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.