O'Neill v Williams & anor (costs) [2007] NSWSC 51

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : O'Neill v Williams & anor (costs) [2007] NSWSC 51

HEARING DATE(S) : Written submissions

JUDGMENT DATE : 12 February 2007

JURISDICTION : Equity Division

JUDGMENT OF : Brereton J

DECISION : Plaintiff to pay defendants' costs of applications to bring matter to trial. Save insofar as any other costs order makes provision, defendants otherwise to pay plaintiff's costs of proceedings. Costs orders set off.

CATCHWORDS : COSTS – where plaintiff succeeds in obtaining equitable relief on lesser scale than originally claimed but not pressed at trial – where solicitor certified original claim – where costs increased by plaintiff's failure diligently to prosecute proceedings due to ill-health and frailty

Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW), s 99 LEGISLATION CITED : Legal Profession Act 1987 (NSW), s 198L Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), r 42.1

Beoco Limited v Alfa Laval Co Limited [1995] QB 137 Berbett Pty Ltd v Hansa [1976] VR 385 Donald Campbell & Co Ltd v Pollak [1927] AC 732 Jones v Curling (1884) 13 QBD 262, 272 (Bowen LJ) Laguillo v Haden Engineering Pty Ltd [1978] 1 NSWLR 306 CASES CITED : Milne v Attorney-General (Tas) (1956) 95 CLR 460 O'Neill v Williams [2006] NSWSC 707 Stebercraft Pty Ltd v Sutton "The Sea Pride" (NSWSC, Carruthers J, 31 March 1994, unreported) Waterman v Gerling [2005] NSWSC 1111 Wentworth v Wentworth (NSWCA, Priestley and Clarke JJA and Grove AJA, 21 February 1996, unreported, BC9600213) Wentworth v Wentworth (NSWSC, Young J, 12 December 1994, unreported, BC9403409)