How Much Does It Cost?

          When setting their fees, lawyers consider several factors. For instance, some lawyers who are well-reknown in a particular law area may charge more than ones who are not. You may not mind paying a higher fee if you feel the lawyer's special expertise and skill will produce better and faster results. Lawyers also take into account how complicated your case is and the amount of time it will take. Despite the trial itself may only take half-a-day, researching the law, finding and interviewing witnesses, as well as preparing documents and arguments for the trial can take days, weeks or even longer. Sometimes unexpected developments may occur making your case even more complicated, which could result in higher fees.

           All lawyers have their own fee agreements. What is common to all attorneys is the fact that any agreement between you and a lawyer must be in writing. Apart from any fee you may pay for your first meeting with a lawyer, you may typically be charged a fixed, hourly, retainer, contingency or statutory fee. What are those fees?
First fixed fee is used most often by legal clinics and some law firms or lawyers for routine legal matters, like drawing up a simple will or handling an uncontested divorce. When you agree to a fixed fee, check what it does and does not include. Second kind of fee: hourly fees. The amount can vary from lawyer to lawyer. In order to know the approximate total of your bill, ask the lawyer to estimate how long your case will take. Bare in mind that circumstances may change, and your case may take longer to handle than the lawyer expected at the beginning. Third retainer fee can be used to guarantee that the lawyer will be readily available to work on your particular case, which could mean that he would have to turn down other cases in order to remain available for you. As a result, you will probably be billed at a higher rate for the legal work that is done.

          Fourth you may be charged a contingency fee, which is commonly used in personal injury, medical malpractice, workers' compensation and other cases involving a law suit for money. It means that you will pay the lawyer a certain percentage of the money you receive if you win the case or if you settle it out of court. If you lose, the lawyer does not receive a fee. However, you will still have to pay any other court costs that are involved. At last you can be charged a statutory fee. Indeed for certain legal matters the cost is set by statute or law. This means the lawyer's fee is either set or must be approved by the court.