In the United States, you can be accused of a criminal, civil, or even traffic related offense. You have the right to defend your good name in court, but only select instances do you have the right to free legal representation. At some point in your lifetime, you are going to need to at least talk to an attorney about what your legal rights are. This helpful guide will show you what kind of expenses, contracts, retainer agreements, and even payment arrangements you can potentially work out with an attorney.
The Consultation
Now, you can set things up with an attorney and pay all of their fees upfront before having a meeting in person, but most times you want to hold off until you have had a consultation. In short, a consultation is almost like having an interview with an attorney, only where you as the potential client would be doing the ‘hiring.’ Unlike a standard interview however, potential clients generally ask attorneys the answers to questions that they are perceived to be experts in. Sometimes, consultations are free. There are attorneys who might offer short, 15-minute consultations for a nominal fee. Then, there are attorneys who bill by the hour for everything, consultations included. The crux of the matter is that you should be prepared to pay for the expertise of an attorney even at this stage.
Making a Legally Binding Retainer Agreement with an Attorney
When you want to have an attorney represent you, both parties have to sign a retainer agreement. The retainer agreement basically sets the terms of the legal contract. For example, a retainer agreement for a criminal defense attorney may state the upfront fee required to commence the contract, scope out all of the legal services that are going to be rendered, and finally, set a time line for the entire fee due to the attorney. Along with most retainer agreements comes a deposit, which is simply the amount of money upfront that a lawyer requires in order for the contract to be deemed a legally binding contract. Sometimes, when a lawyer is working on contingency, signing a retainer agreement is more of a formality as no money will be exchanging hands.
Rendering Payment for Services to a Lawyer
Attorneys have bills just like anyone else, but they are also business professionals. The vast majority of people facing legal issues are not able to outright pay the total amount due for legal services upfront. They may pay their attorneys each time they get paid, on a set schedule. Your attorney may offer an online payment gateway where you can submit a credit card or even e-check payment over the web. Either way, itemized bills with due dates must be submitted to clients so that legal professionals and the clients that they serve can be on the same page. As long as you talk to your attorney about any financial concerns that you have, rendering payments won’t be difficult.
Mitigating Costs for Legal Services
When you hire an attorney, you aren’t just paying for a legal expert to come into a courtroom to argue on your behalf. There is a lot of legwork that has to be done in the interim. Depending on the type of case your attorney is handling, there might be tons of costs associated with paperwork alone. At Nicewicz.com information on criminal prosecution and even the process of going to traffic court is explained so that you can better know what you are paying for. This veteran criminal defense attorney always looks at things from a client centric point of view. Costs for filing petitions, serving subpoenas, and even ordering transcripts adds up fast. Sometimes clients do themselves a favor by mitigating these costs themselves. If you can locate, obtain, or even copy legal paperwork yourself, you can save some costs on legal services. Speak with your attorney about how you can work together in keeping your legal bills manageable.
Analyzing a Bill for Legal Services
When analyzing any bill for legal services, you want to be fair and reasonable. Each time that a payment becomes due to a legal professional, there has to be a breakdown of all services rendered. On your billing statement you will see the total amount of time your attorney spent working on your case. There will be areas where you can see how much you have been charged for general prep, and even all applicable court filing fees. If you have a question about what you are charged, go ahead and ask. Your attorney’s paralegal should quickly be able to explain each fee to you. Keep each bill you get for legal services on hand and always retain all proof of payments rendered to your lawyer.
Refunds and Reimbursements of Legal Fees
Sometimes a case will end and you will be able to get some of the fees that you paid your attorney back. This is a common occurrence when dealing with a lengthy case, such as one in a criminal or family court. And while it is great to get money back, you cannot rush the process. Your attorney has to go through all of their financial records, tabulate all costs, and then render a payment to you if there is money left over from your retainer. Usually, no more than 30 days after a case has been closed, any litigant waiting for a refund from their attorney will be fairly compensated.
Hiring an attorney generally means that you will have to pay a legal expert to take up your case for you in court. If you are dealing with a situation that is important enough to require the services of an attorney, ensure that you pay a fair amount. Remember that the best attorneys aren’t necessarily the most expensive. A great attorney will be happy to explain all costs with you, and even work out a plan so that you can get the legal help you need and can afford. You may need to pull out your credit card or even ask for financial help from friends, but by the time everything is over, your attorney will help to ensure that you are whole.
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