Attorney's Fees

Many factors contribute to determine an attorney’s fee in any legal matter. In our firm, the complexity of the matter is the factor that most significantly affects the fee. We generally bill clients on either an hourly basis or a fixed fee basis. In either arrangement, we pass on certain costs to our clients.

Hourly Fees

In an hourly billing arrangement, our attorneys and paralegals record the time spent on your case, whether they are drafting a document, reviewing documents provided to us, writing letters and e-mails, meeting with you, appearing in court, or talking with someone on the telephone. The time spent is multiplied by the attorney’s or paralegal’s hourly rate. Before beginning a matter under an hourly billing arrangement, we will discuss our hourly rates with you. In many cases, although the fees charged will be on an hourly basis, we can estimate the total fees based on what other clients have paid for similar projects.

Flat Fees

In a flat fee billing arrangement, we agree to perform certain work for you for a fixed sum, which we quote for you at the beginning of our representation. Our flat fee quotations consider the scope and complexity of the project and are customized to the facts of each engagement. When we quote flat fees, we define the scope of the work that is included, and fee adjustments may become necessary if goals or circumstances change.

Pass-Through of Costs

There are some costs associated with legal representation that we pass on to you. “Third-party” costs are a good example of these. Third-party costs might include a filing fee at the court, a messenger fee, travel expenses, or a fee for advanced legal research services. We will address with you the costs you should expect to incur at the beginning of our representation.