§383-162  Limitation of fees.  No
individual shall be charged fees of any kind in any proceeding under this
chapter by the department of labor and industrial relations or its
representatives, or the referee, or by any court or any officer thereof, and no
costs shall be awarded by the referee on an appeal.  Any individual claiming
benefits in any proceeding before the department or the referee may be
represented by counsel or other duly authorized agent, but no such counsel or
agent shall either charge or receive for such services more than an amount
approved by the department or referee, and such amount shall in no case exceed
ten per cent of the sum of the average benefit duration for the prior calendar
year as computed by the department of labor and industrial relations multiplied
by the claimant's weekly benefit amount, payable as a result of such
proceeding.  For the purposes of this section, the term "average benefit
duration" shall mean the average actual duration of benefits computed by
dividing the total number of weeks compensated during a year by the
corresponding number of first payments made during the year.



Any person who violates this section shall, for
each such offense, be fined not less than $50 nor more than $500 or imprisoned
not more than six months, or both. [L 1939, c 219, §13(b); am L 1941, c 304,
§1, pt of subs 35; RL 1945, §4286; RL 1955, §93-151; am L Sp 1959 2d, c 1, §27;
HRS §383-162; am L 1980, c 13, §1]