Steps to Take in an Attorney Fee Dispute

Failing to act promptly during an attorney fee dispute could result in complex hassles and unnecessary expenses for your business. Read below to learn a few crucial things to do if you suspect you’ve been billed too much for legal services.

Carefully Review Your Fee Agreement

When there are uncertainties about whether you’ve been charged the wrong way for services rendered, or you think you may have been billed an improper amount, those questions can often be answered by referring to the fee agreement. Your lawyer should have provided one when you began receiving services. Look over it carefully before pursuing the dispute any further.

Talk to Your Attorney

The information learned by looking over your fee agreement again should help you feel more educated in the early stages of an attorney fee dispute. If you’ve done what you can to understand the fee structure but still feel you’re being asked to pay an inappropriate amount, reach out to your attorney. He or she should be willing to give a detailed description of each charge.

Some lawyers are very precise and will list the duties performed in 15-minute increments. Even if your lawyer charges an hourly rate, it’s not sufficient to simply invoice for a total number of hours. You deserve to also know the specific things that were done during particular timeframes. Speaking to your attorney may not immediately resolve the attorney fee dispute, but it should clarify how he or she arrived at the total amount.

Meet With a Legal Fee Auditor

Sometimes it’s necessary to get advice from a legal fee auditor in addition to the steps you’ve taken on your own. That professional can scrutinize each line of your invoice to identify charges that seem unwarranted. The auditors at Legal Fee Advisors can give expert testimony and act as consultants when you’re involved in an attorney fee dispute.

Disputes about payment can quickly disrupt your business operations and strain your relationships with attorneys. However, following the steps listed above will help you act quickly and assertively when getting to the bottom of a dispute. When you consistently verify invoice amounts and question them when necessary, it reduces the chances you’ll pay more than necessary for legal assistance.