A member of our student research team is conducting a focused research project (supervised by Julie) on SRLs and cost awards. We are seeking input via this short survey which is open to SRLs, as well as all members of the legal profession, including lawyers, courthouse professionals, paralegals, and judges.
At present, a self-represented litigant does not have a clearly defined right to recover costs for their time. However, a successful SRL may be eligible for a cost award at the discretion of the trial judge. This anonymous survey seeks to gauge what SRLs and the legal community think about current practices in relation to awarding costs to SRLs for their time, and how they think this issue should be dealt with in the future.
Please consider sparing a few minutes of your time to help us with this important research:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SRLCOSTS2018
Lidia Imbrogno, NSRLP Senior Research Assistant
Obviously this is not in BC, it is my understanding costs are costs regardless if you are a SRL in British Columbia.
I would suspect most SRL’S have day jobs and they are forced to take time away from their employment and sacrifice family time to be a SRL. I would also think that most SRL’s are not doing so because they have a deep desire to be a lawyer.
I am actually shocked if in fact a SRL is not entitled to costs if they are successful with their Application. Would this not be a form bias, prejudice or discrimination?
There would be no real pressure for a lawyer to settle a matter with a SRL in which they are being unreasonable about if costs couldn’t be awarded against them.
Cheers
Brent