Opinion ID: 2244131
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 12

Heading: Time Reasonably Spent

Text: Prevailing counsel are entitled to compensation for all hours reasonably spent unless special circumstances would render an award unjust. ( Vo v. Las Virgenes Municipal Water Dist. (2000) 79 Cal.App.4th 440, 446, 94 Cal.Rptr.2d 143, citing Serrano v. Unruh (1982) 32 Cal.3d 621, 639, 186 Cal.Rptr. 754, 652 P.2d 985.) Time is compensable if it was reasonably expended and is the type of work that would be billed to a client. ( See Hensley v. Eckerhart (1983) 461 U.S. 424, 434, 103 S.Ct. 1933, 76 L.Ed.2d 40.) Here, respondent presented the trial court with adequate time records listing all of the services performed and hours spent for each of the two attorneys who worked on this matter. A review of the time records shows that a total of 61.25 hours were spent on this case. The services consisted entirely of ordinary litigation activities, i.e., correspondences and telephone conferences with opposing counsel, legal research, drafting legal documents, reviewing opposing counsel's filings, and preparation for and attending hearings. None of the services listed in the cost invoice appear to be unusual or extraordinary, and, according to the declaration were all billed to respondent. Thus, the trial court had a reasonable basis to find that the 61.25 hours was time reasonably spent on this matter.