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Lawyers in Halifax orphanage abuse case return to court over legal fees

The Nova Scotia Home for Colored Children in Dartmouth. File/Global News

HALIFAX – Lawyers who helped win a $34-million settlement for people who alleged they were abused at a Dartmouth orphanage are due in court today seeking approval for millions of dollars 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.

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Last month, Judge Arthur LeBlanc of the Nova Scotia Supreme Court 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.

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