Is there any precedent for increased costs in a contingency agreement where there has been significant recovery under contingency agreements?

British Columbia, Canada


The following excerpt is from Reilly v. Lynn, 2000 BCSC 1735 (CanLII):

I note as well Lucas v. Hardie, [1998] B.C.J. No. 1079 (B.C.S.C.), in which Edwards, J. stated at paras. 7 and 8: [i]n the absence of any precedent for an award of increased costs in a case where there has been significant recovery under a contingency agreement, I presume the plaintiff was advised at the time she made her agreement that any costs recovered would in all likelihood be considerably less than the fees she had agreed to pay… . There is nothing inherently unjust about the result in this case because the plaintiff agreed to pay fees which were far above costs normally awarded in cases of this kind.

Other Questions


What is the test for a plaintiff to apply for increased costs in a case where there has been significant recovery under a contingency agreement? (British Columbia, Canada)
Is security for costs of an appeal cost more readily than security for trial costs? (British Columbia, Canada)
What is the test for establishing a collateral agreement where the collateral agreement is inconsistent with or contradicts the written agreement? (British Columbia, Canada)
Does the fact that counsel for the successful plaintiff was retained on a contingency fee agreement have any bearing on whether ordinary costs produce a just indemnity? (British Columbia, Canada)
Can a lawyer who entered into a fixed fee agreement with a client without the client signing a written agreement with respect to the amount of money that was deposited into his general account? (British Columbia, Canada)
Can an arbitrator deal with a collective agreement that expressly or inferentially arises out of the collective agreement? (British Columbia, Canada)
What is the onus on a party seeking to set aside an agreement that was entered into the agreement? (British Columbia, Canada)
What is the difference between a contingency fee agreement and a fee-for-service contract? (British Columbia, Canada)
If a plaintiff has not used an item of service in the past, is it appropriate to include that cost in the future cost award? (British Columbia, Canada)
In what circumstances will the husband be ordered to pay costs to the wife for his failure to comply with the rules of court and order the wife to pay solicitor and client costs? (British Columbia, Canada)
X



Alexi white


"The most advanced legal research software ever built."

Trusted by top litigators from across North America.