Is there an opportunity cost for representing an unrepresented litigant?

In some cases, the courts have recognized an opportunity cost which was lost, but in Dechant v. Law Society of Alberta, 2001 ABCA 81, the court concluded that it is not necessary to prove the actual value of any lost opportunity. The court said in that case in para. 19: 19 ... Nonetheless, whether a person has lost time from work to represent themselves is a relevant factor to consider. If any unrepresented litigant was not otherwise employed, the fee portion of costs attributable to lost opportunity may not exist or, at a minimum, would be significantly less than a person who has suffered a loss of income due to employment absences.