Following a lengthy family law trial, the successful party sought over $234,000 in costs.
The court applied Rules 18 and 24 of the Family Law Rules and considered settlement offers, trial success, litigation conduct, and the reasonableness of the bill of costs.
Although the successful party beat her offer to settle and was entitled to substantial recovery, the court reduced the claimed amount, including reducing junior counsel trial time by 50% for fairness.
The court ultimately fixed costs at $185,000 all-inclusive and ordered that the award be enforced through the Family Responsibility Office as a lump sum spousal support order due to the opposing party’s history of non‑compliance with court orders.
