How have courts dealt with costs in a matrimonial proceeding where the parties settled all issues except costs?

Ontario, Canada


The following excerpt is from Michelle Upton v Randolph Harris, 2016 ONSC 2891 (CanLII):

Notwithstanding these difficulties, some courts have awarded costs in cases where the parties settled all issues except costs. In O’Brien v. O’Brien, 2009 CanLII 64829, Taylor J. did determine the costs of a matrimonial proceeding that settled all issues by consent but reserved the issue of costs to be determined by the court. He approached this task with some caution, and determined that the most important factor for him to determine was the reasonableness and timeliness of the parties’ respective settlement offers. He stated at paras. 8 and 9: The parties wisely chose to settle their differences in order to avoid a trial. The one issue that they were unable to totally resolve was the issue of costs which they agreed to submit to a judge for determination. Notwithstanding the position taken by both parties, I decline to go behind the freely negotiated terms of settlement and engage in an exercise of determining which party's position on each issue I would have accepted had I been the trial judge. Counsel for both parties also made lengthy and detailed submissions about how unreasonable the other party was during the course of the litigation. While the reasonableness of the conduct of parties is a consideration pursuant to Rule 25 of the Family Law Rules, it is only one consideration and in my view is not the most important consideration. In my opinion, the most important factor in determining both entitlement to and quantum of costs is the reasonableness and timeliness of the parties' respective settlement offers.

Other Questions


If the parties cannot agree on the issue of costs in a personal injury action, can the parties make written submissions to the Respondent to the Application to the Court of Appeal? (Ontario, Canada)
If a successful party accepts an offer to settle, can the successful party be ordered to pay all or part of the unsuccessful party’s costs? (Ontario, Canada)
When will the court award costs to a party who was more successful in settling their claim than the other party? (Ontario, Canada)
Can issue estoppel prevent parties from re-litigating issues previously decided in another court proceeding? (Ontario, Canada)
Can a court award costs to a party who was more successful on an overall global basis than the other party on a global basis? (Ontario, Canada)
When will a court order that the parties of a child separation action be liable for the costs of the children's separation costs? (Ontario, Canada)
Can a court award costs to a party who was more successful on an overall global basis than the other party? (Ontario, Canada)
Is it an abuse of the court’s process for a party to bring multiple legal proceedings against the same party in the same matter? (Ontario, Canada)
How is the Court apportioned costs on the issue of Successful Party Behaving Unreasonably on the Motion to Change the Rules of Appeal? (Ontario, Canada)
In a condominium corporation action, can the court award only partial indemnity costs or no costs to the successful party? (Ontario, Canada)
X



Alexi white


"The most advanced legal research software ever built."

Trusted by top litigators from across North America.