Why You May Have an Attorney Fee Dispute

 
An attorney has a legal obligation to bill their clients fairly and ethically, though many law firms don’t do this. Reading fictional books about lawyers may make you wonder if those practices are actually done, and the answer is yes. In many cases, attorneys will bill a fee that is inflated as much as 20 percent over the reasonable cost it should take.

Pay Appropriately

If you are in a dispute with a lawyer because you feel they charged too much, you could be right. It is true that many attorneys charge high rates and this is generally fair because they have a professional legal judgment. However, many firms will bill at the high rate of an attorney when the clerical or administrative staff are the ones who handled the work. Secretarial hours are billed, but they should be billed at a lower rate than the attorney fee. Therefore, these firms are taking advantage of their billing rights.

Sometimes, law firms will also charge for overhead reasons. You, as the client, should not have to pay for IT support or any other number of regular maintenance charges to keep the law firm in business. You pay a fee to the law firm and that should cover all expenses on their part. However, many law firms overcharge you to help them pay their bills that have nothing to do with you or your case.

What to Do

If you find yourself in a dispute because of an attorney’s fees, then you need to seek legal counsel with a company that handles disputes for attorneys. Not all law firms will handle these cases as it seems that some law firms like to stick together. Therefore, it is important to ensure that the firm you choose does not affiliate itself with any other firm and expressly handles attorney fee disputes.

Search for law firms that handle disputes from other attorneys and then call them and talk to them. Most of these firms will provide you with a free consultation, so you can explain your case and find out what the firm says. It is okay to talk with a few firms to discuss your options, though you should pick one before you go forward with a lawsuit.

The law firms will be able to tell you if you have a shot and if they will be willing to take your case.