In Fotheringham v. Fotheringham, 2001 BCSC 1321, 13 C.P.C. (5th) 302, Bouck J. at para. 45 provided a guideline that substantial success occurs when the prevailing party succeeds on 75% of the matters in dispute, considered globally. At para. 46, he created a four-step inquiry to determine substantial success in cases involving multiple individual issues: 1. First, by focusing on the “matters in dispute” at the trial. These may or may not include "issues" explicitly mentioned in the pleadings. 2. Second, by assessing the weight or importance of those “matters” to the parties. 3. Third, by doing a global determination with respect to all the matters in dispute and determining which party “substantially succeeded,” overall and therefore won the event. 4. Fourth, where one party “substantially succeeded,” a consideration of whether there are reasons to "otherwise order" that the winning party be deprived of his or her costs and each side then bear their own costs.
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