To every service you take, there is always a payment to make.
There could be different services of lawyers. Some work on friendly basis while others act on professional level. Despite any other circumstance there are just four types of lawyer's fees.
- Hourly rates
- Flat Fees
- Retainers
- Contingency Fees
Hourly rate can be both of advantage and disadvantage. An expensive lawyer with good skills and experience can resolved the case in a much earlier time. However, depending on the type of the case sometimes it will also take time to resolved it.
On the other hand, a cheap but inexperience lawyer can make struggle with the case and the possibility of losing is high. Therefore, you as a client must first evaluate the lawyer and his experiences to see if the hourly rate fits him and will give you an advantage.
Flat Fees are used for simple matters or common ones that commonly has fixed date to be done. Cases such as divorce, bankruptcy or will and contest. Personal injury lawyers occasionally use this type of scheme. However, as a wise client you should also clarify what are the flat fess. What it includes and excludes. Filing fees, court fees and other miscellaneous fees are sometimes out of flat fees.
Retainers are like bonds between you and the lawyer. It is like paying in advance for a case. However retainers are not refundable. In case you drop the case it has to be contested and must be deemed "unreasonable" by the court before you cna get the remainder of the service. In payment schemes where retainers are used, the lawyer make a separate account where bills will go though. The client must always review statement of billings so that accrued expenses can be tracked down.
Contingent Fees. This type of payment scheme is always used by personal injury lawyers. It is a type by which a lawyer can be paid depending on the settlement his/her client got. It is usually 1/3 of the compensation award. There will be no up front payment and everything will be paid upon judgment.
Reminder:
Any of these fees will have its own advantage for you as a plaintiff however you have to make sure that you are having a credible and honest lawyer. Especially to those working on contingent fees where disbursement is still a lawyer's responsibility.
Lastly, these are just standards measurement of how you can pay and up to what extent. You can still negotiate lawyer's fees.
Flat Fees are used for simple matters or common ones that commonly has fixed date to be done. Cases such as divorce, bankruptcy or will and contest. Personal injury lawyers occasionally use this type of scheme. However, as a wise client you should also clarify what are the flat fess. What it includes and excludes. Filing fees, court fees and other miscellaneous fees are sometimes out of flat fees.
Retainers are like bonds between you and the lawyer. It is like paying in advance for a case. However retainers are not refundable. In case you drop the case it has to be contested and must be deemed "unreasonable" by the court before you cna get the remainder of the service. In payment schemes where retainers are used, the lawyer make a separate account where bills will go though. The client must always review statement of billings so that accrued expenses can be tracked down.
Contingent Fees. This type of payment scheme is always used by personal injury lawyers. It is a type by which a lawyer can be paid depending on the settlement his/her client got. It is usually 1/3 of the compensation award. There will be no up front payment and everything will be paid upon judgment.
Reminder:
Any of these fees will have its own advantage for you as a plaintiff however you have to make sure that you are having a credible and honest lawyer. Especially to those working on contingent fees where disbursement is still a lawyer's responsibility.
Lastly, these are just standards measurement of how you can pay and up to what extent. You can still negotiate lawyer's fees.
About the Author
Atty. Emery Brett Ledger is a personal injury lawyer from California. He built the Law Offices of Ledger & Associates- a professional law firm that represents clients who are victims of personal injury cases. The law firm has been proven to be effective through recovering millions serving as compensation for their clients.
You can find him in Twitter @emerybledger and Facebook @EmeryBrettLedger.
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