On December 19, 2022, a court decision was made that Steven Lees was not an employee of Adrianne Powell. Despite the parties being encouraged to resolve the matter between them, they were unable to do so, leading to Powell seeking a contribution towards her costs. The court noted that while they have discretion to award costs, they must be done in a principled way and typically follow the event.
In this case, the investigation meeting only took two hours, and the court stated that the normal starting point for assessing costs in the Authority is a notional daily tariff of $4,500 for the first day and $3,500 for each subsequent day.
The court received submissions from both parties, with Powell's representative stating that they proposed a payment of $1,100 in costs and Lees's representative stating that they have been unable to contact Lees and consider Powell's application reasonable.
As a result, the court ordered Steven John Lees to pay Adrianne Powell the sum of $1,100 as a contribution towards the costs she incurred in defending the claims, with the payment to be made within 14 days of the determination.
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