§ Rule 68 Offer of judgment
Rule 68. Offer of judgment
(a) At any time more than 14 days before the trial begins, a party defending against a claim may serve upon the adverse party an offer to allow judgment to be taken against the defending party for the money or property or to the effect specified in the offer, which offer of judgment shall be deemed to include all claims recoverable, including any attorneys fees awardable under Rule 54(e)(1), and any costs awardable under Rule 54(d)(1), which have accrued up to the date of the offer of judgment. The offer of judgment shall not be filed with the court, except as stated herein. If within 14 days after the service of the offer the offeree serves written notice that the offer is accepted, either party may then file the offer and notice of acceptance together with proof of service thereof, and thereupon the judgment shall be entered for the amount of the offer without costs. An offer not accepted shall be deemed withdrawn and evidence thereof is not admissible except in a proceeding to determine costs. The fact that an offer is made but not accepted does not preclude a subsequent offer. When the liability of one party to another has been determined by verdict, order or judgment, but the amount or extent of the liability remains to be determined by further proceedings, the party adjudged liable may make an offer of judgment, which shall have the same effect as an offer made before trial if it is served within a reasonable time not less than 14 days prior to the commencement of hearings to determine the amount or extent of liability.
(b) In cases involving claims for monetary damages, any costs under Rule 54(d)(1) awarded against the offeree must be based upon a comparison of the offer and the “adjusted award.” The adjusted award is defines as (1) the verdict in addition to (2) the offeree's costs under Rule 54(d)(1) incurred before service of the offer of judgment and (3) any attorney fees under Rule 54(e)(1) incurred before service of the offer of judgment. Provided, in contingent fee cases where attorney fees are awardable under Rule 54(e)(1), the court will pro rate the offeree's attorney fees to determine the amount incurred before the offer of judgment in reaching the adjusted award.
If the adjusted award obtained by the offeree is less than the offer, then:
(i) the offeree must pay those costs of the offeror as allowed under Rule 54(d)(1), incurred after the making of the offer;
(ii) the offeror must pay those costs of the offeree, as allowed under Rule 54(d)(1), incurred before the making of the offer; and
(iii) the offeror shall not be liable for costs and attorney fees awardable under Rules 54(d)(1) and 54(e)(1) of the offeree incurred after the making of the offer.
If the adjusted award obtained by the offeree is more than the offer, the offeror must pay those costs, as allowed under Rule 54(d)(1), incurred by the offeree both before and after the making of the offer.
After a comparison of the offer and the adjusted award, in appropriate cases, the district court shall order an amount which either the offeror or the offeree must ultimately pay separate and apart from the amount owed under the verdict. A total judgment shall be entered taking into account both the verdict and the involved costs.
(c) In cases involving claims for relief other than monetary damages, if the judgment, including attorney fees awardable under Rule 54(e)(1) incurred before service of the offer of judgment, and costs incurred before service of the offer of judgment, finally obtained by the offeree is not more favorable than the offer, the offeree must pay the offeror's costs, as allowed under Rule 54(d)(1), incurred after the making of the offer. If the judgment including such attorney fees and costs is more favorable than the offer, the offeror must pay all costs of the offeree allowable under Rule 54(d)(1) both before and after the making of the offer.
The rule headings for Idaho Rules of Civil Procedure have been editorially supplied.