You are encouraged to ask questions about our fees at any time and particularly at your first office conference. We want you to fully understand what charges we will make. Our fee agreement will be put in writing in order to avoid any misunderstanding. You will be given a copy of this Legal Services Agreement for your records.
Most of our legal work is billed on an Hourly basis. The Hourly rates for professional staff time range from $150.00 to $400.00 per hour for attorneys and $100.00 to $150.00 for paralegals and law clerks.
In most cases, you will have to pay a down payment, which is called a retainer, to cover the initial costs before legal services are rendered. The minimum amount of this retainer is usually $1,000.00 and may be higher depending on the kind of case you are involved with. This retainer does not represent an estimate of your total cost; it is merely a down payment.
Estimates of fees are just that – estimates. These are rough approximations of what your charges will likely be, excluding costs and expenses, based upon past experience. However, estimates do not include research work that may be needed, nor does it include unanticipated developments, litigation, or unexpected action to counter steps taken by an adverse party.
With some exceptions, Personal Injury and Workers' Compensation cases are handled on a Contingent Fee basis of one-third of the amount you recover plus the costs and expenses we incur on your behalf. If a case is appealed, the contingent fee may be higher.
We try to minimize the total bill to you by using our paralegals and law clerks when it is appropriate. These professionals always work under the attorneys’ supervision and do much of the investigative and relatively routine work required by some cases.