Following a family law motion concerning access to children of the marriage, the successful party sought costs on a full recovery basis.
The court considered the factors in Rule 24(11) of the Family Law Rules, including the importance of the issues, the time expended, and the reasonableness of the parties’ conduct.
The court found that the unsuccessful party engaged in egregious and unreasonable conduct that repeatedly frustrated the other parent’s access and marginalized the parental relationship.
Full recovery costs were justified to sanction this conduct.
The court awarded $12,000 in costs and ordered that the award be set off against child support if unpaid by a specified date.
