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Hourly fees, Contingency fees and Flat fees. At the end of your initial consultation with us, we will agree upon a fee arrangement and sign a contract for representation detailing what we are to do for you and how much you will be charged for our services. Any fee agreed upon will be due at that time.
Hourly Fee Our hourly rates for billing range from $150 to $325 per hour. Each hour billed is itemized and a retainer is generally required. Clients receive periodic statements to show hours billed against the retainer and any additional fees due. Other expenses, including long distance phone charges, documentation and mailing fees, etc. are billed to the client. Contingency Fee A contingency fee is used when the outcome and/or recovery of damages is not absolutely certain. This rate applies in personal injury and accident cases, including auto accidents, worker's compensation, employment discrimination, etc. Again, upon our agreement of representation, we will sign a contract for representation, outlining the fees to be charged. In such cases, our fees will be a percentage of the damages awarded. My rate ranges from 25% to 50% of the recovery, depending on the case. The client in such cases is generally not required to reimburse me for the regular expenses incurred in the case. Generally, the client will be required to pay only filing fees and special expenses (expert witness fees, for example) which are paid out of the client's portion of the award. If no recovery is made, the client will not be required to reimburse any expenses, except in the event that the client withdraws the claim after we have incurred expenses. In such a case, the client will be billed for my reasonable fees and expenses. Flat Fee Some matters, such as traffic and uncontested divorces are billed on a flat fee arrangement. When we agree to a flat fee, we will not ask for any further legal fees from the client. It is important to note that any expenses (long distance phone or fax charges, court costs, expert witness fees, etc.) incurred under flat fee arrangements are still the clients responsibility. We have found clients more willing to accept a flat fee, as they have a better idea how much the process will cost up front. Retainers As discussed above, upon agreement of representation for an hourly fee, the client will be required to pay a retainer fee. This amount depends a great deal upon the legal matter. Expenses and hourly fees incurred will be paid out of this retainer until depleted, after which fees and expenses will be billed to the client. Depending on the case, an additional retainer may be required after the initial retainer is exhausted. (Again, I have been known to agree to a payment plan for payment of the retainer fee. Ask me for details.) Billing Clients billed on an hourly fee basis will receive periodic billing statements which reflect expenses to date in relation to any retainer. The client may also request a bill at any time.
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