LEONARD A. RUBINSTEIN, M.D., APPELLANT,
v.
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, BOARD OF MEDICINE, APPELLEE
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Dr. Leonard Rubinstein appeals the Board of Medicine's administrative order revoking his medical license and imposing fines and costs. The court affirms the license revocation but reverses the award of $65,134.31 in attorney's fees costs because the Department of Health failed to provide required documentation supporting the award.
The award of $65,134.31 in attorney's fees costs must be reversed because the Department failed to provide documentation required by statute to support such an award. The Board must determine the amount of costs after considering an affidavit of itemized costs and any written objections, which did not occur here.
[1] An award of attorneys' fees must be supported by competent, substantial evidence from the attorney performing the services and by an expert as to the value of those servi…
[2] A statutory provision permitting the imposition of costs related to the investigation and prosecution of a case requires the assessing body to consider an affidavit of it…
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence“An award of attorneys' fees must be supported by competent, substantial evidence by the attorney performing the services and by an expert as to the value of those services.”
Establishes the evidentiary standard required for awarding attorney's fees in administrative proceedings
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceThe Department of Health filed three separate administrative complaints against Dr. Rubinstein, which were later consolidated. The Board of Medicine e…
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Leonard A. Rubinstein appeals a final administrative order revoking his license to practice medicine in the state and imposing fines and costs. The final order was entered by the Board of Medicine as a result of three separate administrative complaints filed by the Department of Health which were later consolidated. Because the Department failed to provide any documentation supporting an award of attorneys’ fees, we reverse the award of $65,134.31 in costs relating to attorneys’ fees awarded under section 456.072(4), Florida Statutes (2010). We affirm the remainder of the order without further comment.
The Department of Health concedes error, and we agree that Georges v. Department of Health, 75 So.3d 759 (Fla. 2d DCA 2011), requires reversal of the award of $65,134.31 in costs relating to attorneys’ fees. “An award of attorneys’ fees must be supported by competent, substantial evidence by the attorney performing the services and by an expert as to the value of those services.” Id. at 762. Section 456.072(4) permits the Board to impose “costs related to the investigation and prosecution of the case,” but requires the Board to “determine the amount of costs to be assessed after its consideration of an affidavit of itemized costs and any written objections thereto.” Here, as in Georges, the Department failed to provide any documentation to support an award of attorneys’ fees. And because this “failure to abide by the statutory requirements” constitutes fundamental error, we reverse this portion of costs awarded under section 456.072(4). See Georges, 75 So.3d at 762.
Affirmed in part; reversed in part.
LaROSE and MORRIS, JJ., Concur.