Kraft v. Kijakazi
- 3:23-cv-05434
- U.S. District Court · Northern District of California
- 3
In Kraft v. Kijakazi, the court awarded $1,345 in attorney fees and $402 in costs under the Equal Access to Justice Act.
Shana Kraft and her attorney, Katherine R. Siegfried, received an approved award of $1,345 in fees and $402 in costs, subject to the stipulation’s payment and federal-debt-offset terms; the government is responsible for making the payment.
What happened
Kraft v. Kijakazi concerns an agreement between Shana Kraft and the government about attorney fees and costs after Kraft prevailed in the case. The parties asked the court to approve an award under the Equal Access to Justice Act.
The agreement provided for $1,345 in attorney fees and $402 in costs. The fees were to be payable to Kraft, subject to possible federal-debt offsets; if no debt required an offset, the government would pay the fees directly to Kraft’s attorney under Kraft’s assignment. The agreement also preserved the attorney’s ability to seek fees under another federal statute.
The court awarded the agreed $1,345 in fees and $402 in costs, subject to the agreement’s terms. The provided text does not clearly identify the judge by name.
The detailed version
- Kraft v. Kijakazi · No. 3:23-cv-05434
- Feb. 27, 2024
Background
Shana Kraft and the government submitted a stipulation asking the court to approve attorney fees and costs under the Equal Access to Justice Act, a federal law that can allow a prevailing party to recover certain litigation expenses from the government. The stipulation states that Kraft was the prevailing party and that her net worth was less than two million dollars.
Requested award and payment terms
The parties agreed to an award of $1,345 in attorney fees and $402 in costs. The stipulation states that the award covered all legal services provided by Kraft’s attorney, Katherine R. Siegfried, in connection with this action.
The fees were to be made payable to Kraft. Under the agreement, the government would consider paying the fees directly to Siegfried under Kraft’s assignment if the Treasury Department determined that Kraft did not owe a federal debt. The stipulation also stated that payment would fully resolve claims for Equal Access to Justice Act fees and expenses related to this action. It said the award did not prevent Siegfried from seeking fees under 42 U.S.C. § 406, subject to the applicable offset rules.
Ruling
Based on the parties’ stipulation, the court ordered that Kraft receive $1,345 in fees and $402 in costs, subject to the stipulation’s terms. The provided text does not clearly identify the judge by name.
Read the full 3-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.