Following an 11‑day family law trial primarily concerning ownership of a barn and chicken production quotas registered in the respondent’s name, the court determined costs.
The respondent had been successful on the principal property issues, which drove the length and expense of the litigation, while the applicant had advanced a hard-line position seeking ownership of those assets.
The court considered Rule 24 of the Family Law Rules and assessed the parties’ conduct, complexity of issues, time spent, and reasonableness of positions.
Although the respondent sought substantial indemnity costs exceeding $233,000, the court limited recovery to partial indemnity due to non‑compliance with Rule 18 concerning offers to settle.
After reducing certain legal accounts for duplication of work, the court ordered the applicant to pay costs of $123,884.40.
