2007-02-05 09:26:41 · 9 answers · asked by penny c 3 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
i am being charged for any phone conversations, mailings, emails, etc ...
wow!
2007-02-05 09:41:02 · update #1
The items you mentioned are normal and not overcharging. Your attorney should have had you sign an engagement agreement that lays out out how he/she charges.
Most attorneys in private practice charge by the tenth of an hour. For example 6 minutes =.1 If your hourly rate is $100 than for a 12 minute phone call (.2) you would be charged $20. Some attorneys have mandatory minimums - maybe yours does. This means that no matter what they charge a minumum of .2 even if it took them a minute.
This is how we get paid. Every minute of our time we do something for you - including responding to your phone calls and e-mails, gets noted and billed. A lawyer is only overbilling if they overinflate the time spent on a particular project. To a layperson, 6 hours on a brief may seem like a long time, but it actually can take much longer for good work. You should look over your next bill and ask your attorney about anything in particular you think is suspicious.
2007-02-05 10:10:54 · answer #1 · answered by Tara P 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Hourly, flat fee or contingency fee? Each lawyer you talk to will quote you a different price. If you have called the big shots (they have 2 pages in the phone book and commercials every 30 mins) you are going to pay A LOT more... If you are asking if the lawyer is cheating you by claiming he has worked hours and you are paying hourly ask for a statement that details how his time has been spent on your case to verify that he has spent as much time as he claims. If you are asking about contingency fee percentage, standard is at least 1/3 of the recovery and up to 45 or even 50%.
2007-02-05 09:34:03 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
If you are suing for money and win and you end up owing the lawyer more money than you collected, I would say you were overcharged. If you pay the lawyer and 2 big guys put you in handcuffs and take you to jail when its all over, you were probably overcharged. If you were not guilty and the 2 guys take you to jail, you were definately overcharged.
2007-02-05 09:34:23 · answer #3 · answered by Michael 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
if you get a bill... in response to the first answer, he/she may no longer be breathing but you're still going to get overcharged...
ok... in all seriousness, it's part of their fee, so just be prepared for it... if an attorney charges $300/hr, the actual charge is really $600/hr because he'll only work half of the billed amount (if that)...
good luck.
2007-02-05 09:41:13 · answer #4 · answered by HS 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ask him if he past the bar, the State Bar not The Salty Dog. If he says yes you're being over charged.
2007-02-05 09:36:35 · answer #5 · answered by Sgt 524 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
He's charging you. That's how you know. It's all overcharging.
2007-02-05 09:30:37 · answer #6 · answered by Frank L 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
No such thing! Attorney's can charge what they want, there is no set standard. If you don't like it, don't use them!
2007-02-05 09:30:34 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If he/she is breathing.
2007-02-05 09:29:40 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
if you hire him
2007-02-05 09:32:14 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋