Free Consultation & Fees
We offer a free 45 minutes initial consultation. If the consultation lasts substantially more than 45 minutes, the additional time will be charged at $195 per hour at 6 minute increments. During the consultation we will answer the questions you have, evaluate your case and advise you on what to do in response to actions that you may encounter in the future. We will also introduce you to a member of our staff, who will assist your lawyer and work on your case.
In family law cases the most common type of attorney's fees are hourly fee. An hourly rate is a predetermined amount chargeable for the attorney's work.
The attorney and client may agree that these fees be paid periodically or in one lump sum at the end of the case. The time that an attorney charges for legal work is called billable time, or billable hours.
Rates
Once we begin representing you, we charge an hourly rate of $195 per hour for lawyers and $75 per hour for paralegals. Please remember that no two cases are alike and, therefore no two fees will be the same.
Retainers
We usually require two types of retainers: 1. True Retainer: this type is paid to insure the availability of the law firm and is not refundable 2. Expense Retainer: hourly rates, expenses, Court fees and costs ( court reporter fees, copies, subpoena service, expert's fees, court costs, deposition transcription costs, telephone toll calls, and other out-of-pocket expenses ) will be billed against this retainer. This type of retainer is refundable if not exhausted. The amount of this retainer usually ranges from $2,500.00 to $10,000.00. However, if and when the retainer is close to being depleted, we may require an additional retainer. When the circumstances are right, the lawyer will seek to have the Court order the other party reimburses you for your attorney's fees. How much will I end up paying? The short answer to your question: "it depends." It depends on the type of your case, assets, children and it depends on the other party's conduct and attitude. Family law cases involve many issues including but limited to: annulment, separation, divorce, custody, visitation, spousal support, palimony, child support, property division, valuation of assets, adoption, etc. Services may include: court appearances, research, investigation, correspondence, conferences, settlement negotiations with your spouse's attorney, preparation of pleadings and other legal documents, pre-trial discovery, depositions, trial preparation, and trial. If you end up going to trial (no settlement could be reached on all disputed issues), the court will determine the disputed issues: attorney's fees, spousal support, child support, and child custody matters. The amount awarded by the court will rarely pay the full amount of your attorney's fees.
Other types of attorney fees A. Flat Fees A flat fee is a dollar amount that the attorney and the client agree on before the attorney begins work. Many clients favor the flat fee because it is a simple transaction and because the fee is paid up front. Family law attorneys usually dislike this type of fees because of their inability to accurately predict the amount of work involved in one particular case. In addition, if the attorney charges a flat fee and the case requires more time and effort than originally anticipated, the attorney may not later demand more money. On the other hand, if the attorney spends less time on the case than anticipated, he may keep the excess fee amount, unless he and client agree otherwise. B. Contingency Fee In general, a contingency fee agreement represents a certain percentage that the lawyer would get of the recovery in the client's case. This type of fee arrangement is available in rare cases of family law disputes (more common in personal injury cases) where such arrangement does not operate to promote and/or encourage the divorce.
Contingency fee is a gamble for the attorney.
If the client does not win the case, or wins less than anticipated, the attorney may work for little or no pay. Contingent fee percentages vary from case to case.
Fee arrangements can vary greatly from state to state, city to city, and case by case. Some factors to consider when considering a fee structure are:
- The experience of the attorney (both in years and in the subject matter);
- The complexity of the case;
- The novelty of the legal issues;
- The urgency of the case;
- The prevailing attorney fee rate in the community;
- The amount of attorney time that will be needed;
- The amount of staff time that will be needed;
- Whether the attorney will be advancing costs, or not;
- The attorney's evaluation as to the likelihood that the case will succeed;
- The likelihood of appeal (or whether a different fee rider is added for appeals).
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