A further definition from The (Alternative) Legal Costs Dictionary:

 

Detailed assessment n.  a process whereby a receiving party seeks to recover the cost of work that was not actually performed and the cost of work that was performed but for which there was no need.  In turn, the paying party seeks to argue that the case should have been conducted in half the time, at quarter the cost and by the office cat, if at all.  The process is usually overseen by a court official with no interest in the outcome and no understanding of the rules.  An entirely arbitrary process elevated to a cornerstone of the English legal system.

 

After-the-event (ATE) insurance policy n. a policy of insurance whereby the insurer seeks a large premium in respect of something which the insurer has assessed as carrying little or no risk.  In the unlikely event that a judge prefers the evidence of the defendant to that of the claimant, the insurer will void the policy on the basis of material non-disclosure and refuse to pay out.