Going to court can be expensive, and, depending on how long or complicated your case is, you or the other party might have large financial costs. “Costs” in a legal case refers to the lawyer fees, disbursements, taxes, and other expenses taken on by a party when they are making a legal claim, or defending against a claim. In this guide, we explain what costs are and how they work, and how you as a self-represented litigant can either ask for a costs award, or defend against one.
This original draft of this primer was written by lawyer Mallory Allan, and vital feedback was provided by former SRL Jeff Rose-Martland. Our sincere thanks to them both for their invaluable work.
