Opinion ID: 1493723
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Award of Costs and Fees

Text: [¶ 23] The grandparents argue that the court acted beyond its discretion in granting Patricia's motion for costs and fees without holding a hearing or requesting them to submit a financial affidavit. The court acted pursuant to former 19-A M.R.S.A. § 1803(6) (1998), which provided: 6. Costs and fees. The court may award costs, including reasonable attorney's fees, for defending or prosecuting actions under this chapter. Subsection (6) was repealed, effective September 17, 2005, and replaced by new 19-A M.R.S. § 105(1) (2005), which provides a general grant of authority to the court to award attorney fees and costs, after an opportunity for hearing, in any action arising under title 19-A. P.L.2005, ch. 323, §§ 1, 13. [8] [¶ 24] When authorized by statute, the decision whether to award attorney fees is committed to the sound discretion of the trial court. Dargie v. Dargie, 2001 ME 127, ¶ 30, 778 A.2d 353, 360. Such an award should be based on all relevant factors, including the relative capacity of the parties to absorb the costs of litigation. Id. ¶ 31, 778 A.2d at 360. Here the grandparents contend that the court abused that discretion by failing to give them an adequate opportunity to contest the allegations in Patricia's affidavit or to offer their own financial information. As described above, at the hearing the court stated that it was deferring consideration of Patricia's motion for costs and fees until the final hearing, if there was one, and did not respond to the suggestion of the grandparents' attorney that they be given two weeks to submit financial information. As Patricia points out, the grandparents could have submitted an affidavit without waiting for an explicit invitation from the court. After the hearing, however, they could have reasonably believed that it was unnecessary to do so at that point because the court would not grant the motion without giving them some further notice, either that it would hold an additional hearing or that it would decide the question without a hearing. See McCain Foods, Inc. v. Gervais, 657 A.2d 782, 784 (Me.1995). [¶ 25] In these circumstances, where there was at least a misunderstanding concerning the opportunity of the grandparents to oppose Patricia's motion for costs and fees, we will vacate the court's order granting the motion and remand for reconsideration, including consideration of the costs and fees incurred by Patricia in successfully defending this appeal. On remand the court should give the parties an opportunity to submit additional affidavits and for a hearing as provided by the newly-adopted section 105(1). The entry is: Judgment of dismissal affirmed. Order on costs and fees vacated. Remanded for further consideration of costs and fees.