Fees- The Business of Law
Our business is the service of the people in our geographic area through the practice of law. We generate our income utilizing both hourly rates and fixed fee arrangements. We have attached a copy of the general employment agreement between the firm and its clients. We bill on a monthly basis.
Fee Agreement for Initial Consultation
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FEES
As with most law firms which deal with any form of litigation, the majority of our fees are based upon the time needed to complete the task. The more complex or the more litigious the task, the more time that will be called for by the attorney, and the greater the final fee will be. As an example, if the parties to a divorce are “friendly,” then the final bill will be far more reasonable than if each side is “out for blood.” At the end of the day, the client is in a
far better position
to control the costs of litigation than is the attorney. When time is spent by other office personnel, different fees may apply.
Billable time is broken down into 0.1 hour (6-minute) increments, rounded up to the next highest 0.1 hour, so that you only pay for the time actually spent on your case. The time is entered into the accounting computer program for billing at a later time. Once a month, usually at the beginning of the month, all time and expenses are billed to the client. Invoices are sent either by e-mail or snail mail. Payment is expected upon receipt of the invoice.
You can download a copy of our typical employment contract, along with the Lawyer’s Creed at your leisure. Back
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Hourly Fees
Victoria H. Gallagher $225.00
Donald Michael Stull $225.00
Secretary fees $50.00
EXPENSES
As each case’s needs are different, there is no standard way to incorporate the expenses which are associated with each case. Thus, we pass on the expenses to the clients who incur them. These include: Filing and service fees, postage as used, document reproduction at $0.15 per copy or $0.10 per scan, telecopier transmissions at $0.50 per transmission copy - facsimile transmission and reception, audio recordings $5.00 per disc, video recordings $25.00 per disc. We also, from time to time, must hire
outside personnel to do various tasks and those expenses are passed on directly to the client. These include such things as: process servers, stenographers, real estate title research, and delivery personnel.
One expense which almost everything we do involves are fees imposed by governmental agencies. These are normally the filing fees charged by the various clerks in the courthouses for various items. Back
RETAINER
Usually the firm requires that you put up a “retainer.” This is an amount of money which is placed in the firm’s trust account which will pay for the services performed and expenses incurred on your behalf. There is no set amount for the retainer as each case is different. Where it is feared that the work will be great, the larger the retainer will be. The retainer is still your money, it is just held in a trust account. If the legal bill is smaller than the retainer, then you will
receive a refund. Likewise, if the retainer is insufficient to cover the invoices, you will be required to pay those invoices as they are generated, or to place additional funds into the trust account. Back
FIXED FEES
While the bulk of our business is done on a time basis, there are some situations in which fixed rates can be applied. These are where, through years of experience, we can generally tell what will be necessary for the completion of the work, and the variables are small. If your task falls into the “normal” range for these items, then we can give you some peace of mind on what you will be spending for the necessary services. As an example, most Wills are all the same with “all
to spouse, then
to the kids” and can be done on a flat fee basis. The Will which is a 95-page behemoth is not typical and will revert to the time and expense billing model. Back
While we cannot guarantee that each and every situation will be billed at a fixed rate, below are our fixed rates (attorney’s fees only) for the “normal” situations. Back
*Will - $225.00 first spouse
$175.00 second spouse
Durable power of attorney - $100.00 plus recording fees
Medical power of attorney - $75.00
Directive to Physicians - $50.00
HIPAA Release - $25.00
Designation of Guardian Before Need Arises - $75.00 Back
Real Estate - All will have recording fees added and those vary by county
Deed - $100.00
Deed of Trust - $125.00
Gift Deed - $100.00
Forcible Detainer - $500.00
Medical POA - $100.00 Back
Chapter 7 - $1,000.00 attorney fees, $335.00 filing fee (2012 filing fee)
Chapter 13 - $3,000.00 attorney fees, $331.00 filing fee (2012 filing fee)(Your attorney fees may be able to be put into your plan and paid after you actually file.)
Motion to Lift Stay - $750.00 attorney fees, $150.00 filing fee (2008 filing fee) Back
$350.00 per party for a half day (afternoon)
$700.00 per party for a full day
*NOTE: Attached is a sample of our Confirmation of Joint Representation, which we require married couples to sign when we prepare Wills. Back
