What is a Multiplier in Florida Trust and Estates Litigation?
What is a multiplier in probate litigation? Why should I be familiar with this term if I am involved in a West Palm Beach inheritance lawsuit? What does my probate litigation attorney need to know about multipliers? Can your estate lawyer seek a multiplier? DID your attorney seek a multiplier to get more in attorneys fees? You may want to read a June 1, 2016 Fourth District Court of Appeal (DCA) opinion.
Florida Peninsula Insurance Company v. Wagner
- On June 1, 2016, the Second District Court of Appeal issued an opinion on Florida attorneys fees that any probate litigation law firm should read, especially if they take estate lawsuits in Florida on a contingency fee.
- Likewise, any heir at law, widow, or dis-inherited estate beneficiary Florida who is in the middle of an inheritance lawsuit in Miami Dade or Jupiter may want to read this case on Florida attorneys fees.
- This case deals with attorneys fees, a multiplier on attorneys fees, and how an appellate court reviews an award of attorneys fees by a probate court or a trial court.
- This was not a trust and estates case, but the analysis by the appeals court is very insightful.
- With any attorneys fees in Florida, the court has to make a finding of reasonableness regarding the number of hours expended and the hourly rates.
- Are the number of hours which your probate litigation law firm spent reasonable? And what about the hourly rate?
- What the parties evidentially couldn’t agree to here is whether a multiplier would be applied, and what that multiplier would be.
- If you are involved in a will contest or probate litigation lawsuit Boca Raton, consider whether recovering attorneys fees is possible.
- To read the entire Florida appeal, click here.