168. (1) Subject to the provisions of this Part, a court may, on application by a party to civil proceedings, at any stage in, and from time to time during, those proceedings—

(a) order that a party to the proceedings pay the costs of or incidental to the proceedings of one or more other parties to the proceedings, or

(b) where proceedings before the court concern the estate of a deceased individual, or the property of a trust, order that the costs of or incidental to the proceedings of one or more parties to the proceedings be paid out of the property of the estate or trust.

(2) Without prejudice to subsection (1), the order may include an order that a party shall pay—

(a) a portion of another party’s costs,

(b) costs from or until a specified date, including a date before the proceedings were commenced,

(c) costs relating to one or more particular steps in the proceedings,

(d) where a party is partially successful in the proceedings, costs relating to the successful element or elements of the proceedings, and

(e) interest on costs from or until a specified date, including a date before the judgment.

(3) Nothing in this Part shall be construed as—

(a) restricting any right of action for the tort of maintenance, or

(b) restricting any right of a trustee, mortgagee or other person, existing on the day on which this section commences, to be paid costs out of a particular estate or fund to which he or she would be entitled under any rule of law or equity.