Collins v. Collins, (1999) 256 A.R. 311 (QB)

• Judge: Marceau, J.
• Court: Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta (Canada)
• Case Date: September 23, 1999
• Citations: (1999), 256 A.R. 311 (QB)

Collins v. Collins (1999), 256 A.R. 311 (QB)

MLB headnote and full text

Temp. Cite: [1999] A.R. TBEd. OC.013

Alan Ross Collins (respondent) v. Laura Lee Collins (applicant)

(Action No. 4803-039147)

Indexed As: Collins v. Collins

Alberta Court of Queen's Bench

Judicial District of Edmonton

Marceau, J.

September 23, 1999.

Summary:

A successful, at times unrepresented, applicant for corollary relief in a divorce matter sought solicitor and client costs from the respondent, whose profession was law­yer.

The Alberta Court of Queen's Bench allowed the application in part.

Editor's note: See 221 A.R. 111.

Practice - Topic 6986

Costs - Entitlement - Bars - Litigant acting on own behalf - A successful, at times unrepresented, applicant for corollary relief in a divorce matter sought solicitor and client costs from the respondent - The Alberta Court of Queen's Bench held that the applicant was entitled to costs - See paragraphs 7 to 13.

Practice - Topic 7452

Costs - Solicitor and client costs - En­titlement to solicitor and client costs - Neglect or misconduct - A successful, at times unrepresented, applicant for corollary relief in a divorce matter sought solicitor and client costs from the respondent, whose profession was lawyer - The appli­cant alleged that the respondent refused to attend examinations for discovery; failed to comply with undertakings; failed to dis­close the documents required to determine support payments; provided inaccurate and incomplete information in his affidavits, at examination and in his undertakings; and threatened to have her tried for perjury - Because the respondent was not cooper­ative with the applicant in the discovery process, the applicant submitted that he caused unnecessary litigation which forced her to spend considerable funds to collect maintenance from him - Furthermore, the applicant alleged that the respondent also caused considerable expense to the judicial system in prolonging the entire process - The Alberta Court of Queen's Bench allowed the application in part where the applicant was also partly to blame for the lengthiness of the litigation - See para­graphs 14 to 30.

Cases Noticed:

London Scottish Benefit Society v. Chorley (1884), 13 Q.B.D. 872; [1881-1885] All E.R. 1111 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 7].

Buckland v. Watts, [1970] 1 Q.B. 27; [1969] 2 All E.R. 985 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 7].

R. v. Hamburg American Packet Co. (1907), 39 S.C.R. 621, consd. [para. 7].

Columbia Trust Co. v. Drew (Duell) et al. (1988), 21 B.C.L.R.(2d) 384 (S.C.), refd to. [para. 7].

Johnston v. Law Society of Prince Edward Island (1987), 67 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 3; 206 A.P.R. 3; 44 D.L.R.(4th) 533 (P.E.I. Gen. Div.), refd to. [para. 7].

Kuhr v. Pearlman (1989), 59 Man.R.(2d) 78 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 7].

Skidmore et al. v. Blackmore (1995), 55 B.C.A.C. 191; 90 W.A.C. 191; 2 B.C.L.R.(3d) 201 (C.A.), consd. [para. 8].

Kendall v. Hunt (No. 2) (1979), 16 B.C.L.R. 295 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 8].

Fellowes, McNeil v. Kansa General International Insurance Co. et al. (1997), 49 O.T.C. 339; 37 O.R.(3d) 464 (Gen. Div.), consd. [para. 9].

Khokhar v. Blackburn et al. (1993), 146 A.R. 69; 13 Alta. L.R.(3d) 223 (Q.B.), consd. [para. 10].

Anderson Estate Re, [1998] A.R. Uned. 340 (Surr. Ct.), consd. [para. 11].

Simcoe v. Cornelssen, [1996] A.R. No. 1285 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 11].

Merchant Retail Services Ltd. v. Baloun (1996), 188 A.R. 63; 39 Alta. L.R.(3d) 174 (Q.B.), consd. [para. 11].

Barke v. Calgary (City), [1998] A.R. Uned. 734 (Q.B.), consd. [para. 11].

Mobil Oil v. Canadian Superior Oil Ltd. & Nielsen (1979), 20 A.R. 111; 105 D.L.R.(3d) 355 (Q.B.), consd. [para. 16].

Evaskow v. International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Shipbuilders, Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers (1969), 71 W.W.R.(N.S.) 565 (Man. C.A.), refd to. [para. 16].

Moore v. Edmonton (City) et al. (1997), 202 A.R. 81 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 16].

Haggart Construction Ltd. et al. v. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce et al. (1998), 213 A.R. 241 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 16].

Jackson and Parkview Holdings Ltd. v. Trimac Industries Ltd. et al. (1993), 138 A.R. 161; 8 Alta. L.R.(3d) 403 (Q.B.), consd. [para. 16].

Young v. Young et al., [1993] 4 S.C.R. 3; 160 N.R. 1; 34 B.C.A.C. 161; 56 W.A.C. 161; [1993] 8 W.W.R. 513; 108 D.L.R.(4th) 193, consd. [para. 16].

Fletcher v. Fletcher (1993), 1 R.F.L.(4th) 117 (Ont. U.F.C.), consd. [para. 18].

Mitchell v. Mitchell (1992), 103 Sask.R. 278 (Q.B.), consd. [para. 18].

Qually v. Qually (1988), 18 R.F.L.(3d) 69 (Sask. C.A.), consd. [para. 18].

Vance v. Vance (1981), 128 D.L.R.(3d) 109 (B.C.S.C.), consd. [para. 18].

Uram v. Uram, [1983] B.C.J. No. 6 (C.A.), consd. [para. 18].

Gardner v. Gardner (1996), 195 A.R. 393 (Q.B.), consd. [para. 18].

Cordwell v. Cordwell, [1996] A.J. No. 1127 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 24].

Osborne v. Pinno and Milligan (1997), 208 A.R. 363; 56 Alta. L.R.(3d) 404 (Q.B.), consd. [para. 26].

Parkridge Homes Ltd. v. Anglin, [1996] A.J. No. 768 (Q.B.), consd. [para. 26].

Authors and Works Noticed:

Burgess, Marci, No Good Reason Not To: Awarding Costs to the Successfully Unrepresented Litigant (1998), 21 Advocates Q. 119 [para. 7].

Law Society of Alberta, Code of Pro­fessional Conduct, c. 1, Commentary G.1 and rule 3, pp. 1 and 2 [para. 27]; c. 15, Statement of Principle, rule 2, Commen­tary G.1, Commentary on rule 2, pp. 165, 166, 168 [para. 26].

Orkin, The Law of Costs (2nd Ed. 1998) (Looseleaf), pp. 2-18 to 2-21 [para. 7].

Counsel:

A.R. Ferguson Switzer, for the applicant;

P.G. Lister, Q.C., for the respondent.

This application was heard by Marceau, J., of the Alberta Court of Queen's Bench, Judicial District of Edmonton, who delivered the following decision on September 23, 1999.