Can costs be awarded even in an uncontested or amicable family case?

Costs are far less commonly an issue in a genuinely uncontested or amicable case, since costs disputes usually arise from contested steps like motions or trials, and a fully uncontested case may not involve any of those. That said, costs can still come up even in an otherwise amicable file — for example, where one party incurred legal fees dealing with a specific issue that required court involvement before the rest of the matter settled, or where a joint application still involves filing fees and modest costs that the parties address by agreement rather than a contested costs motion.

In practice, parties resolving matters amicably usually address costs themselves as part of their overall settlement, agreeing that each side bears their own costs or splitting specific expenses, rather than leaving it to a judge to decide. Where the case does remain uncontested throughout, with no motions or hearings, a formal contested costs award is uncommon simply because there's rarely a disputed step for a court to assess. Anyone with cost concerns in an otherwise cooperative case should raise them directly as part of the settlement discussion rather than assuming they'll be dealt with later.