CALIFORNIA FAMILY LAW
...Attorney Fees
......Claimants/Interveners/Joinder
.........May be Ordered to Pay Fees
8 Cards On This Topic:
  • Court may order fees paid by claimant or intervener to extent that they are reasonably necessary to maintain or defend action on issues relating to that party.
  • A spouse does not need to show bad faith of trustee to get an award of attorney's fees against a spendthrift trust.
  • Third parties may be ordered to pay reasonable fees related to that party; the requesting spouse need not show a likelihood of success—only that the request is not specious.
  • Trial court may award attorney fees pendente lite under FC 2030 against joined W2, regardless of whether W1 could show she was likely to prevail or whether there was a prima facie case linking W2 to dissolution proceeding issues.
  • Grandmother who joined divorce to seek custody may have to pay for C's court-appointed attorney fees and F's fees to defend against her claims, but not for C's counseling.
  • Intervening/claimant nonspouse in divorce litigation can be ordered to pay attorney fees re issues relating to that nonspouse; court must consider ability to pay in making award.
  • Law unclear as to whether joinder of company justified so as to make it a third party potentially liable for attorney fees.
  • Award of $100,000 pendente lite attorney fees from third parties affirmed.