The bill revises the award of attorney fees in civil lawsuits, specifically focusing on ensuring that certain awards are reasonable. It establishes detailed requirements for attorney fee award requests, which include providing specific descriptions of tasks performed, billing time in tenths of an hour, and itemizing expenses. The bill also introduces a rebuttable presumption against certain practices, such as sending multiple attorneys to depositions or charging for certain costs like telephone calls and electronic research subscriptions. Additionally, it mandates that courts consider the hourly rate charged by the attorney representing the state when determining the reasonableness of attorney fees.

Furthermore, the bill amends Section 25-10-711 of the Montana Code Annotated to state that the award of costs must also be reasonable and considered under the new requirements established in the bill. It clarifies that the provisions do not apply to claims for attorney fees amounting to less than $10,000 and specifies that the act applies to awards of attorney fees in civil lawsuits pending on or after its effective date.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 25-10-711
SB0039_1(1): 25-10-711
SB0039_1(10): 25-10-711
SB0039_1(2): 25-10-711
SB0039_1(3): 25-10-711
SB0039_1(4): 25-10-711
SB0039_1(5): 25-10-711
SB0039_1(6): 25-10-711
SB0039_1(7): 25-10-711
SB0039_1(8): 25-10-711
SB0039_1(9): 25-10-711
SB0039_1: 25-10-711
SB0039_2(1): 25-10-711
SB0039_2(10): 25-10-711
SB0039_2(11): 25-10-711
SB0039_2(12): 25-10-711
SB0039_2(13): 25-10-711
SB0039_2(2): 25-10-711
SB0039_2(3): 25-10-711
SB0039_2(4): 25-10-711
SB0039_2(5): 25-10-711
SB0039_2(6): 25-10-711
SB0039_2(7): 25-10-711
SB0039_2(8): 25-10-711
SB0039_2(9): 25-10-711
SB0039_2: 25-10-711
SB0039_3(1): 25-10-711
SB0039_3(2): 25-10-711
SB0039_3(3): 25-10-711
SB0039_3(4): 25-10-711
SB0039_3(5): 25-10-711
SB0039_3: 25-10-711
SB0039_4(1): 25-10-711
SB0039_4(10): 25-10-711
SB0039_4(11): 25-10-711
SB0039_4(12): 25-10-711
SB0039_4(13): 25-10-711
SB0039_4(2): 25-10-711
SB0039_4(3): 25-10-711
SB0039_4(4): 25-10-711
SB0039_4(5): 25-10-711
SB0039_4(6): 25-10-711
SB0039_4(7): 25-10-711
SB0039_4(8): 25-10-711
SB0039_4(9): 25-10-711
SB0039_4: 25-10-711
SB0039_X(1): 25-10-711
SB0039_X(10): 25-10-711
SB0039_X(11): 25-10-711
SB0039_X(12): 25-10-711
SB0039_X(2): 25-10-711
SB0039_X(3): 25-10-711
SB0039_X(4): 25-10-711
SB0039_X(5): 25-10-711
SB0039_X(6): 25-10-711
SB0039_X(7): 25-10-711
SB0039_X(8): 25-10-711
SB0039_X(9): 25-10-711
SB0039_X: 25-10-711