Attorney’s Fees; Statutes and Law In Pennsylvania Updated March 1, 2017 A Guide to Fee-Shifting Rules and Statutes by Clifford A. Rieders, Esquire Rieders, Travis, Humphrey, Waters & Dohrmann 161 W. Third St. Williamsport, PA 17701 P: 570-323-8711 F: 570-567-1025
[email protected] www.riederstravis.com Copyright 2016 Clifford A. Rieders Table of Contents Page Introduction …………………………………………………………………….... 2 Chapter 1: General Concepts Concerning Attorney’s Fees ………………….. 3 1. The “American Rule” ………………………………………………………………............. 3 2. Waiver of Attorney’s Fee; Litigating Under English Rule; Contractual Fee-Shifting Agreements………………………………………………………………………………….. 4 3. Two Broad Categories: (1) Attorney’s Fees Available to One Party Versus Both Parties & (2) “May” Versus “Shall” Provisions ……………………………………………………. 6 4. Prevailing Party ……………………………………………………………………………... 7 5. Equity Power of the Court & Standard of Review ………………………………………….. 8 6. Determining a Reasonable Fee ……………………………………………………………… 9 7. Who May Award Attorney’s Fees ………………………………………………………….. 10 8. Petitioning the Court ………………………………………………………………………... 10 9. Appealability of Attorney’s Fees……………………………………………………………. 11 10. Hearing on Attorney’s Fees; Due Process Requirements ……………………………………11 11. Appellate Review of an Award of Attorney’s Fees ………………………………………… 12 12. Multiple Claims…………………………………………………………………………... …13 13. Sovereign Immunity ………………………………………………………………………... 13 14. Miscellaneous Information …………………………………………………………………. 13 Chapter 2: Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedure