Wisconsin § 425.308 - Reasonable attorney fees.

§ 425.308. Reasonable attorney fees.

425.308(1) (1) If the customer prevails in an action arising from a consumer transaction, the customer shall recover the aggregate amount of costs and expenses determined by the court to have been reasonably incurred on the customer’s behalf in connection with the prosecution or defense of such action, together with a reasonable amount for attorney fees. 425.308(2) (2) The award of attorney fees shall be in an amount sufficient to compensate attorneys representing customers in actions arising from consumer transactions. In determining the amount of the fee, the court may consider: 425.308(2)(a) (a) The time and labor required, the novelty and difficulty of the questions involved and the skill requisite properly to conduct the cause; 425.308(2)(b) (b) The customary charges of the bar for similar services; 425.308(2)(c) (c) The amount involved in the controversy and the benefits resulting to the client or clients from the services; 425.308(2)(d) (d) The contingency or the certainty of the compensation; 425.308(2)(e) (e) The character of the employment, whether casual or for an established and constant client; and 425.308(2)(f) (f) The amount of the costs and expenses reasonably advanced by the attorney in the prosecution or defense of the action. 425.308 History History: 1971 c. 239 ; 1991 a. 316 ; 1993 a. 490 . 425.308 Annotation Attorney fees awarded under this section often far exceed the amount of recovery. First Wisconsin National Bank v. Nicolaou, 113 Wis. 2d 524 , 335 N.W.2d 390 (1983). 425.308 Annotation Awards of attorney fees and costs are limited to instances in which a customer has shown that a creditor has not “fully complied with chs. 421 to 427.” Suburban State Bank v. Squires, 145 Wis. 2d 445 , 427 N.W.2d 393 (Ct. App. 1988). 425.308 Annotation A prevailing party is one who succeeds on any significant issue and is entitled to recover fees relating to successfully litigated issues. Footville State Bank v. Harvell, 146 Wis. 2d 524 , 432 N.W.2d 122 (Ct. App. 1988). 425.308 Annotation Although voluntarily dismissed, prosecution of improperly venued actions violated the consumer act, and the defendants were prevailing parties under this section entitled to attorney fees. Community Credit Plan, Inc. v. Johnson, 228 Wis. 2d 30 , 596 N.W.2d 799 (1999), 97-0574 . 425.308 Annotation A party moving for attorney’s fees and costs under the Wisconsin Consumer Act (WCA) must show both a significant benefit in litigation and a violation of the WCA on the part of the non-moving party. When a claim for deficiency judgment was dismissed without costs and without prejudice, no violation of the WCA was shown. Credit Acceptance Corp. v. Woodard, 2012 WI App 43 , 340 Wis. 2d 548 , 812 N.W.2d 525 , 11-0135 .