How much is too much?

Do you feel like your lawyer has overcharged you for legal services?

It's widely known that most lawyers charge a lot for their services. Often you'll find that some lawyers charge hundreds of dollars per hour to advise and represent you. While sometimes it's necessary and worth it to pay these fees, other times you may feel that you've been overcharged for what you received in return. When you get a statement from a lawyer for the hours worked in the previous month and it isn't exactly in accord with what you think was done, or if the entries on your invoice are not sufficiently described in enough detail, you may have cause for concern.

In California, if you feel like your attorney is overcharging you or has overcharged you, you may be able to take that attorney to fee arbitration through your local bar association. You'll want to call the Bar Association to inquire about what kind of services they offer when you feel that your lawyer is overcharging you.

You may want the advice of an independent attorney to review the bills that you have received to see if you can get an opinion about whether the fees being charged to you are extraordinary for your type of case.

Call your local lawyer referral service for more information. In Riverside County, the lawyer referral service can be found at http://riversidelrs.org.

This article is offered for informational purposes only and is not to be relied upon as legal advice. You should seek the advice of an attorney rather than relying upon information that you read on this blog or elsewhere on the web.

Hourly and Flat Fees, what's the difference?

Along with contingency fees, attorneys also charge hourly fees or flat fees depending on the type of case. When you're hiring an attorney on something other than a personal injury case (contingency fees), that attorney is going to be representing you on an hourly or flat fee basis. If you're like a lot of people in this challenging economy, what the lawyer charges is going to be one of several factors 

The term "flat fee" refers to when an attorney charges a fixed amount for their services for a certain type of case. For example, many attorneys advertise flat fees (say, $1,500 or $2,500) to complete your bankruptcy. The advantages of this type of arrangement are that you know from the start exactly what the attorney's services are going to cost.  The disadvantage is that the attorney has an incentive to wrap your case up hastily so as to make a profit on his or her legal services.

"Hourly fees" refers obviously enough to when an attorney charges you at an hourly rate for his or her services  This can be a scary proposition when the attorney tells you what that hourly rate is Many attorneys charge a lot per hour and you're encouraged to talk to several attorneys on this account before hiring one. Many newer attorneys charge less but have less experience. Many seasoned attorneys will charge more on an hourly basis but will argue that ultimately you will pay less because they can resolve the matter faster that a newer attorney.

Tip: ask for an estimate of how many hours it will take to wrap up the case and do the math. See if you can get them to commit to a maximum number of hours - a cap on fees in case of significant time overruns. If not, keep talking to lawyers until you find someone who's a good match for you, keeping in mind that often you have a limited amount of time to find a lawyer.

Talk to several lawyers before you hire someone so that you can screen them for costs, experience and compatibility. The friendly, trained staff of the Lawyer Referral Service of the Riverside County Bar Association will talk to you and guide you through the process of finding an attorney who is affordable and right for you. Their website is http://riversidelrs.org.

What to Talk About When Talking About Fees

Before you hire a lawyer, be sure to have a frank discussion with that lawyer about fees. Money may be hard for some people to talk about but it is critical that you and your lawyer discuss fees early in the relationship and that you are comfortable with what you and the lawyer have worked out before the case gets going. Fee agreements with your lawyer should be in writing (called "retainer agreements") and should describe in detail the arrangements that you and the lawyer have come to with respect to your case or legal issue.

How the lawyer will charge you will often depend on the type of case you have. For some types of cases, lawyers will charge an hourly rate (a family law case) or a flat fee (a real estate transaction or a will). In personal injury cases like car accidents, lawyers often take cases on a "contingency fee" basis. What this means is that the lawyer does not charge you until your case is over and it's based on a percentage of what the attorney wins/negotiates for you for your injuries. That percentage can vary a lot and you should talk to several lawyers to figure out what a reasonable contingency fee would be.

For personal injury cases, you want to make sure that you talk to the attorney about who is going to pay for expenses throughout the case. Expert witnesses and other costs incurred by the lawyer can sometimes be billed to you directly which could cost you a lot of money before the case is over. Other times, the lawyer will pay for all the costs associated with your case and then get reimbursement for the costs at the end of your case. Be sure that this part of the fee arrangement is worked out and in your retainer agreement.

It's always a good idea to get several opinions from different lawyers before you select one to represent you. If you are unsure about how to find a lawyer who is right for you, or if you want to know that your lawyer is qualified in personal injury cases, you should call your local nonprofit lawyer referral service. In Riverside, the Lawyer Referral Service of the Riverside County Bar Association can be reached at: Western Riverside County (951) 682-7520; and East of Banning (760) 568-5555. They can also be found on the web at:  http://riversidelrs.org/ .

Riverside's Lawyer Referral Service Here for You

The Riverside County Bar Association has been around serving the needs of Riverside County since 1894. Since its modest beginning, the Bar has grown in both its mission and its services. Originally, the bar association was created to serve as a bridge between the bench and the lawyers of Riverside County. Its goal was to facilitate communication and relations between the judges on the bench and the lawyers who practiced before them.

Riverside has changed dramatically  over time and the bar association has grown and evolved right alongside it. The bar association has expanded its mission to address the growing needs of the Riverside community and now provides many valuable services to the public at large.

Since 1968, the Lawyer Referral Service has been reaching out directly to the Riverside community.  The goal of the Lawyer Referral Service is to provide anyone who calls the bar with the right information and the appropriate legal resource. That resource may take the form of a referral to Legal Aid or a referral to a private attorney for a consultation on a legal  issue.

The lawyers who serve on the Referral Service are local experienced attorneys who agree to be bound by the Service Rules, follow the highest ethical standards and agree to offer a $40 half hour consultation for anyone referred through the Service (and for some types of legal matters there’s no consult fee at all).  

So, if you run into a problem at work or at home, face an accident or just need some questions answered, please keep the Riverside County LRS in mind and call us at (951) 682-7520. We’re here to help you and we’re happy to do it.