What is a Bill of Costs - Ontario

In Ontario, a "Bill of Costs" is a document prepared and submitted to the Court when a Judge is about to determine whether a party to a court case should pay court costs to the other.

This document tells the Judge how much work was completed in connection with a step in the case (a motion or a trial, for example) and by whom. The actual amount of time spent will also be included. The Judge will know from the document the names of the lawyers involved and their seniority. The work of Law Clerks and students will also be listed.

Generally speaking, costs are not ordered in connection with Case Management hearings like Case Conferences and Settlement Conferences.

Often, Bills of Costs present two scenarios for the costs requested - Full Indemnity and Partial Indemnity. For factors taken into account by the Court in assessing costs in a family law case, as well as the scale, speak to a family law lawyer.............

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Court Costs in Family Court - Ontario

Ultimately, it is the Judge in Family Court who decides when to order costs. There are, however, some general principles to keep in mind. The winner of a contested step in a court case (for example, a motion or a trial) is more likely to get costs. Settlement proposals (whether in the form prescribed by the Family Law Rules or by letter, for example) will be taken into account by the Judge. If you made a settlement proposal which was as good as or better than what the Judge ordered (we say "your offer beat the order") you are more likely to get court costs. If the other party behaved "unreasonably" in the case, you are more likely to get court costs but be careful, the definition of "unreasonably" may not be an average person's definition of that word.  For more information about costs, when and why they are ordered, seek advice from a lawyer.....