Usually parties involved in family law proceedings are required to bear their own costs associated with the proceedings.
However, there are certain circumstances where costs Orders may be granted between parties.
These include (but are not limited to):
Hopeless applications (applications made without merit or hope of success);
Recovery orders for children where there was no merit in the child being withheld;
Appeals (where the other party is wholly unsuccessful);
Where a trial doesn’t proceed due to the other party being underprepared; or
Where an offer is served on the other party during negotiations, and trial proceeds (the other party must obtain a less desirable result than exchanged during the final negotiation).
Even where the above examples apply, it is at the discretion of the Court as to whether to make a Costs Order against another party.  In considering whether to do so, the Court will give consideration to the other party’s means to pay the costs ordered, and whether there is a likelihood of recovering the costs from the other party.