I asked my attorney for a photocopy of a single-page letter that was in my file. I received the copy and was billed $38 for the time taken to compose the mundane letter accompanying the requested copy. To me, this is beyond greed; it strikes me as an abuse of billable time. Is it any wonder lawyers are so ill-regarded?
2006-09-06 16:09:19 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Business & Finance ➔ Other - Business & Finance
My husband just laughed when I read this to him and said, "That's why you're becoming a lawyer!" I am appalled! That's just ridiculous. You have a right to have copies of anything and everything in your file, free of charge! It doesn't cost that much for ink and one piece of paper...gee!!
2006-09-06 16:15:46 · answer #1 · answered by ? 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Read the retainer agreement - in many cases, the minimum billable time is .25 or .5 hours - at that rate, I'm thinking .25 hours. Knowing that, make sure that you ask him enough to fill up that time. Did he work on your case? Yes. Did he use his attorney expertise, No. Does his retainer agreement have a lower billing rate for a paralegal? I don't know, you have to look at the agreement. However, while he was creating your letter, he couldn't be doing someone elses legal work, so that's why you're billed.
The time to negotiate is BEFORE you sign the agreement -
2006-09-06 16:12:54 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Mechanics and other professionals work on a similar system; for example, changing a spark plug is billed as .25 of an hour even though it takes about 3 minutes to do. That's just how it works when buying professional services. You have to have a minimum increment of time set for billing. With attorneys a quarter-hour is pretty much the standard. So save your small, routine requests up and deliver them all at once to fill up that 15-minute block.
2006-09-06 17:40:55 · answer #3 · answered by dcgirl 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is not surprising. Hospitals will also charge $5 for a 1-cent aspirin. Greed is not only the hallmark of the legal business. I'm certain the charge was appropriate as far as the lawyer was concerned. It is surely detailed in the fine print of any contract you signed for service.
2006-09-06 16:17:49 · answer #4 · answered by Califrich 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My divorce cost over $6000. Whenever you talk to your attorney, you are charged by the hour. My attorney cost $200 an hour..... The time spent in court was charged as should be, but I wish my EX didn't act like such a jerk so I wouldn't have to keep taking him back. Thank God he was responsible for some of these charges. Remember, you are charged for a 1 minute phone call. a 10 minute phone call cost me $33. Good luck!
2006-09-07 02:05:33 · answer #5 · answered by pink9364 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
$38 for a photocopy from a lawyer's office? i'd say you got off cheap. phone time, copy machine time, assistant time at copier, toner charge, electricity charge (no pun intended), lawyer time in thought for new letter, lawyer time writing letter, assistant time copying letter from handwritten to type, paper, envelope, stamp. normal charge should've been $1028.35...or at least that has been MY experience with lawyers so far.
2006-09-06 16:17:46 · answer #6 · answered by The Beast 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No , i dont think it was , but i am in the same boat as you. I am going through a divorce , and I needed my Lawyer to type a letter for financial aid , they charged me $56.00 to type the letter , i have already spend 3000.00 on my divorce and we havent even went to final hearing .... My lawyer even charges me for phone calls..... lol dont make any sence.... but hey they can do it , and we continue to pay it.
2006-09-06 16:13:41 · answer #7 · answered by one_thick_6ft_fine_ass_wht_grl 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes! I think that is way too high! That is why people don't hold them in very high reguard!
2006-09-06 16:12:12 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋