Home for Colored Children judge mulls $6.6M in legal fees
Judge continues to ask questions about expenses being claimed by lawyers
The judge who approved a $34-million settlement for people allegedly abused at a Halifax orphanage will take more time to decide how much lawyers representing the former residents should receive in legal fees.
Ray Wagner is the lead counsel for the former residents of the Nova Scotia Home for Colored Children. He and his team are seeking $6.6 million in legal fees for their work on the file over 16 years.
On Monday, Justice Arthur LeBlanc of the Nova Scotia Supreme Court continued to ask questions about the fees being claimed by Wagner's law firm. Last month, he asked for detailed records on the hours that the lawyers worked on the case.
LeBlanc said he realizes there is a fee agreement based on percentages of the settlement, but it's his job to assess fairness of the arrangement.
People who alleged they were abused at the home were awarded a $29-million class-action settlement with the provincial government and another $5-million settlement with the orphanage.