[§571-52.7]  Award of costs and reasonable
attorneys' fees.  Whenever a party files a motion seeking to enforce a
child support order, the court may award the prevailing party the party's costs
and reasonable attorneys' fees incurred, except as this chapter otherwise
provides.  The award shall be made only when the prevailing party was
represented by an attorney. [L 1994, c 247, §1]



 



Case Notes



 



  Family court erred in limiting plaintiff ex-wife's award of
attorney's fees to a lodestar amount with no consideration given to a
contingent fee enhancement; this section is a fee-shifting statute designed to
"attract competent counsel" and a contingent fee enhancement should
have at least been considered by the family court. 97 H. 160 (App.), 34 P.3d 1059.