. Costs disputes generally (both between solicitor and client and litigant and litigant) along with interlocutory applications on matters of practice and procedure are areas in which I have years of practical experience.
My other broad area of practice is wills & estates litigation.
After undertaking two years of articles of clerkship, I was admitted as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Queensland in January 2002. It was between then and February 2006 (when I began practice at the Queensland Bar) that I developed my areas of interest that are described in this website.
So please do not hesitate to contact me to discuss anything at all related to either security for costs/costs assessing or wills & estates litigation. My contact details are:
David Topp
Barrister-at-Law
Level 4, Bank of New South Wales Chambers
33 Queen Street
Brisbane QLD 4000
Telephone: (07) 3210 6048
Mobile: 0414 660 439
Email: dtopp@qldbar.asn.au