FEES Lawyer's fees are a constant source of surprises and confusion with clients of many law firms. We pride ourselves on having clearly understood fee arrangements that do not surprise the clients. Much of the work that we do is a Flat Fee, which means that a lump sum of money is paid up front, and we do the work without asking for any more money. In some cases, if a court case ends up going to the next step, additional payments will be requested. However, the vast majority of Wills and Traffic cases require no additional money from the client. Some work is hourly, which means that you pay a retainer fee, and you get a monthly bill showing the balance remaining on your retainer or the amount that is now owed. Most Family/Divorce cases, and some complex Civil and Criminal Cases are billed on an hourly payment basis, with monthly bills updating you an your account. The following fee format will generally apply, with some exceptions, depending on case types: Criminal/Traffic Flat Fee Family/Divorce Hourly Injuries % of Award Wills Under $100 Evictions Flat Fee Each case is different, and this may affect the fee schedules. For example, a criminal case may be billed out on an hourly basis, or a simple divorce may be completed pursuant to a flat fee. However, the above table is generally applicable to the case type. QUESTIONS How much will my divorce cost?
That is usually impossible to predict. Divorces which may appear simple sometimes end up exploding, and explosive situations may resolve easily. Unless we have have quoted you a flat fee for a simple divorce, you will simply receive monthly bills based upon the reasonable hourly rate of between $125 and $175 per hour. What happens if I can't pay my bill?
If you make arrangements to make payments on an outstanding bill, we will take no collection action against you. If the bill remains outstanding with no activity or communication for a lenthgy period of time, unfortunate collection action may eventually be taken. Do you return phone calls?
We pride ourselves on trying to call people back within 48 hours if not immediately. However, we sometimes do not leave messages for people in certain circumstances such as with children or co-workers due to reasons of confidentiality and privacy. Do you know what you are doing?
Yes. We have handled big and small civil and personal injury, hundreds of family law/ divorces cases, over a thousand criminal and traffic cases, and written several hundred wills. In a combined 18 years of practice, we have never been sued for malpractice, or even come close to being sued for malpractice. What is the $750 divorce?
For a divorcing couple who can get along enough to resolve their own disputes, we will do all the formal work and pay the $200+ filing fee. This includes actually going to Court with you, and putting the settlement together in a form that will be approved by the Judge or Court Commissioner. | 