How can a costs agreement be enforced?

• A. As a contract
• B. By criminal sanction
• C. By administrative penalty
• D. By equitable remedy only

Answer: (A)

Costs agreements are treated as binding contracts between a lawyer and a client. Once you sign, the terms—how fees are calculated, when they’re payable, and under what conditions—create a civil obligation on both sides. Enforcing that obligation naturally falls under contract law: if one party breaches, the other can bring a civil claim for breach of contract, and the court can order payment of fees due or award damages for the breach. It isn’t a matter of criminal penalties or regulatory fines, and while equity can play a role in some disputes, the standard and practical remedy for enforcing a costs agreement is through contract-based remedies.