Client Service Guidelines
Fees and Billing
Client Service Guidelines
Our client service guidelines are designed to ensure
that you are pleased with our working relationship. If at any time
you feel we are not meeting these standards, we hope you'll discuss
your concerns with your attorney.
- We will vigorously represent your best interests at all times.
- We will communicate our fee arrangements with you early in
our relationship.
- We will listen to you, and take the time to understand your
needs and expectations.
- We will work with you to develop a deadline for every matter.
- We will be problem solvers, not problem makers.
- We will return your telephone calls promptly.
- We will consult with you before we transfer responsibility
for your work to another lawyer in our firm.
- We will keep you informed on the progress of our work for you.
- We will not consider a matter completed until we have followed
up to confirm your satisfaction.
- We will adjust your bill if you are not satisfied with our
services.
Billing Procedures
To help you understand our billing policies and procedures,
we offer these answers to some commonly asked questions.
| Q. |
How will I be charged for services? |
| A. |
Before services are performed, you and your attorney will
ordinarily discuss the manner in which you will be charged.
Unless otherwise agreed, you will be charged for all services
on an hourly rate basis. The hourly rate charged for each
person who works on your case reflects that person's expertise
and experience.
In some cases, it may be possible to make alternative arrangements
for your case to be handled on a contingency fee basis. In
other cases, you may be charged a flat rate fee for the particular
service being performed. You should receive a retainer letter
that summarizes and explains the payment terms to which you
and your attorney have agreed.
You will be responsible for paying expenses, such as copying
costs, postage, filing fees, and other miscellaneous costs
incurred in connection with your matter. Depending upon the
circumstances, we may agree to advance expenses on your behalf
or we may ask you to provide an advance against expenses.
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| Q. |
Will I be charged for phone calls with my attorney
or my attorney's support staff? |
| A. |
Yes, if your matter is being billed on an hourly basis. Your
attorney will charge for all time spent on your case. This
may include office conferences or court appearances, time
spent doing necessary research, and time spent with you on
the telephone.
Normally we do not charge for secretarial time, but occasionally
an attorney's secretary will perform services of a paralegal
nature in connection with your case. You will be charged for
those services at the secretary's established rate.
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| Q. |
How often will I be billed? |
| A. |
Unless otherwise arranged, you will be billed
monthly. Each statement covers the work done during the previous
billing period. |
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| Q. |
What information will be included on the statement?
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| A. |
The statement reflects the inclusive dates for the period
of service covered and a reference number (for example. 12345-0000-001).
The reference number is a code used by our Accounting Department
for your account. Unless otherwise arranged, you will receive
a separate statement for each separate matter.
The main section of the statement explains and itemizes the
professional services provided by date. Services are billed
in increments of tenths (1/10) of an hour. The lower section
of the statement will show a summary of charges for services
and any expenses related to the matter. The final figure is
the amount due. This figure will include, in addition to charges
for the current period, any unpaid balance.
Some expense charges, such as telephone or express charges,
may lag behind our normal billing cycle. Even if your matter
is completed and you have received what you believe to be
the final statement, our office may receive some miscellaneous
charges that you will be billed for later.
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| Q. |
When are statements payable? |
| A. |
Each statement is payable when you receive it.
If an occasion should arise which may prevent you from making
your full payment each month, we ask that you discuss it with
us. You may contact your attorney or our Accounting Department
to make arrangements for installment payments. We are willing
to work with you to accommodate your particular situation.
We also accept the following major credit cards: Discover,
Mastercard and Visa.
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| Q. |
What if I pay money in advance? |
| A. |
In some cases, we will ask new clients to make an advance
payment toward fees. If this applies to you, the approach
will be confirmed and explained to you in our retainer letter.
Advance money will be held in our trust account as your attorney
works on your case. If advance money is left in the trust
account after applying it to your final balances, the remaining
amount will be returned to you.
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If you have additional questions about our billing
policies and procedures, please don't hesitate to discuss them with
your attorney or our Accounting Department.
Top of page
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"The minute you read something you can't understand, you
can almost be sure it was drawn up by a lawyer."
– Will Rogers
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