Editing Complaint (section)

=== Attorney fees ===
Before filing the complaint, it is important for plaintiff(s) to remember that Federal courts can impose liability for the prevailing party's attorney fees to the losing party, if the judge considers the case [[frivolous]] or for purposes of harassment, even when the case was voluntarily dismissed.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.federalrulesofcivilprocedure.org/frcp/title-vii-judgment/rule-54-judgment-costs/|title=Rule 54 - Judgment; Costs|website=2019 Federal Rules of Civil Procedure|access-date=November 21, 2019}}</ref><ref name="crs">{{cite web|url=http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/94-970.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060426172930/http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/94-970.pdf |archive-date=2006-04-26 |url-status=live|title=Awards of Attorneys' Fees by Federal Courts and Federal Agencies|author=CRS}}</ref> In the case of ''Fox v. Vice'', the U.S. Supreme Court held that reasonable attorneys' fees could be awarded to the defendant under 42 U.S.C. Sec. 1988, but only for costs that the defendant would not have incurred "but for the frivolous claims."<ref name="fox">{{Cite web|url=https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=4612481658703000905&hl=en&as_sdt=2&as_vis=1&oi=scholarr|title=Fox v. Vice, 131 S. Ct. 2205 - Supreme Court 2011 - Google Scholar|access-date=November 21, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.aele.org/law/2011all05/2011-05MLJ101.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110919122501/http://www.aele.org/law/2011all05/2011-05MLJ101.pdf |archive-date=2011-09-19 |url-status=live|title=Attorneys' Fees in Federal Civil Rights Lawsuits|access-date=November 21, 2019}}</ref> Even when there is no actual trial or judgment, if there is only pre-trial motion practice such as motions to dismiss, attorney fee shifting still can be awarded under [[Federal Rules of Civil Procedure|FRCP]] Rule 11 when the opposing party files a Motion for Sanctions and the court issue an order identifying the sanctioned conduct and the basis for the sanction.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.federalrulesofcivilprocedure.org/frcp/title-iii-pleadings-and-motions/rule-11-signing-pleadings-motions-and-other-papers-representations-to-the-court-sanctions/|title=Rule 11 - Signing Pleadings, Motions, and Other Papers; ... &#124; 2019 FRCP|website=2019 Federal Rules of Civil Procedure|access-date=November 21, 2019}}</ref> The losing party has a right to appeal any order for sanctions in the higher court.<ref name="SCD" /> In the state courts, each party is generally responsible only for its own attorney fees, with certain exceptions.<ref name="crs" />