HRS §607-15.5
Court-approved attorney fees in injury lawsuits
In injury lawsuits, if a court decides the case, the judge must approve the lawyer fees for both sides as reasonable. If the case is settled out of court, either side can ask the judge to approve their lawyer fees. This section only covers fee approval, not other lawsuit rules.
The statute, as written — Attorneys' fees in tort actions
In all tort actions in which a judgment is entered by a court of competent jurisdiction, attorneys' fees for both the plaintiff and the defendant shall be limited to a reasonable amount as approved by the court having jurisdiction of the action. In any tort action in which a settlement is effected, the plaintiff or the defendant may request that the amount of their respective attorneys' fees be subject to approval of the court having jurisdiction of the action. [L Sp 1986, c 2, §11]
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