Costs order
Updated 2026-09-29
A costs order is a court decision on who pays the legal costs of a case, or part of it, and how much. In Malaysia, costs generally follow the outcome, meaning the losing party is often ordered to pay a portion of the winning party’s costs.
This does not usually cover the full amount actually spent on legal fees. Courts typically award costs based on a scale or their own assessment, which can be lower than the real cost incurred.
In a scam claim, a costs order can offset some of the expense of pursuing a case, but recovering the costs award itself still depends on the paying party’s ability to pay, similar to any other judgment debt.
When it matters
Costs orders are one factor in weighing the overall cost and benefit of pursuing a civil claim through to trial.
Read next
APK scam: what to do right now
If you installed an app from a link and your phone or banking now looks wrong, here is what to do in the next few minutes to limit the damage.
Read thisBusiness email compromise: what to do
A supplier or director email asked you to pay a changed bank account. Here is how business email compromise works and the fastest response.
Read thisCrypto scam: what you can do
If a crypto exchange or wallet blocks your withdrawal after you met the operator on a chat app, here is how to trace what happened and what to do next.
Read thisWhat to do right after a scam
If you just realised you sent money to a scam, here is the order of first actions: stop paying, call your bank, call 997, and report it.
Read this