Commonwealth Consolidated Regulations

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FEDERAL COURT RULES 2011 - RULE 40.07

Liability of lawyer to their client for misconduct

  (1)   A party who has reasonable cause to believe that additional costs have been incurred because of the party's lawyer's misconduct, may apply to the Court for an order:

  (a)   that the whole or part of the costs as between the lawyer and the party be disallowed; or

  (b)   if the lawyer is a barrister--that the whole or part of the costs as between the barrister and the barrister's instructing lawyer be disallowed; or

  (c)   that the lawyer pay to the party costs that the party has been ordered to pay to another party; or

  (d)   that the lawyer indemnify any other party against any costs payable by that party.

  (2)   For this rule, a lawyer has engaged in misconduct if:

  (a)   a proceeding or an application is delayed, adjourned or abandoned because of the lawyer's failure:

  (i)   to attend or make arrangements for a proper representative to attend a hearing; or

  (ii)   to file a relevant document; or

  (iii)   to provide the Court or another party with a relevant document; or

  (iv)   to be prepared for a hearing; or

  (v)   to comply with these rules or an order of the Court; or

  (b)   the lawyer:

  (i)   incurs costs improperly or without reasonable cause; or

  (ii)   incurs costs that are unnecessary or wasteful; or

  (iii)   is guilty of undue delay.

Note 1:   Lawyer is defined in the Dictionary.

Note 2:   For the duty of a party's lawyer to assist the party to conduct proceedings in accordance with the overarching purpose of the Act, see section   37N(2) of the Act.

Note 3:   For the power of the Court to order a lawyer to pay costs if the lawyer fails to comply with the duty under section   37N(2) of the Act, see section   37N(4) of the Act.


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