Worked example: attorney fee calculations in Delaware

Example inputs

Below is a worked example of how attorney fee calculations are often modeled in Delaware using DocketMath’s attorney-fee calculator. This is a practical walkthrough of the inputs and outputs, not legal advice or a determination of entitlement to fees.

Core assumptions for this example

Because the Delaware rule that sets the default lookback period for limitations is not tied to a specific “fee claim type” in this example, we use the general/default period:

• General Statute of Limitations (SOL) period: 2 years
• Cited Delaware general SOL provision: 11 Del. C. § 205(b)(3)
  Source: Delaware Code online (Title 11, § 205(b)(3))
  https://delcode.delaware.gov/title11/c002/index.html?utm_source=openai

Dates used to determine which invoices fall inside the SOL window

We assume the fee request is tied to work performed before a filing date and we model a lookback window using an anchor date.

• Case filing / demand date (anchor): May 15, 2026
• SOL length (general): 2 years
• Start of SOL lookback window: May 15, 2024
• End of SOL lookback window: May 15, 2026

For this model:

• Any attorney billing entries dated on/after May 15, 2024 are treated as potentially within the default SOL window.
• Any entries dated before May 15, 2024 are treated as potentially time-barred for modeling purposes.

Billing inputs for the example

Assume the attorney billed hours on two rate categories:

• Partner rate: $450/hour
• Associate rate: $275/hour

Also assume the matter includes costs billed separately:

• Recoverable costs (modeled): $1,750

Finally, assume the fee request includes an optional enhancement multiplier in the tool. For this worked example, the calculator models only the base lodestar-style amount and adds costs, with the multiplier left off for the base run.

Invoice entries (modeled as “time entries”)

Checkboxes to make the modeling decisions explicit:

• Use general 2-year SOL under **11 Del. C. § 205(b)(3)
• Include only entries on/after May 15, 2024
• Compute attorney fees using hours × rate
• Add modeled costs $1,750

Example run

Here’s how the DocketMath attorney-fee calculator logic looks in a transparent “by hand” run using the inputs above.

Run the Attorney Fee calculator using the example inputs above. Review the breakdown for intermediate steps (segments, adjustments, or rate changes) so you can see how each input moves the output. Save the result for reference and compare it to your actual scenario.

Step 1: Identify entries within the SOL window

SOL window: May 15, 2024 → May 15, 2026

• Excluded (outside window):

  • Apr 10, 2024 — Associate — 6.0 hours — $1,650
• Included (inside window):

  • Jun 3, 2024 — Associate — $1,237.50
  • Sep 18, 2024 — Partner — $900
  • Jan 7, 2025 — Associate — $2,200
  • May 15, 2025 — Partner — $675
  • Nov 20, 2025 — Associate — $893.75

Step 2: Sum included attorney time (lodestar-style base)

Add the included line amounts:

• $1,237.50
• • $900.00
• • $2,200.00
• • $675.00
• • $893.75
    = $5,906.25 (attorney fees base)

Step 3: Add modeled recoverable costs

• Costs modeled: $1,750

Total modeled amount (base, multiplier off):

• $5,906.25 + $1,750 = $7,656.25

Step 4: Output summary (what the calculator would show)

In calculator terms, this run produces:

• Included attorney fees: $5,906.25
• Excluded attorney fees (SOL filtering): $1,650.00
• Modeled costs: $1,750.00
• Total modeled fee request: $7,656.25

Optional multiplier toggle (not applied in this run)

Many fee models allow a multiplier (enhancement or reduction). For this example, the multiplier is off, meaning you’re viewing the base estimate only.

To try it yourself in DocketMath, start here: /tools/attorney-fee.

Sensitivity check

Now let’s see how the modeled output changes when you adjust the inputs that most strongly affect attorney fee calculations in Delaware modeling: (1) the anchor date, (2) the included/excluded cutoff, and (3) the role-rate mix.

To test sensitivity, change one high-impact input (like the rate, start date, or cap) and rerun the calculation. Compare the outputs side by side so you can see how small input shifts affect the result.

Sensitivity A: Change the anchor date by ±30 days

Keep all time entries the same. Modify only the anchor date.

Scenario A1: Anchor date = April 15, 2026

• New SOL lookback: April 15, 2024 → April 15, 2026
• The June 3, 2024 entry still qualifies.
• The entry closest to the cutoff is still on/after the new start date.

Result: In this dataset, the included/excluded set stays the same.

• Total remains: $7,656.25

Scenario A2: Anchor date = June 15, 2026

• New SOL lookback: June 15, 2024 → June 15, 2026
• June 3, 2024 becomes excluded (because it’s now before June 15, 2024).

Recompute included fees:

• Remove $1,237.50 (Jun 3, 2024)
• Included attorney fees become: $5,906.25 − $1,237.50 = $4,668.75
• Total modeled amount: $4,668.75 + $1,750 = $6,418.75

Key takeaway: The June 15 shift crosses an invoice date, causing a drop of $1,237.50 in included fees.

Sensitivity B: Split the time across roles (rate mix)

Suppose the same hours were billed at a different mix:

• Associate rate: stays $275
• Partner rate increases from $450 → $500
• Hours billed as partner: 2.0 + 1.5 = 3.5 hours

Original partner fee:

• 3.5 hours × $450 = $1,575

New partner fee:

• 3.5 hours × $500 = $1,750

Difference:

• $1,750 − $1,575 = +$175

So the modeled total becomes:

• $7,656.25 + $175 = $7,831.25

Sensitivity C: Turn costs on/off (recoverability modeling)

Some models separate “attorney fees” from “costs.” If costs are excluded:

• Total modeled fee request without costs: $5,906.25

Checkbox checklist for running these scenarios in DocketMath:

Related reading

• Worked example: attorney fee calculations in Vermont — Worked example with real statute citations
• Attorney Fees Guide for Alaska
• Attorney Fees Guide for American Samoa