Rule 68 Allowance and Award of Attorney Fees and Costs and Disbursements

A Definitions. As used in this rule:

A(1) Attorney Fees. “Attorney fees” are the reasonable value of legal services related to the prosecution or defense of an action.

A(2) Costs and Disbursements. “Costs and disbursements” are reasonable and necessary expenses incurred in the prosecution or defense of an action, other than for legal services, and include the filing fee; fees of officers; the statutory fees for witnesses under ORS 305.492; the expense of publication of summonses or notices, and the postage where the same are served by mail; the expense of copying of any public record, book, or document admitted into evidence at trial; recordation of any document where recordation is required to give notice of the creation, modification, or termination of an interest in real property; a reasonable sum paid a person for executing any bond, recognizance, undertaking, stipulation, or other obligation therein; and any other expense specifically allowed by agreement, by these rules, or by any other rule or statute. The court, acting in its sole discretion, may allow as costs reasonable expenses incurred by a party for interpreter services. The expense of taking depositions shall not be allowed, even though the depositions are used at trial, except as otherwise provided by rule or statute.

B Allowance of Costs and Disbursements. In any action, costs and disbursements shall be allowed to the prevailing party unless these rules or any other rule or statute direct that in the particular case costs and disbursements shall not be allowed to the prevailing party or shall be allowed to some other party, or unless the court otherwise directs. If, under a special provision of these rules or any other rule or statute, a party has a right to recover costs, that party shall also have a right to recover disbursements.

C Award of and Entry of Judgment for Attorney Fees and Costs and Disbursements.

C(1) Application of This Section to Award of Attorney Fees. If a party believes that it is entitled to an award of attorney fees, it may plead that right, but is not required to do so unless a statute requires pleading of the claim.

C(2) RESERVED (ORCP SUBSECTION NOT ADOPTED)

C(3) Proof. The items of attorney fees or costs and disbursements shall be submitted in the manner provided by subsection C(4) of this rule, without proof being offered during the trial.

C(4) Procedure for Seeking Attorney Fees or Costs and Disbursements. The procedure for seeking attorney fees or costs and disbursements shall be as specified in this subsection.

C(4)(a) Filing and Serving Statement of Attorney Fees and Costs and Disbursements. A party seeking attorney fees or costs and disbursements must, not later than 14 days after entry of a judgment pursuant to TCR 67:

C(4)(a)(i) File with the court a signed and detailed statement containing all information found in the form set forth in Form 5.080 – Statement for Attorney Fees, Costs, and Disbursements for UTCR 5.080 in the OJD Forms Center at https://www.courts.oregon.gov/forms/Documents/StatementAttyFees.pdf of the amount of attorney fees or costs and disbursements that explains the application of any factors that ORS 305.490, ORS 20.105, ORS 20.075 or any other statute or rule requires or permits the court to consider in awarding or denying attorney fees or costs and disbursements, together with proof of service, if any, in accordance with TCR 9; and

C(4)(a)(ii) Serve, in accordance with TCR 9, a copy of the statement on all parties who are not in default for failure to appear.

C(4)(b) Filing and Serving Objections. A party may object to a statement seeking attorney fees or costs and disbursements or any part thereof by a written objection to the statement. The objection and supporting documents, if any, shall be filed and served within 14 days after service on the objecting party of a copy of the statement. The objection shall be specific and may be founded in law or in fact and shall be deemed controverted without further pleading. The objecting party may present affidavits, declarations, and other evidence relevant to any factual issue, including any factors that ORS 20.075 or any other statute or rule requires or permits the court to consider in awarding or denying attorney fees or costs and disbursements.

C(4)(c) Response to Objections. The party seeking an award of attorney fees may file a response to an objection filed pursuant to paragraph C(4)(b) of this rule. The response and supporting documents, if any, shall be filed and served within 7 days after service of the objection. The response shall be specific and may address issues of law or fact. The party seeking attorney fees may present affidavits, declarations, and other evidence relevant to any factual issue, including any factors that ORS 305.490, ORS 20.105, ORS 20.075 or any other statute or rule requires or permits the court to consider in awarding or denying attorney fees or costs and disbursements.

C(4)(d) Amendments and Enlargements of Time.

C(4)(d)(i) Amendments; Supplements. Statements, objections, and responses may be amended or supplemented in accordance with TCR 23.

C(4)(d)(ii) Discretion Related to Time of Filing. The court may, in its discretion and upon any terms that may be just, allow a statement, an objection, or a response to be filed and served after the time specified in paragraph C(4)(a), C(4)(b), or C(4)(c) of this rule, or by an order enlarge such time.

C(4)(e) Hearing on objections. No hearing shall be held and the court may rule on the request for attorney fees based upon the statement, objection, response, and any accompanying affidavits or declarations unless a party has requested a hearing in the caption of the objection or response or unless the court sets a hearing on its own motion.

C(4)(e)(i) How Determined. If a hearing is requested, the court, shall hear and determine all issues of law and fact raised by the objection.

C(4)(e)(ii) Court’s Ruling. The court shall deny or award in whole or in part the amounts sought as attorney fees or costs and disbursements.

C(4)(f) No Timely Objections. If objections are not timely filed, the court may award attorney fees or costs and disbursements sought in the statement.

C(4)(g) Findings and Conclusions. On the request of a party, the court shall make special findings of fact and state its conclusions of law on the record regarding the issues material to the award or denial of attorney fees. A party must make a request pursuant to this paragraph by including a request for findings and conclusions in the caption of the statement of attorney fees or costs and disbursements, objection, or response filed pursuant to paragraph C(4)(a), C(4)(b), or

C(4)(c) of this rule. In the absence of a request under this paragraph, the court may make either general or special findings of fact and may state its conclusions of law regarding attorney fees.

C(5) Judgment Concerning Attorney Fees or Costs and Disbursements.

C(5)(a) As Part of Judgment. If all issues regarding attorney fees or costs and disbursements are decided before entry of a judgment pursuant to TCR 67, the court shall include any award or denial of attorney fees or costs and disbursements in that judgment.

C(5)(b) After Entry of a Judgment.

C(5)(b)(i) After Entry of a General or Supplemental Judgment. If any issue regarding attorney fees or costs and disbursements is not decided before entry of a general or supplemental judgment pursuant to TCR 67, any award or denial of attorney fees or costs and disbursements shall be made by supplemental judgment.

C(5)(b)(ii) After Entry of a Limited Judgment. Attorney fees or costs and disbursements may be awarded or denied following entry of a limited judgment if the court determines that there is no just reason for delay. In such cases, any award or denial of attorney fees or costs and disbursement shall be made by limited judgment.

C(6) Avoidance of Multiple Collection of Attorney Fees and Costs and Disbursements.

C(6)(a) Separate Judgments for Separate Claims. If more than one judgment is entered in an action, the court shall take any steps that are necessary to avoid the multiple taxation of the same attorney fees or costs and disbursements in those judgments.

C(6)(b) Separate Judgments for the Same Claim. If more than one judgment is entered for the same claim (when separate actions are brought for the same claim against several parties who might have been joined as parties in the same action or, when pursuant to TCR 67 B, separate limited judgments are entered against several parties for the same claim), attorney fees or costs and disbursements may be entered in each judgment as provided in this rule, but satisfaction of one judgment bars recovery of attorney fees or costs and disbursements included in all other judgments.

C(7) [RESERVED (ORCP SUBSECTION NOT ADOPTED)] TCR amended Jan 1, 2023, Jan 1, 2026.