D. Colorado cuts fee award 18.9%, including for vague entries

What happened

The plaintiff sought $225,723 in attorney fees, supported by 857.7 hours of time records. The court awarded $182,944.50, a reduction of $42,778.50 or 18.9%. It deducted 51.6 hours attributed to work in a separate state court action and 99.0 hours for entries the court found too vague to show whether the work was reasonably necessary to the civil theft claim. The figures do not include costs.

What the court said

many of these redactions make it impossible to determine whether the billing was reasonably necessary to the prosecution of the civil theft claim

The court also reduced the award for: unrelated claims.

Why it matters

The ruling shows that courts will reduce fee awards when time entries are too vague to let the court assess whether the work was reasonably necessary, and when hours are tied to unrelated claims. Precise, claim-specific descriptions in time records matter on a fee petition.

How to keep this out of your fee petition

• Name the task, the document or person involved, and the purpose.
• Avoid stock phrases that could describe any day in any matter.
• Keep privileged detail general, but specific enough to show the work.

Cite this ruling

See hourly rates the D. Colorado approves and attorney fee motions in Colorado federal courts.

Figures and quotes are taken from the opinion and checked against its text. Spot an error? Email team@legaltime.ai with the case name and we will correct it. Summaries of public court opinions. Not legal advice.